https://sports.yahoo.com/legendary-racer-dan-gurney-dies-86-233259962.html https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/dan-gurney-dies-racing-legend-995818/ This is hard to believe. Sad day.
Along with all the cars he built...driving winner in F1, Indycar, Le Mans, Can Am, Trans Am, NASCAR and what all else. Dan the Man. Rest in peace Mssr. Gurney. ;(
Nice piece on Autosport website: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/133892/obituary-dan-gurney-19312018
Racing lost one of its very best. Driver, innovator, team owner and champion for the sport. It will take a very tall order to fill the shoes of the man that made racing a better place for all. Congratulations to you Dan for a life very well lived. Godspeed to you sir.
I was stalking him for an autograph at a Road America CART event in the late '90's. He graciously complied. This was the height of the Bubba Clinton shenanigans in the White House. A fan asked him if he was going to run for President. He said "No. I couldn't handle all the sex".
Dan Gurney, feared by Jim Clark. 1967, on LeMans podium he gave the champagne a shake & sprayed the spectators, inventing the celebration. The 1st user of full-face helmet in GP, he also created a raised edge on the car rear for downforce called the “Gurney flap”. RIP.
Gurney was the Real Deal! He won the first race I ever saw in person - the 1962 Daytona Continental. Drove his Lotus 19 across the finish line with the starter motor after the engine had blown. Unforgettable. Image Unavailable, Please Login
One of the most beautiful F1 cars ever designed, and driven by a Gent. Extraordinary life lived beyond the max. RIP
Big +1. Very sad here. He was a great help to me with a couple of projects, and just an all around good guy. RIP Dan.
Whenever I see car #48 I think of Gurney - always - not Jimmy Johnson (and I like Jimmy) I remember Dan qualifying 2nd for the inaugural California 500 in 1970, a magical time for me.
The most interesting thing about Dan was his insatiable curiosity of 'what if...". Really one of the great minds of racing, and development. Humble? That too. There's a youtube interview of he and AJ where he is very effusive of his team mate. A real powerhouse, Dan had 'it'. Everything he touched 'created', from the F1 Eagle to the Toyota's with the same name... The motorsports community has suffered a loss, we are all a bit less well off from his absence. AAR!
The funds from the sale of these decals goes to the Gurney family charity, the Hoag Hospital Foundation. Charity Stickers In Honor Of Dan Gurney - MarshallPruett.com
I worked for Dan and AAR in the early 90's as a part time gig helping the guys do the carbon fiber lay up on the Eagle / Toyota GTP cars that dominated IMSA.. It was a great part of my life..
Great folks. Had fun helping Phil and Brian Willis do the lay up for the cars. Got to know Kathy the VP of AAR, Mrs. Gurney was and is a gem and Dans sons are great. Just a great experience. I asked Dan to be a Lotus annual event speaker at barber a few years ago and he was great. My son races shifter karts and I had Dan and AAR sponsor my son. He was the only kart out there with AAR livery. I also had Judd Engines on the side of his kart which was cool too. The Gurney's are just fantastic people and a great race team dedicated. Toyota was paying a TON of money to develop that small turbo monster.. The Eagle GTPO car just kicked the snot out of Porsche, Nissan, and every thing else that IMSA brought to the table.
I saw about 7 or 8 of the AAR GTP races and talked to Dan at all of them. I first met him at Brands Hatch & Silverstone when he was racing the Eagle Weslake F 1 car and talked to him at many Indycar & vintage races. Just a great guy, and he always made me feel as welcome as if I were dangling a multi-million dollar sponsorship package in front of him; so did Mrs. Gurney. My dad died 51 weeks ago and my buddy Fats Domino died in October. Since DG passed away I really haven't been able to sit down and write what great memories I have of being a lifelong fan and very occasional acquaintance ... one day I will try. Image Unavailable, Please Login
At a Road Atlanta IMSA race circa 1989 - 1992 I pointed out to Dan Gurney that Jim Clark never raced a car with wings or turbocharger much less ground effects. I then asked him if he, Graham Hill, Stewart, Mario, Ronnie Peterson & others would be front-runners if in their primes when I asked the question. Dan's answer was very revealing in that he mentioned himself only peripherally. He replied, "Jimmy would win in anything". Only later in the discussion did he finally say, "I think all the ones you mentioned would be at the front of the grid". What a great pair of racing legends, no? I'm very thankful I saw Clark win the 1967 British GP and even more thankful for all the 2 dozen or so times I was able to visit with Dan.
