Born on 13 April 1931 in Port Jefferson (New York State), Dan Gurney was the son of an opera singer who performed at the Metropolitan Opera of New York. Having moved to California in his teenage years he was introduced to hot rodding. His talent was immediately evident.

Gurney’s skills caught the eye of three-time Le Mans winner and Ferrari importer Luigi Chinetti, who hired him for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1958, giving him a seat in the Ferrari 250 TR for the North American Racing Team. The following year saw his Formula One début, also with Ferrari.

From 1958 to 1967, Gurney returned to Le Mans every year, with Ferrari (1958, 59, 62 and 63), Jaguar (1960), Porsche (1961), Shelby Cobra Daytona (1964-5) and Ford (1966-7). He also pursued a successful career in Formula One during that period. On 8 July 1967 he claimed Porsche’s only ever Grand Prix win as a manufacturer (chassis and engine). American sportscar racing remained important to him and he took part in the Indianapolis 500 nine times and won five Nascar races at the Riverside circuit in California.

Back at Le Mans, 1964 was a turning point. It was the first time Gurney finished the race – in fourth place, with fellow countryman Bob Bondurant. Above all, he beat the Ferrari GTO. Ford team manager Carroll Shelby didn’t forget that feat and wanted Gurney on his side for the 1966 Ford-Ferrari showdown.

That year, Gurney claimed pole position and set a new lap record. But the next year, he really made history. Gurney and Foyt stormed home to victory, breaking the 5,000 kilometre mark on their way. The very next week, Gurney won the Belgian Grand Prix, the only American to win a Formula One race in his own car. Having left Brabham in 1966 , he had set up his own team, All American Racers, whose chassis was named Eagle in reference to the emblem of the United States. It was Gurney’s fourth victory in Formula One.

Gurney’s enthusiastic spraying of champagne in 1967 at Le Mans became a ritual of a motorsports podium ceremony. Eagle went on to be a successful enterprise, with three wins at the Indianapolis 500, in 1968, 73 and 75. In the nineties, AAR and Eagle formed the backbone of Toyota’s North American campaign, claiming six titles in the 1992 and 93 IMSA seasons. Drivers included Andy Wallace, winner of Le Mans in 1998 with Jaguar, and Juan Manuel Fangio III, nephew of the five-time Formula One worldchampion. Gurney had four sons, one of whom, Alex, took three successive titles in the Grand Am series from 2007–9.

In 2012, Dan Gurney again made Le Mans history, playing a role in the innovative DeltaWing project run by Nissan and Don Panoz.

Dan Gurney made his mark on Le Mans 24 Hours and on motorsports in general. The Automobile Club de l'Ouest extends its sincerest condolences to his family and loved ones.

 

Photo (Copyright ACO Archives): The bulge in the Ford Mk IV’s roof was to accommodate Gurney’s height. Gurney only finished the race twice in ten attempts, but he ended with a win.