A top midget driver with over 40 top-level wins, Motter died of a heart-attack. For a while, Earl was married to Esther Vukovich, the widow of Bill, and so Motter did what he could to help his step-son, Bill Vukovich II into the sport. Earl and Esther divorced and Motter later remarried, but Esther was his second wife. Motter served in World War Two and as a result is buried in the National Veteran's Cemetery in Riverside, California. Motter took many Bay Cities Racing Association midget wins, with a few USAC victories thrown in for good measure. He started racing in 1946 in both indoor and outdoor speedways. He was a very good friend of Vukovich and it was Vuky that helped Motter get a car to start racing a a higher level. In 1956, Motter won the Bill Vukovich Memorial Race at Fresno. Motter briefly retired in 1957, but it didn't last long, carrying on until the 1960's. During the off season from racing, he worked as a mechanic, specialising in body and fender work.

Biography last updated 18 Aug 2017