The guests of honour at this weekend’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca are Sir Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney. The irrepressible Moss will make his return to US competition driving his own Porsche RS-61 following last spring’s terrible elevator accident, while Gurney and a fleet of All-American Racer’s Eagles – from F1 to Indycars, Can-Am and IMSA GTP cars – will be celebrated in a private reception at the track on Saturday evening.
Without doubt Moss and Gurney number among the greatest drivers from the 1950s-60s. They were team-mates in Lucky Casner’s Camoradi ‘birdcage’ Maserati in 1960, scoring a classic victory in miserably wet conditions in the Nürburgring 1000Kms. But Stirling and Dan were also fierce competitors in F1, long-distance sports cars and American sports car racing. Moss introduced the Lotus 19 to North America by winning the inaugural professional race at Mosport in June ’61, and that autumn Dan gave Frank Arciero’s Lotus 19 its debut and battled with Stirling in the sports car races at Riverside and Laguna Seca.
Of course, Stirling’s career was cut short by his crash at Goodwood in 1962, but at that time Dan was beginning to expand his horizons to become a team owner and innovator of the first order. It began when Dan shoehorned a Ford V8 into his Lotus 19, marking of the start of the Anglo-American chassis/engine combination that blossomed into Group 7 in Europe and triggered the creation in 1966 of the legendary Can-Am series.
At the time Gurney was hatching the first of his remarkable line of Eagle F1 and Indycars. The 1967 Eagle-Weslake V12 is reckoned by many to be one of the most beautiful and effective F1 cars of all time, and the 1972 Eagle-turbo Offy dominated Indycar racing through the early ’70s. In Jerry Grant and Bobby Unser’s hands the Eagle became the first car to lap a closed circuit at over 200mph.
Two of Dan’s proudest creations were the 1981 Eagle-Chevy Indycar and the Eagle Toyota GTP car from 1992-93. The ‘81 Eagle was designed by Trevor Harris and was a ground-effect car of a different colour, creating its downforce in a manner unlike the Lotus 79 and its followers. Harris and Gurney called the system ‘Boundary Layer Adhesion Technology’, and the different-looking car proved very quick, with Mike Mosley scoring a famous victory from the back of the grid at Milwaukee in ‘81 and Geoff Brabham running away from the field at Riverside until the car suffered a transmission failure.
The other thing about the ‘81 Eagle is that it was powered by an all-aluminium Chevy V8 built and developed at AAR’s shop in California. It was a classic case of Gurney pursuing his own path against the dominant turbo Cosworths of the day and a true expression of his American hot-rodder’s heart. Fans loved the car and engine, but over the next few years CART’s team owners, in their wisdom, decided to restrict and effectively eliminate both car and engine from the rulebook. Silly boys…
In closing, I have to add that I rate Dan as America’s greatest racing man. Why? Because he won in everything he raced – F1, Indycars, Can-Am, long-distance sports cars and NASCAR – and also enjoyed a rare second act as one of the sport’s most accomplished and innovative team owners and car builders. On Saturday evening, wherever you may be, raise a glass to toast Moss and Gurney for their many achievements as both racers and gentlemen.
Gurney is such a legend, but so few American’s know his contributions.
With all due respect, Michael, that just isn’t so.
If you know open whell James then yes…. but most of the people I know who are circle track junkies tend to pray to Earnhardt and Petty, etc…. at best they know he was in F1, rarely do they know about the Eagle, etc
Allow me to add that back in 1964 Car & Driver ran a tongue-in-cheek ‘Dan Gurney for President’ campaign. To the many longtime American road racing fans Dan has been a legend for many decades. It’s true that quite a few modern fans, certainly the NASCAR addicts, know little about Dan, All American Racers and his many achievements. All I can say is they should educate themselves about their country’s most accomplished racing man who also is a true gentlemen, a humble guy with a keen sense of humor and one of the world’s greatest grins. And let’s not forget he repeatedly whipped NASCAR’s best at Riverside in the sixties. The legendary Wood Brothers say unequivocally he was the best driver who ever sat in one of their cars.
Interesting…I was under the impression that Gurney is one of America’s sports heroes, that most sports fans know who he is, and that most racing fans know what he’s done.
It is indeed a shame if this is not the case.
I think if you are of a certain age here in the States and a race fan you know Dan for sure. However, open-wheel has taken such a hit here it is sad. I hope things start to get better. In the past 20 years we have seen champ car split which hurt bad then F comes and goes for the 10th time and that messes things up too.
Long and the short of it, Gurney is an American legend and a racing legend both in and out of the car.
Dan was my 2nd fave F1 driver in the 60′s – no mistaking my fave – Jimmy- and no mistaking what Jimmy’s Father said to Dan at the funeral -and how that paid tribute to Dan, what an absoloute gent-
Gordon – wasn’t Dan writing an suobiography?
We are talking of an awful lot of drivers famous to us fans but not necc to the general public, i was aghast that i had to explain to some younger bikers who mike hailwood was – i wasn’t very good at hiding my sentiments i think- Dan, for me is up there with any driver and especially American driver- fantastic man
Yes, Dan is writing his autobiography. It was referred to in Simon Taylor’s Lunch With Dan in the magazine a few months back. He’s well into it & we hope to see the book sometime in the next year or so. Everyone is looking forward to it.
For a further appreciation of Dan and his cars please read my column this week, ‘Celebrating Dan Gurney’s innovative spirit’ at http://www.gordonkirby.com
http://www.gordonkirby.com/categories/columns/theway/2010/the_way_it_is_no248.html
Lots of people know Gurney, kind of, because of the Cannonball Run too…
It’s my dream to meet both of these guys, but sadly the trip from Boston was a little too expensive this year….
