THE ALL-AMERICAN DRIVER! The Story of Dan Gurney and the Eagle Mk 1

In the early 1960s, Dan Gurney and Carroll Shelby put their brains together to design a car that would win the F1 World Championship. And in doing so it would mean an American driver in an American car doing so. We've seen the British do it, we've seen the Italians do it and we've seen the Germans do it. But the Americans? Two championships, but one was in a British car and one was in an Italian car.
So what was this thing about, and why is it considered one of the most beautiful race cars ever?
Enjoy! And remember to like and subscribe for more!
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[@joelafives]

I was blessed to see this win at SPA with my dad. Still have the program with Dan's signature

[@JustinAH]

In 1992 I was watching a race from Atlanta and Gurney said: IMSA has our Toyota breathing through an aperture the size of a hummingbird's rectum. The dude had a way with words 🤣 In early 80s while testing with his IndyCar team at Sears Point (many years after retirement) he told his drivers the car could go a second quicker, his drivers said it couldn't. Gurney got in car and was 1.5 seconds faster.

[@senorsoupe]

The most beautiful racing car ever built. Dan Gurney is probably my all time favourite motorsports personality, he's a legend as a driver, innovator, and team owner.

[@marklittle8805]

Dan Gurney is what all Americans should strive to be: successful, modest and skilled...one of the most respected men in racing for decades

[@ousley421]

Met Dan in 2013, still sharp as a razor and a great guy. Will we ever see a genius constructor/driver like him again?

[@markko17]

Another interesting video could be made about Dan bringing Colin Chapman to the Indy 500. Chapman wasn't really impressed with the Indy roadsters, and rightly so, but when he saw how much money they paid he became very interested.

[@thelonelyphish]

Apparently Dan gurney is my grandpa's uncle, we've got a photo of my dad sitting in one of his cars

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

If you have any social media accounts where you can post a picture, I suggest you post a link. It should stop anyone doubting you. Btw, I think it's cool!

[@thelonelyphish]

@@Tminus89 bruh, I'm not on here to prove shit or even look for attention, that's what my grandpa told me and I'm just excited to mention it. Your life must be pretty sad if you get your enjoyment from going around replying to some nobody online calling them a liar.

[@thelonelyphish]

@@y_fam_goeglyd I haven't really posted anything with that side of my family or any sorta proof nor do I care to, but once I find my family tree I'll let y'all know.

[@RRaquello]

@@thelonelyphish Not to prove anything, but it would be a cool picture.

[@alfimate3712]

If that’s true, that would be amazing

[@3Dsjk]

Another related bit of trivia with the SR-71 and titanium; early in the manufacturing the process, welds kept failing, even after using the higher-quality Soviet titanium. It turns out the water they were using to clean cool the welded parts was from the city supply, which contained chlorine, which was corrosive to the titanium and caused the welds to fail. Switching to distilled water solved the issue, and that became standard practice for working with titanium.

[@katierscott8771]

The Eagle was my favourite car in GPL, I couldn't get on with the L49 and found the beauty and speed of the Eagle suited me down to the ground. Easily the prettiest GP car of the 1960's.

[@danphilip10]

It was my first ever racing sim I got it for my birthday in 99 when I would have turned 10. I'd heard about it and was begging for it for months lol. The game is still in a drawer at my current computer 1 foot from me at the time of typing this lol. Despite my current desktop not even having a CD drive lol. GPL means everything to me Edit: After thinking about it, it was absolutely not my first racing game, that would have been NASCAR Racing 1 on MS DOS. The same group who made GPL, that's how I found out that F1 even existed in the states!

[@Malachi_Marx]

Dan Gurney is, here in America, synonymous with motorsport. To me its shocking that some people don't know him. Hell, he even won in NASCAR in a MONSTER of a car.

[@crpearson2004]

Even though Dan Gurney raced way before my time, I consider him one of my racing heroes.

[@fix0the0spade]

Small note, Dan Gurney's cousin is the painter James Gurney, one of the greatest painters living today. Real family of over achievers that lot.

[@richardjones38]

The Gurney flap is apparently the only piece of aerodynamic technology invented in motorsport and later used in aerospace, rather than the other way around.

