Brother of Tony Jr. and Gary. In 1972, he was badly burned and lost an arm in a crash, which largely scuppered his top-line career, but he carried on doing some racing afterwards. Suffered a stroke in April 2026, and never recovered. Worked in advertising for an Indianapolis based business, but also worked closely with a dealership in the state. Merle was named after his father's friend and racing car owner, Murrell Belanger, with whom Bettenhausen Sr. won the 1951 National Championship. Bettenhausen raced midget and sprint cars and also spent a spell racing in Australia and New Zealand in the winter of 1969.

Biography last updated 30 Apr 2026