Christopher R. Gehrke (February 21, 1966 – May 7, 1991)[1] was a race driver on the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) circuit.

Career

Chris first began racing in open wheeled cars, winning the 1988 Spokane Grand Prix and finishing third in the SCCA Star Mazda Series. That same year, Chris also ran a couple of ARCA races in rented Bill Venturini Chevrolets. In 1989, Gehrke campaigned for rookie of the year honors in ARCA, finishing a close second, behind Graham Taylor in rookie points, and finishing seventh in the final driver standings. In 1990, Gehrke improved his performance in ARCA, finishing fourth in the season with five top-five finishes and eleven top-ten finishes. His best finish of the season was second at Toledo Speedway. Chris also proved that he could run on the bigger tracks, with fourth-place finishes at Atlanta and Pocono.

Death

On the 67th lap of the 1991 Poulan Pro 500K at Talladega, Chris Gehrke spun in the tri-oval and flipped several times and hit the outside wall before sliding to a halt. Several seconds later, the car of Carl Miskotten, Jr. hit Gehrke's car behind the left rear tire at nearly full speed.

Gehrke suffered serious head injuries and was transported to the Carraway Methodist Medical Center where he would die three days later at 10:25 AM in the neuro-intensive care unit.[2]

Miskotten Jr. suffered serious head and internal injuries due to the collision with Chris Gehrke and he was also transported to the same medical center, where doctors would stabilize his condition.[3]

Two other drivers that were also involved in the wreck, Mike Davis and Bobby Massey, were shaken up in the crash, both would be examined and released at the infield medical center.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Motorsport Memorial - Chris Gehrke". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  2. ↑ Archives, L. A. Times (1991-05-08). "Gehrke Dies From Injuries Suffered in Talladega Crash". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  3. ↑ By (1991-05-05). "CRASH SERIOUSLY INJURES DRIVERS". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  4. ↑ By (1991-05-05). "CRASH SERIOUSLY INJURES DRIVERS". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
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