Carl Moyer, a longtime racing benefactor through his Karl Chevrolet business in Ankeny, Iowa, and uncle of Hall of Fame driver Billy Moyer, died Saturday at the age of 83. A cause of death wasn't revealed.

A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Moyer bought out his brother in 1978 to start his automobile dealership, which was then a one-car showroom in Ankeny. He moved it to its current location in 1983 and built it into a powerhouse that has long been ranked among the top 3 percent of Chevrolet dealerships in the country, the company said in a statement announcing his passing.

Moyer grew the business significantly in the last eight-plus years with his auto group now comprised of 10 companies and more than 800 employees across Iowa.

The unique Karl Chevrolet logo — featuring a backwards “K” that Moyer, an amateur cartoonist, created himself — is well known in dirt racing circles thanks to Moyer’s sponsorship of numerous competitors, events and series. He has backed his nephew Billy Moyer’s racing efforts for years and often pledged special bonuses of cash or a new vehicle to spice up certain events.

When Moyer famously posted a $10,000 bonus if a top-four starter in April 2020’s Covid comeback race at Tri-County Speedway in Troutman, N.C., could win the feature from the year, the comment he made from home in Bondurant, Iowa, demonstrated his connection to the sport and all those in it.

“I love racing, and I love racers and just being around those people,” said Moyer, who occasionally climbed behind the wheel himself to compete at Iowa tracks in a truck series that he also sponsored. “At the dealership we have special deals for racers, so if anybody wants to come up and see us and they mention they’re in racing, they’ll get taken good care of.”

Moyer is survived by his wife, Penny; sons Brad and Bret; and a daughter, Pam. Funeral arrangements are pending.