HAROLD  BRUCE  JACOBI   -   06/23/1935 - 02/04/1987

was NASCAR driver, from Salem, Indiana.  Jacobi made his first Cup start in 1975.  It would come at Daytona in the 500.  Bruce would start 39th; have a great run and finish 12th in the race.  A very promising start for the rookie.  He ran 15 of the 30 races is that season.  He posted three top 10 finishes with a best of eighth at Talladega.  He only ran three races in 1976; and only attempted one race in 1977 (a race in which he did not qualify).  1979 saw him once again qualify to race in the Daytona 500; but he gave up his ride so that Gary Balough could run the race.  In 1980 and 1981 Bruce only attempted one race and finished outside the top 20 in both events.  He took off the 1982 season but came back to Daytona the following year.  Jacobi came to the 1983 Daytona Speedweeks without a ride but picked one up with a smaller independent teams in time for the Twin 125 Qualifiers.  During the first Twin 125 qualifying race, he lost control of his car at the exit of Turn 2 and flipped upon entering the grass infield, eventually coming to a stop near the inside dirt bank.  The car flipped end over end and it is speculated that his roll 

cage failed during the crash.  Jacobi suffered extensive head injuries from the crash and was in a coma for almost four years before passing away at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.  In 1987, he died at age 51 because of the head injuries from that crash in 1983.  He had 37 USAC Champ Car (Indy) starts between 1960 and 1970, with a best finish of fourth at Springfield in 1970.  Photo below left is Daytona crash.  Photo below right is Indy car ride.  Some info from Wikipedia

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