Jerry Churchill 1938 - 2008

Jerry Churchill, whose ARCA driving career spanned over the course of four decades, died Saturday June 7 after a brief hospitalization. He was 69.

Churchill's ARCA career, which began in 1970, included 133 starts in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. He earned one RE/MAX Series victory at Kil-Kare Raceway in 1990 among 24 top-five finishes and 62 top-10s. He earned two pole awards, at Flat Rock Speedway in 1989 and Kil-Kare in 1990. He also finished a career-best third in national championship points in 1989, among a total of six career top-10 ARCA RE/MAX Series championship points finishes. Churchill semi-retired from RE/MAX Series racing at the end of the 1994 season before returning to record a 9th place finish at the Watkins Glen Int'l road course in 2001. He ran a full season in the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series in 2005, finishing 5th in points with a best finish of sixth at Toledo Speedway. He had planned to compete in 2008 RE/MAX Series events including the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile dirt tracks and the New Jersey Motorsports Park road course.

Churchill was born September 18th, 1938 in Detroit, Michigan, but grew up across the river in Windsor, Ontario Canada. When he was 12, Churchill was introduced to racing - selling popcorn at the now defunct Dayus Raceway in Windsor. He was 23 when he bought his first racecar, a 1949 Hudson. Churchill's driving career continued with local racing at Checker Flag, Dayus and Bluebird Speedways in Ontario, as well as Flat Rock Speedway and Mt. Clemens Race Track in Michigan and Toledo Speedway in Ohio. He won a track championship in 1973 in Ridgetown, Ontario, then moved to touring series competition including ARCA, NASCAR Sprint Cup and IMSA road racing. He was especially fond of off road and road course racing later in his career, often competing south of the border in the annual Mexican LaCarrera Pan Americana, as well as the Michelin One Lap of America presented by Car & Driver.

Churchill's son Randy made 47 career RE/MAX Series starts, including one victory at I-70 Speedway in 1994, and joins his father Jerry as one of only 7 father-son event winners in the 56-year history of the ARCA RE/MAX Series.

Churchill worked in the insurance and auto sales fields prior to finding his niche in the trucking industry, starting with a single tractor-trailer and building Churchill Transportation into an international transport business with over 300 rigs on the road.

Churchill is survived by his wife Doris; children Gwen King, Randy Churchill (Pam), Joe Boyle (Kelly), Kevin Boyle (Elizabeth) and David Boyle; 10 grandchildren; and sister Muriel Kay Weaver.

Cremation has taken place and memorial service plans are incomplete.

-credit: arca