1958 USAC ROAD RACING CHAMP DAN GURNEY PASSES
USAC's inaugural Road Racing Champion, Dan Gurney, died Sunday, January 14, in California at the age of 86 due to complications relating to pneumonia.
Gurney, one of the sport's greatest drivers and ambassadors, was USAC's 1958 Road Racing Champion, but his career encompassed many disciplines and numerous successes. In 1967, he and A.J. Foyt combined to win the 24 Hours of LeMans in a Ford GT 40, the first Americans to win the classic motorsports race.
A member of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, Sebring Hall of Fame, Auto Racing Hall of Fame at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, Gurney was simply one of the sport's all-time greats.
Nine Indianapolis 500 starts produced second-place finishes in 1968 and 1969 and a third in his last start in 1970. He earned National Championship Indy car wins in 1967 (Riverside), 1968 (2 at Mosport and 1 at Riverside), 1969 (Indianapolis Raceway Park and Brainerd, Minn.) and 1970 at Sears Point, Calif. The 1967 Riverside win came with a last-lap pass in the Rex Mays 300!
The owner of All American Racers, his teams won at Indianapolis and in the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of LeMans. His versatility produced driver victories in Formula One, Indy Car, NASCAR, Can-Am and Trans-Am competition. Formula One wins came in the 1962 and 1964 French, 1964 Mexican and 1967 Belgian Grands Prix. Five NASCAR wins came at Riverside International Raceway where he was virtually unbeatable, winning in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1968!
One of the most significant tributes to him was given by the father of World Driving Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Jim Clark, who at Jim's funeral, proclaimed that Gurney was the only driver Clark ever "feared" on the race track!
The United States Auto Club offers its sincerest condolences to his family and friends. The sport will undoubtedly miss this true legend who earned the respect of everyone he ever competed against.