[@sayharris1361]

Had the pleasure of meeting Dan at lime rock when I worked there as a motorsports photographer.

[@whfowle]

Although Dan didn't finish the British GP in 1968 at Brands Hatch, I saw him run there in the Eagle-Weslake. I always liked that track because of it's classic beauty. Much better than the sterile tracks of today.

[@matthewlawrenson3628]

One of the problems I heard the Weslake engine had was, unlike the Cosworth DFV, it wasn't designed with "mass" production in mind. Whenever something broke on a Weslake, a new part had to be made in-house, rather than just pulled off the shelf or bought in for the DFV.

[@bloqk16]

I grew up during the era of Gurney in F1 and is knowledgeable of his career in general, and the narration of this video was *spot-on.* Even with the nuances and anecdotes about Gurney . . . *_Aidan nailed it!_*

[@jacekatalakis8316]

I mean, you could pick any of the Eagle chassis across any series. The Eagle MKIIIC was a beautiful car, the Eagle F1 was beautiful, and even the Eagle CART chassis was beautiful, something something green wings, something something Castrol liveries even with PJ Jones and co in it.

[@AndyFromBeaverton]

7:03 If you just showed someone these photos with no context, I would bet they would think it was a car built today either for a new racing series or as a redesigned replica from the past. What beautiful photos and a beautiful car. Dan & Bruce on the same team. Just think about that. Can you imagine those two together talking about engineering? Were there ever two smarter driver/engineering combos in the history of racing?

[@arthuralford]

After Bruce McLaren died in a testing accident in 1970, the team asked Dan Gurney to drive their Can-Am car. Gurney won the first race after Bruce's death for the team. He had to leave McLaren after a few races due to a sponsor conflict (he was signed to Castrol, while McLaren used Gulf)

[@stephenscholes4758]

Tauranac / Brabham - and they actually won

[@SaraSpruce]

I first became aware of Dan Gurney and Eagle through Grand Prix Legends when I first played it at about six years old in the late 90s. To this day, I think the Mk1 is the most beautiful racing car ever. As a kid I was obsessed with it and the 987 and 997 Champ Cars from the late 90s, which had an eagle painted on the front, something that I found extremely cool back then.

[@davidparker8221]

The '67 F1 Eagle had the beak for downforce. (When is a front wing not a wing? When it's an extended nose!) Definitely do a video on the Gurney Flap/ Wicker! 1981 Indy Eagle (see the Pepsi Challenger) begat the Toyota Eagle Mk III, the Delta Wing, and DW Indy spec Cars in IndyCar (whether Dallara admits it or not!) Just another brilliant video from you. If I may add some other details, Gurney and Shelby had contracts with rival tire brands, and that meant working as much separately as taking the leads in different series ( Co-opetitionally...? Thank you Darrell Waltrip!) Dan took the reins as Shelby's heart problems, and conflicts with Ford Mngmt increased. Dan's parents were opera singers with the NY Metropolitan Opera. I never knew of his Dad graduating M.I.T., but it sure explains alot. It was Dan's Dad who said the nose of the car made it look like an Eagle. Keep up your good work! Thank you so much for doing what I wish I could!

[@nitromancer6460]

The bet Gurney proposed of whether his ‘72 Indy Car was faster than an F1 was never taken up by Bernie or any of the F1 teams. The ‘72 Eagle-Offy needs its own video.

[@theboys6949]

So proud of my grandad hes the the Man who made the engin (Michal westlake Daniel) and best friend dan🕊

[@JohnDeereA219]

As much pride I have in being an American, this video is a great way to step back and see and hear it told by somebody who isn't American and truly be able to appreciate how incredible the Eagle was. Dan Gurney certainly was an innovator, whether it be in F1, USAC/CART, Trans-Am and IMSA.

[@marksulloway5669]

Grew up following Dan Gurney. He also won Porsche's only F1 race at Rouen in 1962. There were Dan Gurney for President bumper stickers in 1968.

[@patrickporter6536]

Porsche's only win, not their only race.

[@crazydrummer181]

Gurney is also credited with being the first driver to spray champagne on the podium, thus starting the tradition.

