Dan Gurney
.jpg) Gurney in 1970 | |
| Born | Daniel Sexton Gurney April 13, 1931 Port Jefferson, New York, US |
|---|---|
| Died | January 14, 2018 (aged 86) Newport Beach, California, US |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality | American |
| Active years | 1959–1968, 1970 |
| Teams | Ferrari, BRM, Porsche, Lotus, Brabham, Eagle, McLaren |
| Entries | 87 (86 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 4 |
| Podiums | 19 |
| Career points | 133 |
| Pole positions | 3 |
| Fastest laps | 6 |
| First entry | 1959 French Grand Prix |
| First win | 1962 French Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1967 Belgian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1970 British Grand Prix |
Daniel Sexton Gurney (April 13, 1931 – January 14, 2018) was an American racing driver, race car constructor, and team owner who reached racing's highest levels starting in 1958.[1]
Early life
[change | change source]Gurney was born in Port Jefferson, New York, but moved to California as a teenager.
Racing career
[change | change source]Gurney won races in the Formula One, Indy Car, NASCAR, Can-Am, and Trans-Am Series. Gurney is the first of three drivers to have won races in Sports Cars (1958), Formula One (1962), NASCAR (1963), and Indy Car (1967) (the other two being Mario Andretti and Juan Pablo Montoya).
In 1967, after winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans together with A.J. Foyt, he spontaneously sprayed champagne while celebrating on the podium. Apart from starting this tradition, he also was the first to put a simple right-angle extension on the upper trailing edge of the rear wing. This device, called a Gurney flap, increases downforce and, if well designed, imposes only a relatively small increase in aerodynamic drag.
At the 1968 German Grand Prix he became the first driver ever to use a full face helmet in Grand Prix racing.[2]
Death
[change | change source]Gurney died from complications of pneumonia in Newport Beach, California on January 14, 2018, at the age of 86.[3] He was survived by his wife Evi and their four sons, Justin, Alex, Dan Jr. and Jimmy.[4]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Dan Gurney's Biography - Dan Gurney's All American Racers". allamericanracers.com. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ↑ "Dan Gurney – Formula One Gallery - Dan Gurney's All American Racers". allamericanracers.com. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ↑ "Racing legend Dan Gurney dies from complications of pneumonia". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. January 14, 2018.[permanent dead link][permanent dead link]
- ↑ Malsher, David (14 January 2018). "Tribute to Dan Gurney, 1931-2018". MotorSport.
Other websites
[change | change source]
Media related to Dan Gurney at Wikimedia Commons
- Dan Gurney's All-American Racers Archived 2006-03-22 at the Wayback Machine
- Official Gurney-Weslake home page
- Dan Gurney at Le Mans
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