Dan Gurney: All American Racer - Triumph From Tragedy (Ep. 4) Hosted by Robin Miller

[@gimmeshelter1969]

"I was happy that we smoked the Formula 1 time up there..." Satisfaction Dan Gurney style!

[@RickyJr46]

What a fine, fine gentleman. Missed every day.

[@steveoreneo8220]

Sure glad I lived in that racing era, and got to meet Dan back then. He was really great to us drooling teenagers. I believe Dan would have won the Can-Am Championship that year if he could have raced in that McLaren for the entire 1970 season.

[@thevmanvj]

Great designer, builder, constructor,...of course, driver..... ...and a genuinely sweet man. Always made time for fans.... autographs. I want to have the honor of a chance meeting with Dan at Ascot in 1984. I was volunteering with the television crew on the announcer stand, during the Pacific Coast Sprint Car Nationals, and they just pushed off the cars for the A-Main....I turned to left, and Dan was climbing up the steps, I said ....”OMG.....Dan Gurney!”... no sooner than I said that, he reached over and shook my hand, with big smile on his face......this was someone that he never even knew or met. I can’t even write this, without being choked about it. We miss you, Dan.

[@soyounoat]

He raced in a seriously exciting era of race cars. and those Can Am cars were a pinnacle of brute force finesse.

[@stevecoe7282]

Miss you Big Eagle, you were the best boss I ever had.

[@MrBucer2]

I saw Dan drive that #48 McLaren at St. Jovite in 1970. I actually stood next to him on the podium to take his picture. In those days, security wouldn't push aside a 14 year-old kid. Dan is the greatest.

[@beyond_the_infinite2098]

Rest in Peace Dan Gurney. Great man.

[@Docjonel]

Dan Gurney- fierce competitor, justifiably proud of his accomplishments while remaining humble, and a lovely gracious gentleman in person. Do they make 'em like that anymore?

[@billwelter4101]

Amazing memory, every detail......great guy

[@josephdupont]

These segments on Dan Girardi are so refreshing to me and give me a whole new perspective on him beyond what you can imagine. God bless this man he must have been a very content man when he finally had his last breath because you really accomplished a lot

[@jeffwagner8690]

My Dad has been to EVERY Professional race at Mosport since 1964, he STILL says to this day it is probably the best race he's EVER seen in His LIFE!

[@tom-zj1ox]

My dad was a driver in that race and we have a picture of Dan leaning against his race car hauler, an old ford station wagon. Amazing years!! RIP Dan and my dad!! Dave Causey # 51

[@kyle381000]

That Mosport race, June 14, 1970, was the very first race I ever attended. I will never forget it. I hope to meet Dan Gurney one day and share some of my memories with him and to thank him for ensuring that McLaren was well represented during the darkest period of their history.

[@gregj831]

This open wheeler won't ever forget what Dan Gurney did for racing.

[@steveoreneo8220]

Dan was the best. He was always nice to us star struck racing whore kids, even on race day. I/we saw met him at his last race in the Barracuda at Riverside in 1970. Great man. Great designer. Great race car driver.

[@bloqk16]

Word had it back during that CanAm season that Gurney had to bail from running the entire season with McLaren due to sponsorship conflicts. McLaren had the backing of Gulf Oil, while Gurney was contracted with Castrol. It was a shame that Gurney could not run the entire season, where he could have been the CanAm champion, since for once, he had equipment/machinery that was probably the most reliable he ever drove for in his entire career, save for the the Ford GT 40 program.

[@andresferrari5859]

It was my understanding that problem was between Firestone and Goodyear.

[@bloqk16]

@@andresferrari5859 That's curious to hear, since I recall that the McLaren team and Gurney both used Goodyear tires leading up to that time. Of that era of motorsports, the one time I heard of a conflict with tires/drivers was for the 1967 Sebring 12 hour race with the introduction of the Ford GT 40 Mark IV with the drivers teaming of Mario Andretti and Bruce McLaren; as Andretti was contracted with Firestone, while McLaren was with Goodyear. The use of tire brands for the race was decided upon from which of the two drivers had the fastest time in practice, which went to Andretti; so the Ford Mk. IV was shod with Firestone tires for that race.

[@andresferrari5859]

Gurney had a contract with Goodyear at the time,.. but I believe McLaren was tired in with Firestone back then. Regardless of who or what was the reason,.. had Dan driven for team Mclaren that season I believe that he would have won the driving title.

[@bloqk16]

@@andresferrari5859 The issue with McLaren and tires for the 1970s CanAm season can be answered by doing a Google search words of: _images McLaren 1970 CanAm Hulme Gethin_ where you can see the Number 5 (Hulme) and Number 7 (Gethin) McLaren 8D cars adorned with sponsorship decals; where a distinctive diamond shaped (sideways) white decal can be seen.

[@danieldravot341]

Gulf wouldn’t let Gurney wear his Castrol patch, and Castrol was one of Gurney’s main supporters, so he was forced out. Castrol cooperated but Gulf did not. Screw Gulf.

[@jamesberwanger250]

Dan had to quit Mclaren because Gulf wouldn't accept his Castor endorsement. He even did a few Grand Prix with them, and a whole Trans-Am season with Dodge, oh yeah and a whole USAC season with his own team and sports car racing at Daytona and Sebring before hanging it up at age 42. What a guy!

[@StephenMorganCanada]

The record at Mosport for a very, very long time if I remember correctly.

[@CanAmBob]

Jackie Oliver was in Autocoast Ti 22 MKI not the Shadow Ti 22. The side photo of the Ti 22 is the Norris Industries sponsored Ti 22 MKII at Laguna in 1970 not Mosport.

[@martinmoffitt4702]

Very sharp eye!

[@byronspencer539]

Wow!

[@danieldravot341]

The Terrible Kiwis ignited my love of racing and I was over-joyed when McLaren won its first Can-Am after Bruce’s death. Later that summer I saw them run at Mid-Ohio for the first time, and I was there when they peeled Gurney’s 48 off the car. Dan’s sponsor, Castrol, had given him him permission to drive the Gulf car if he could be allowed to keep the Castrol patch on his overalls. Gulf refused to let their car be driven by someone wearing the patch of a competing sponsor, so Gurney, after honoring his friend Bruce McLaren, was let go from the team. Gulf covered themselves in shame that day.

[@garyjanssen5388]

Wow i forgot the name Dan Gurney till now. Cars Bikes and jumps and as young folks we repaired the bloody things and we jump higher and further and went faster. Two stoke bikes over 450cc ruled the planet.

[@mcmotorman]

and then he designed and built a car that broke the record for elapsed time on the "big" course at Riverside - broke the record of the CAN-AM car (Mark Donahue) with the "BLAT" car in 1981.

[@caribman10]

Doesn't it seem really small-minded now to recall that Dan had to drop this ride because a SPONSOR didn't like Dan driving with somebody elses' decal on the car?

[@charleshouser3123]

Nothing about Castrol was ever on the car. The issue was a Castrol patch on Dan's driving suit.

[@danieldravot341]

@@charleshouser3123, 100% correct.

[@briannotafan3368]

to bad i couldnt makeout what they said