[@smoovematix]

A few years back, during Christmas, my mom randomly decided to tell me that I have a relative named Dan Gurney. I have always been a very skilled driver and the ONLY one in my family that drove the way that did but it now made sense to me knowing that driving is in my blood. I have been fascinated with what I have learned about him since learning of him. Sadly, I didn't know who he was prior since I don't follow any sports or people. I definitely missed my calling, for sure, as I have dreamt of racing professionally since a young age but I never had the discipline or the environment that would lead me to that life. I am proud, however, knowing I come from the same blood as this legend, Daniel Gurney! The family names from my mom's side would be Matkins and Schoepf.

[@peterf1]

A definite racing hero of mine, so pardon a little more into but one thing that used to always be mentioned about Dan is that in an interview with none other than Jim Clark he responded "Dan Gurney" when asked who was a driver he considered his greatest rival. Second is just a little history as the Eagle did win another F1 race, the 1967 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch. It was a non-championship event so it's been slowly erased from the history books, but it was still a win. Lastly, I had the pleasure of meeting him and all the stories of him being a quiet and super nice guy are completely true.

[@jonnyspa27]

Great vid Aiden! I recommend the series Robin Miller did with Dan from the Racer Channel on YT. Also, the “All American Victory” from Speed Channel is on here. Excellent insight into chassis 104, currently in running condition at The Revs Institute in Florida 😊

[@BobGeogeo]

Thanks Aidan for the video. Keep up the good work. Pedantic niggles: Gurney and Foyt won Le Mans in the red GT40 Mk IV, with the bubble. Cuban missile crisis was October 1962, not 1963.

[@johnbarker5009]

Gurney was renowned as a great person as well. Regarding the Gurney Bubble and footage you see of various people driving open cockpit cars from the early 1960s, how many of them show the driver's head above the roll bar? It's inconceivable such a thing would be allowed today.

[@Fishbone8891]

I was able to see this car up close at Road America this past summer, I was blown away by how beautifully engineered these cars were. Comparing a race car then to what was being built in factories is really something else, these cars are incredible pieces of machinery, I could only imagine how amazing they felt to drive

[@landiahillfarm6590]

Back in the early 1980's, having no idea what I was photographing, I had the opportunity to snap several photos of one of those iconic Eagles. At the time I was clueless as to it's heritage [this was a vintage race event] but one thing I knew for sure was it was stunningly beautiful. Wish I had known then what a rare and special thing it was.

[@wyrwolff]

I have pictures on 35mm slides taken by my Uncle Ken when the Gurney Eagle visited the Watkins Glen IMRRC many years ago. Absolutely beautiful car.

[@philiptownsend4026]

There is a 69 y.o photo of me in my pram holding an Alfa Romeo Dinky Toy and I have been a Motorsports enthusiast, competitor, mechanic, team manager, administrator, gofer etc ever since. Your videos fascinate me with so much that I didn't know I didn't know. In this case the new knowledge that Dan Gurney was a man to be respected.

[@ImInLoveWithBulla]

My dad met Dan on several occasions when he was younger. There was a famous driving road in California called La Honda Hill, and all the local riders would congregate at Alice’s cafe at the top. Dan would often show up in his family wagon, and later a Honda minivan. He had fun dusting Corvettes and Porsches on the run down the hill.

[@peterlovett5841]

Dan Gurney was supposedly the only driver that Jimmy Clark feared as a competitor.

[@chrismoule7242]

Yes Jimmy said this himself.

[@mikehipperson]

I got up close and personal with the Gurney Eagle at the London Racing Car Show when it was held on the Herald of Free Enterprise, the ferry that later sank when the loading doors weren't closed properly. That car was an example of what F1 was later to become, immaculately engineered and prepared to the nth degree. Even though the Westlake V12 was a bit fragile it too was a beautiful piece of Motorsport art.

[@carlosfandango2419]

Raced the Eagle in Grand Prix Legends back in the day. It was really good on courses where it could stretch it's legs. That would be - Spa, Monza and maybe Nurby. It was very stable being long wheel based, certainly compared to the Ferrari. Great insight once again.

