Gerald F. Hoyt (January 29, 1929 – July 10, 1955) was American racing driver from Chicago, mainly competing in the National Championship. He died in 1955 after crashing in a Sprint car race at Oklahoma City. In the 1955 Indianapolis 500 Jerry Hoyt surprised many, including himself, by winning the pole (first starting position) in qualifications. His average speed for the run of 140.045 miles per hour was at the time the second fastest ever at the speedway. However an oil leak would force him to retire from the race after 40 laps. As the 500 was part of the FIA World Championship at the time, Hoyt was credited for being the youngest pole sitter in the history of the series to that point. In his four races at the speedway, he would never complete more than 130 laps in the 200 lap race. In July 1955, two months after winning the pole at Indianapolis, Jerry Hoyt was entered into a sprint car race in Oklahoma City. On the first lap, his car made contact with a fence, causing it to overturn. The cars of the time provided little protected for the driver’s head, and Jerry Hoyt died the next morning of brain injuries. He had been married just two weeks earlier. He is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.