Jerry Punch - ESPN Career

ESPN Career

Punch worked as an emergency room physician at Bunnell Community Hospital (now known as Florida Hospital Flagler) before moving to ESPN in 1984 as a pit reporter for NASCAR races. While working at ESPN Punch also moonlighted at TBS doing pit reporting, as he was the first to report on the injuries to driver Terry Schoonover during the 1984 Atlanta Journal 500 for the network's race coverage.

In 1988, in two separate incidents, he helped with the rescue efforts after the serious wrecks of Rusty Wallace and Don Marmor. In the case of Rusty Wallace's front-stretch crash at Bristol Motor Speedway, Punch happened to be on Pit Road at the time, and as a result, was the first person on the scene before the rescue crew could be scrambled. Punch's medical training proved pivotal, as Wallace was initially unconscious following this practice-session crash. Punch revived Wallace, who was able to start the following night's race with only minor injuries, driving for about half the race before giving his seat up to a relief driver. Wallace now works with Punch in ESPN's coverage of NASCAR.

Punch is also credited with helping to save Ernie Irvan following a practice crash at Michigan International Speedway in August 1994. Punch also had aided injured pit crew members on pit road in several races in the 1990s.

While Punch was addressing a Nashville Superspeedway media luncheon he was interrupted by a loud crash from the back of the room. Punch immediately rushed from the podium to the back of the room where Jenny Gill (daughter of singer/musician, Vince Gill), a Nashville Superspeedway intern, had fainted. Punch helped revive the Middle Tennessee State graduate student. She was taken to a local care center for observation and soon recovered, according to Sean Dozier, the Superspeedway's public relations director. Punch returned to the podium and resumed his speech.