Jerry McDonald, one of the men who led Chevrolet’s off-road factory efforts in the late 20th century, passed away on July 8 at 10:41 PM. His wife Judy, a former journalist in Southern California, confirmed the news on Monday.

He had been battling mesothelioma for nine months, and was named into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame the day before his passing.

“Our whole family was by his side all day surrounding him with love,” said Judy. “While our hearts are broken, we’re grateful he is now at peace and with the Lord.”

McDonald was the manager of Team MacPherson Motorsports, which he co-created in 1972 alongside 2008 ORMHOF inductee Joe MacPherson. They ran that year’s Baja 1000 in a Chevrolet Blazer.

The team eventually forged a factory partnership with General Motors, fielding Chevrolets and testing GM products in their race vehicles. Electronic 4WD, for example, was first gauged in McDonald’s race trucks before being rolled out to the market. While the Goodwrench name is synonymous with NASCAR, McDonald raced his own S-10 with the service’s sponsorship as well.

The ORMHOF called McDonald the “quiet assassin” who led MacPherson Motorsports, involved with managing, fabricating, and development.

While the team eventually closed up in the early 2000s, McDonald remained involved as a spectator and fan. He often attended races in Baja like the Baja 500 and Mexican 1000, especially as the latter occasionally saw his team’s old trucks taking part.

Featured image credit: General Motors