Maybe some other time…(not likely)
As an American who’s followed, F1 mostly, but motor racing generally since the mid 60′s, I can firmly attest to the ignorance of U.S. sports fans re: Dan Gurney. Indeed, the #1 sport in the U.S. is “American Football, #2 is Baseball. Basketball is a poor 3rd (the NBA hasn’t been able to get a Network TV contract for yrs), Hockey is a blip on the horizon. NASCAR is big but in a regional way (the south) with pockets of fans scattered throughout the country. Gurney’s name would get a lot of play during the late 60′s & 70′s on the ABC Network when they covered the Indy 500. But since Indy is a shadow of it’s former self, even that is no longer the case. I wish it weren’t so, but tis the truth.
nice work, Gordon, as usually !!!
We will be in Laguna tomorrow………Jutta.
I have heard stories….and it’s before my time…but what did Jim Clark’s father tell Dan Gurney?
He told Dan that he was the only driver Jimmy feared, and when Dan talks about it today he speaks very quietly with tears in his eyes. They were great friends, of course, as well as fierce rivals in F1 and at Indianapolis during the 500′s greatest days.
He’s visibly full of emotion while talking about Clark here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvL7rqZM5VA
Mario- thanks…it’s nice to know that sometimes good guys do come in first.
Mario, many thanks for the youtube post of Gurney.
Mario – that was a wonderful clip, 42 years on that still feels raw to us fans wasn’t dan such an honest and respectful guy, i am really looking forward irrespective of cost to Dan’s book- really is one of the greats – salute
Dan Gurney is indeed one of the very best men to have raced a car. Not just a great racer, but a great Man. I have many fond memories of walking up to the AAR pits at IMSA or CART events on a Friday practice and being able to have a chat with Mr. Gurney—just as an enthusiastic young man who was fortunate to know enough about this legend, and appreciate what he was doing with his teams. He always, always would take the time to chat with not just myself, but other fans, as if we were old friends.
I also was fortunate to have a similar experience at the most recent Monterey Historics event I was able to attend a few years ago. Dan Gurney and Sir Stirling Moss do indeed represent the very finest that racing has to offer. I wish I could attend this year, I’d imagine it could be as very special as 1991 was for me, when the great Juan Manuel Fangio was the “Featured Marque”.
All the very best who make it out to the event this year, and a huge thanks to Mr. Gurney and Sir Stirling for their continued exploits in the world of racing.
Cheers!
Open-wheel racing in the USA may be a shadow of its former self, but Dan’s reputation is based on far more than F1 and USAC. My most vivid memory of him is the Can-Am at Mosport in 1970. Bruce McLaren had just died, and Denny’s hands were still terribly burned from an accident at Indy. Dan took over Bruce’s car (suitably morphed from “4″ to “48″), stuck it on pole and won the race – a heroic effort at a cruel moment in the team’s history. And his “McLeagles” were among the most immaculately prepared – and beautiful – cars I ever saw.
Good on you Mario. You’ve done it again! Great old footage. But what about Barry the interviewer? He was certainly very enthusiastic. Would make a good door-to-door salesman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRlcOnccfgg
Check this one out! A grid of stars, and Sir Stirling is the race commissioner!
They don’t make them like that anymore…
Les Richter was the President of Riverside International back in the sixties…….a reporter pressed him one day as to who owned Riverside???
His response …….GURNEY
EVERY MANUFACTURER in racing and the Nascar gang use the Gurney Flap. Bet most of them don,t know who invented it!
thanks Mario for those two clips. I for one hope Gurney’s book comes out soon. Those 8 litre Chevys in the 2nd clip sound great don’t they. They really were the good old days and boy do I miss them.
I think Mario’s clips are a little taste of what the future may hold for Motorsport subscribers. How long before our monthly magazine comes to us electronically (and immediately!) with all the usual features plus the clips to support a story?
I’m sure management is working on it, but they don’t want to scare the horses!
The solution will probably be to continue the print copies but have an option to also pick-up the issue electronically, and over time option ‘B’ will dominate.
John Read, while I enjoy some of the aspects of an online presence, I will not renew a subscription for an electronic-only magazine.
I hope not. I like the clips, but having a physical magazine will always be important to me…. I spend too much time on gadgets already…
Have said this a numer of times. I am the #1 Dan/Alex Gurney fan in the world! The best $15 I ever spent back in 67, joining the AAR Club.Attending F1 races in Europe, would proudly wear my AAR patch on jacket and AAR button on my hat. Dan would see it ,and would come over and talk for a few minutes.Attended SPA 1966,first Eagle F1 race(was soaked!) Attended SPA 1967 when he WON!! After race, had a few exta beers,and wife had to drive back to Germany(also had our 6 kids there).
Although I couldn’t make it to Laguna Seca I am smiling reading all about it. No one deserves recognition more than Dan Gurney, both as a racer, humanitarian and ‘good guy’. It was my privilege to work at All American Racers for 12 years and Dan and his lovely wife Evi are at the top of my ‘most admired’ list.
I’ve been lucky enough to have met Dan and visited his shops in Santa Ana many times and he has been my #1 favorite driver and team owner since the early 60′s. There isn’t anyone in racing whose opinions I respect more. He has always been a true gentleman, extremely friendly with an approach towards life that has to be envied. I was at the party for him at Laguna and the outpouring of respect and love from his many fans was unquestionably outstanding. His achievements in the sport of auto racing as well as his innovations will always be a tribute to him. He is a true living legend.