Jerry Punch

Jerry Lee Punch (born August 20, 1953) is an American physician and auto racing and college football commentator known for his career at ESPN. Punch also does local radio spots in Knoxville. Punch is also a Principal Investigator for clinical research company, Alliance for Multispecialty Research or AMR, in Knoxville.

Early life Punch grew up in Newton, North Carolina. He received a medical degree from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in 1979.

Broadcasting career Punch began radio broadcasting for Motor Racing Network (MRN) in 1980. He continued to be the pit road reporter until the 2017 Chevrolet Dual in Detroit, the final IndyCar race on ESPN's contract for 2017. He would later return for the 2018 IndyCar season to cover the IndyCar Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 as ABC aired its final year of IndyCar prior to NBC Sports acquiring the rights.

In 2019, Punch returned to college football coverage with ESPN, serving as a part-time sideline reporter for games in 2019 and 2020.

Medical role in incidents In 1988, in two separate incidents, Punch helped with the rescue efforts after the wrecks of Rusty Wallace and Don Marmor.

In 1989 at the Motorcraft Quality Parts 500, Punch was reporting from the pit stall of Richard Petty when a fire broke out, injuring two crew members who Punch proceeded to treat on the spot. Following the incident, ESPN mandated that its pit reporters wear fire-proof suits. 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 her, and 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.

Personal life In 2000, Punch and his wife Joanie moved to Knoxville, Tennessee to be by her family. They have a son Logan and a daughter Jessica.