[@heintmeyer2296]

His later work overseeing the IMSA toyotas was a master at work. "Dan Gurney for President!"

[@NMWanderings]

Beautiful car! I have always thought that those 60's F1 cars are so much better looking than modern ones. I saw Gurney in a NASCAR race at Riverside Raceway in California (now gone). I was standing near a corner, and was amazed how consistent he was, always sliding up to about a foot from the track edge. Many years later my friend Jphn Goss was killed there driving an Aston Martin DB-4 GT, one of 13-16 made for Le Mans.

[@JJfromIA]

I love the historical videos of the lesser known teams and events. And being an American F1 fan, I really enjoyed this video.

[@GBURGE55]

AAR were a big player in 1967, they certainly weren't one of the lesser known teams

[@danphilip10]

I've only found your channel maybe a month or so ago, I literally thought I was subscribed cause of how often your content was showing up for me. I was wrong! Subscribed! I'm absolutely invested in your story telling of F1, there are so many bits that I'd heard or read something about at some point in my life, but you're coming in with an unbelievable amount of detail. When I got into the sport (I'm in the US) the first two names I'd ever heard about were Jim Clark and Dan Gurney. Those two names are what I think truly got me into motor racing, specifically outside of the US and NASCAR which is what I was watching as a kid, around the 1997-1999 region! That era car, Idk It looks stunning, especially the Eagle, the blue they used, I want to see one of these cars in person so much!

[@Lunaticsofearth]

Gurney still holds the record for most first f1 wins for teams ever. He was at the wheel for Porsche’s, Brabham’s, and AAR’s first wins.

[@scotsduck9947]

Excellent video Aidan, as always. Dan really does not get a lot of credit he deserves; if I recall, (and I'm sure someone must have mentioned this) I read in Autosport that Jim Clarks father said to Dan at Jim's funeral that he was the only driver Jim feared, which to me means the only driver Jim though could beat him. To have that said about you, by possibly the greatest of all time...no more needs to be said Oh and in the topic of tall F1 drivers (someone will have said it), what about Alex Wurz?

[@qedsteve]

I worked next door to Chuck Jones Racing in late '70s working as foreman at Camber Fairing Co. (Chuck Jones of F1 Team Ensign). Jones had purchased one of the Al-engined Westlake Gurney F-1 cars to restore. He had me in to modify the nose to incorporate the bigger radiator for the V-12. The modification took away the sexiness of the original nose. I'd always wondered why there aren't photos of the big nosed Westlake-engined Gurney F-1 car and how/where it may have been run.

[@larrydrozd2740]

Years and years ago, there was a vintage race at Laguna Seca. Bunch of guys tearing around the track in cobra's and other bigshot V-8 cars. Dan Gurney got in a 4 cylinder triumph and within 5 laps had caught up to the field and proceeded to give them a huge lesson in the fine art of how to REALLY race a car around Laguna Seca. He made those guys look like fools. He had AMAZING control! Dan Gurney was the ONLY driver Jimmy Clark feared.

[@roelhellemans2451]

Good video but light on Gurney the engineer after he stopped driving. I believe he was responsable for the Nissan Gt effort on both sides of the Atlantic and the narrow twin front wheel car that run at Le Mans to mention a few. For me the most intriguing was him demonstrating his "lay back motorcycle" at Goodwood during his last visit. A program's worth of material there!! Aidan over to you😁?

[@UrMomsChauffer]

Don't forget his dominance with the Toyotas

[@Sean-wm1gn]

Sir Jackie is saying he was the first one to do it in F1. In his autobiography he clearly states as much. He mentions Gurney doing it first but him being first in F1.

[@dicknodnfs]

Stewart highly admired Gurney for his professionalism and quickness. I remember those IMSA GTP 4-cylinder Toyota engines that were somewhere near 1000bhp that AAR produced. He is missed.

