Jerry Grant, who was the first driver to go faster than 200 miles per hour in an Indy-style racecar but who may be best remembered for his heartbreaking defeats, memorably in the 1972 Indianapolis 500, died on Aug. 12 in Orange, Calif. He was 77.

The cause was pneumonia, his daughter, Yvonne Mills, said.

An imposing driver who stood about 6 feet 2 inches and weighed as much as 240 pounds, Grant raced professionally from 1965 until 1978 against the likes of Mario Andretti, Lloyd Ruby and Parnelli Jones.

He was a multifaceted racer, competing in events using Indy cars, the open-wheeled cars seen in the Indianapolis 500; long-distance endurance races for sports cars; stock-car races; and Can/Am races, involving two-seated cars with high horsepower and very few restrictions.

Grant spent years driving for the racing great Dan Gurney on his All American Racers team and teamed with him in grueling endurance events.