"Rest in peace" - IndyCar-IMSA star Hunter McElrea mourns the death of his racer granddad Rod McElrea

Racing driver Hunter McElrea took to Instagram to announce the death of his grandfather, Rod McElrea, on Monday. The New Zealand racing legend's health had declined in the past few months.

Rod's grandson, Hunter McElrea, is a third-gen driver who currently races in the American IMSA Sportscar Championship and debuted in IndyCar in 2024. Hunter made a heartwarming Instagram post in memory of his late grandfather. Hunter recounted his best memories with Rod, along with a series of photos capturing their happiest moments. In the caption, he wrote:

"Unfortunately we lost my Grandad yesterday 💔 To say he had a big impact on my life would be an understatement. If you knew him, you knew how much he enjoyed a laugh and good story (and sneaky rum here and there 😂). He was pretty much the perfect definition of ‘larger than life’. He started the connection and love of Motorsport for our family. I feel very lucky to have my first memories of racing cars with him - driving around the South Island of NZ with his leaky trailer and my formula ford! 😅 "

"Whether it was using power tools when I was way too young, or going drifting on shingle roads in his trucks when I was 12. We even did a car race together when he was in his 70s - you could say we had some fun. Too many good memories to name, I love you Grandad and will miss you heaps. Rest in peace, and I hope to make you proud ❤️ "

Rod was a saloon car racing driver, who raced from the 1960s to 1980s. His love and passion for motorsport inspired his son, Andy McElrea, to become a racing driver who became a two-time NZ motor racing champion, before pursuing the ownership path with the McElrea Racing Group.

Hunter McElrea's first IMSA season with TDS Racin in 2024 was a success. The California native competed in five races and won the final two at the road course of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Road Atlanta.

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Hunter McElrea's dream of making a "big splash" in IndyCar

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Hunter McElrea is an excellent product of the IndyCar Ladder series. His first step in American open-wheel racing was the USF2000 championship in 2019, where he won four races and finished runner-up in the standings.

Two Indy Pro 2000 seasons in the following two years were relatively less impressive. His potential and raw pace impressed Andretti Autosport (now Andretti Global), who signed him to their Indy NXT team for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. McElrea nearly won the title in his sophomore season, finishing runner-up to Christian Rasmussen.

In 2024, Dale Coyne Racing called him for the Indy Toronto, which unfortunately, he couldn't finish. Though he hasn't been signed by any IndyCar team for 2025, Hunter McElrea harbors the dream of making it to America's top open-wheel racing series.

"I don’t know whether I’ll be racing next year or not, but I really feel like I’m going to be in [an Indy car] again - hopefully in the near future - whether it’s a test or whatever that is. I hope I get another shot, and hopefully, when I do, I can make a big splash," he said via Divebomb in October 2024.

McElrea had a decent start in his 2025 IMSA campaign. He finished 8th in the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Daytona, five positions up from his 2024 outing there.