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Daniel Sexton Gurney (April 13, 1931 – January 14, 2018) was an American racing driver, engineer and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from 1959 to 1970. Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of motorsport,[a] Gurney won four Formula One Grands Prix across 11 seasons. In endurance racing, Gurney won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1967 with Ford, as well as the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1959 with Ferrari.
Born in Long Island, Gurney was the son of bass-baritone John R. Gurney and born into a family of engineers. Interested by California hot rod culture, Gurney built his first car aged 19 and became an amateur drag racer. After serving in the United States Army as an artillery mechanic during the Korean War, Gurney entered the 1957 Riverside Grand Prix, beating numerous established drivers including Phil Hill and attracting the attention of Luigi Chinetti, who organised his professional debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1958 with NART. His performance at Le Mans prompted Ferrari to sign Gurney for the 1959 season, making his Formula One debut at the French Grand Prix after winning the 12 Hours of Sebring with the team two months prior. After achieving two podiums in only four races at Ferrari, Gurney joined BRM in 1960. Following a non-classified championship finish with BRM, Gurney moved to Porsche, where he scored frequent podiums and finished fourth in the 1961 World Drivers' Championship. He took his maiden win at the 1962 French Grand Prix, which remains Porsche's only victory as a constructor in Formula One.
Gurney moved to Brabham in 1963 as their first-ever driver, taking multiple wins in three seasons at the team, including another fourth-placed championship finish in 1965. Alongside Carroll Shelby, Gurney had founded All American Racing in 1964, entering Formula One with Gurney at the wheel in 1966 under the chassis name Eagle.[b] Despite struggling for reliability with the Len Terry-designed Eagle T1, Gurney took his final victory at the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix, before leaving the sport at the end of 1968. He returned at three Grands Prix in 1970 for McLaren, following the death of Bruce McLaren. Gurney achieved four wins, three pole positions, six fastest laps and 19 podiums in Formula One, amongst winning the non-championship 1967 Race of Champions.
Outside of Formula One, Gurney entered 10 editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1958 to 1967, winning the latter alongside A.J. Foyt in the Ford GT40 Mk IV. His celebration upon winning Le Mans—spraying champagne on the podium—has since become a custom throughout global motorsport. Gurney was a record five-time winner of the Winston Western 500 in the NASCAR Grand National Series and, in American open-wheel racing, was a six-time race winner in USAC Championship Car and twice runner-up in the Indianapolis 500 in 1968 and 1969. He was also a race-winner in the Canadian-American Challenge Cup, the Trans-Am Series and the British Saloon Car Championship. In aerodynamics, he is remembered for his invention of the Gurney flap, and became the first Formula One driver to wear a full-face helmet at the 1968 German Grand Prix. His All American Racers team won 78 official races, including the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Daytona. Gurney was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990.
- ^ "Dan Gurney, America's greatest racing man". Motor Sport Magazine. July 31, 2015. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ "Dan Gurney - Visionaries on Innovation". The Henry Ford. October 29, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ "The legacy of Dan Gurney: 8 gifts he's left the world". CAR Magazine. January 17, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ "What made Dan Gurney one of racing's ultimate heroes". Motorsport.com. April 13, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ "Dan Gurney's Biggest Contributions To Motorsport And Cars In General". autoevolution. October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
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