Notes:
Jay Opperman was killed in what was reportedly his first race after moving from California to Beaver Crossing, Nebraska. He had planned to compete in the midwest, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Jan Opperman.

It was the 1970 season opener for super modifieds at Knoxville Raceway, having been cancelled due to rain the previous two Saturdays. On the first lap of the second heat race, Opperman's car struck the wheel of another car, flipped wildly over the third turn fence and came to rest an reported 80 feet from the track. He was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to Collins Memorial Hospital in Knoxville.

Growing up in Castro Valley, California, adjacent to Hayward, Jay Opperman began racing flat track motorcycles while still attending high school and then moved on to four wheel competition, racing midgets and super modifieds.

A 1960 graduate of Castro Valley High School, he also attended San Jose State University. He was survived by his wife, Betty and their two children. Services were held in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The tragedy for the Opperman family was compounded when Jan was permanently disabled in a sprint car accident at Jennerstown, Pennsylvania, on 20 June 1981. Jan died in his sleep on 04 September 1997 at his parents' home in Fountain, Florida.

• U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007.
• Social Security Death Index.
• California Birth Index, 1905-1995.
• Book "The Tribute Project", edited by Ed Watson, 1997, page 31, contribution by Bob Wilson [date off by one day].
• Book "The History of America's Speedways - Past & Present", by Allan E. Brown, third edition, first printing, November 2003, America's Speedways, PO Box 448, Comstock Park, MI, 49321, United States, ISBN 0-931105-61-7, page 309.
• Newspaper Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa, United States, 17 May 1970, page 1-S.
• Newspaper Oakland Tribune (Oakland, CA, United States), issue of 17 May 1970, page 48, Associated Press wire service, article "Crash Fatal To Younger Opperman".
• Newspaper The Washington Post (Washington, DC, United States), issue of 18 May 1970, page D6, Associated Press wire service, article "Driver Killed As Modified Jumps Wall".
• Newspaper Oakland Tribune (Oakland, CA, United States), issue of 18 May 1970, page 46E, Associated Press wire service, article "Ex-Hayward Auto Racer Dies In Crash".
• Website Find-A-Grave: Jay Opperman.
• E-mail by Jim Thurman, dated 09 January 2007.



• Researched and entered by E. R. Kelly on 23 December 2005.