RACER: Robin Miller on Jerry Sneva

He may not have been the most accomplished member of his fast family but Jerry "Giles" Sneva made the most out of his opportunities at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
In 1977, he qualified a five-year-old McLaren for his initial Indy 500, finished 10th and earned rookie-of-the-year honors. The next May he stuck an even older McLaren in the field with a banzai run in the closing minutes of time trials but he saved his real magic for 1979.
After his assigned car had blown its fifth and final engine of the month, Sneva was walking down pit lane and saw a car with no driver. Informed that NASCAR's Neil Bonnett was stuck in Dover waiting out the weather, Giles offered his services. Following a couple practice laps he went out to qualify and was presented with a stuck throttle as he barreled into Turn 1. He didn't crash, adjusted his line and braved out four laps with a jammed throttle to make the starting lineup.
In 1980, he qualified a two-year-old Lola fifth fastest, prompting a compliment from Jim Hall about his old car.
His last Indy 500 start came in 1982 and, following a couple of spins and another stuck throttle during practice in 1983, Jerry called it a day.

Brother Tom won Indy and a pair of national driving titles but Giles earned a lot of respect and five starts at Indy with talent and balls.

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