[@MrSourceMan]

Another fun fact about Dan Gurney; After his win for Ford at the 24 hours of Le Mans where he probably invented the champagne shower, it was only a week later that he was winning at Spa in his Eagle T1. Imagine that, going from winning a Endurance race in one of the fastest Group 6 Prototype cars designed at that point (211 mph (340 kmh) down the Mulsanne Straight) and then going to win just a week later at one of the most dangerous tracks at the time in a gorgeous lightweight F1 car that you helped bring into the world. The only other drivers I could find who have accomplished a similar feat are; Sir Jackie Stewart, who had a 2nd in class finish at Le Mans on June 20, 1965 and then a 2nd place finish at the French Gran Prix on June 27. Jim Clark in his Lotus got robbed of his win (Parnelli absolutely should have been black flagged) at the Indy 500 on May 30, 1963 before going to get his first F1 win at Spa, also with Lotus just 10 days later. The fact that drivers back then would maintain that kind of pace is incredible, but to actually be able to win in such different series so close is some videogame level stuff.

[@nickdulek4595]

Just got to see a few of these cars out on track at Road America back in August during the WeatherTech International Challenge. It's one thing to see these cars on display up close, but to see them running laps at race speed as they were intended to be run is something else.

[@danesorensen1775]

It's interesting that the three "driver teams" became basically the story of Indianapolis for 15 years. Brabham pioneered the European invasion, then Eagle and McLaren basically divided the race between them for the 1970s.

[@upsidedowndog1256]

The Eagle is absolutely one of the most beautiful cars ever! Everything it needs, nothing it doesn't!

[@bobbybrandon584]

Ex-NASCAR driver Danny O'Quinn is 6'5", he's not lanky like Waltrip either. I'm not sure how much he counts but the former basketball player, and current team owner and TV pundit Brad Daugherty has run some late model races, he's a hair over 7'.

[@jonduncan2688]

The car sounded amazing as well, with that Weslake engine

[@JTeam45]

Mario lived in the US longer than he did in Italy, he started his career in the US, he's a US citizen since 1964, he is an American driver and champion. The fact there's a debate is pretty funny considering the facts of his life and career heh.

[@freefall8243]

I worked with a fellow mechanic that actually owned an Eagle Formula Ford chassis, actively raced it. I doubt the engine was original, but it sure was a fun race car.

[@3Dsjk]

Sports car driver Tommy Kendall was 6’5”. I say ‘was’ because at Watkins Glen in 1991, his rear suspension failed heading into turn 5* and he went into the wall nose-first, mangling his legs. He was about and inch shorter after all the reconstructive surgeries, and one leg is no shorter than the other. *Back then turn 5 was just ‘the Loop’; because of this crash they added the Inner Loop on the back straight, turning the Loop into the Outer Loop.

[@markhaynal1969]

He signed the top of my fishing hat when I was like 5 or 6 at the Cleveland grand prix.

[@heretustay]

Even though he was well before my time, I really looked up to Dan Gurney. As a young American kid who loved F1 and wanted to be a car designer, my childhood to dream was to have my own F1 team & car company, and design them and race them. Amazing what reality does to a kid's dream though lmao

[@tedecker3792]

You too? I started racing karts in 1960 at 12yo. The only thing bigger than my dreams was my imagination!

[@crazydrummer181]

I’d argue that Mario is easily considered an American champion considering he started his racing career in The United States after he became a citizen. I don’t see any arguments that Rosberg shouldn’t be considered a German driver. Loved the video as always btw!

[@hughbarton5743]

Go Gurney! If you Google this, you will find the greatest, most epic story of modern motor racing... Dan, in a Cobra, on 7 cylinders(?) chasing Ferrari prototypes....he gets the sign from the pits: Go Gurney!!! So, of course, being Dan, he does...

[@UrMomsChauffer]

Great video. Would love to see a full on video about Gurney. His time after that was amazing as well. Thanks again

[@PuncakeLena]

You may not have heard of Dan Gurney, but surely you've heard of the Gurney flap. Nice invention that

[@klegendm2819]

A video about Americans in f1 on my birthday let’s gooo

[@twt3716]

At least when you click on this guy's vids you know you will learn something. No hysterical kid yelling at you. No shit jokes. No good jokes. But you know it will be quality. So thanks old son. I'm working my way through them. Merry F%$#&!g Christmas everyone. Humbug.

[@AidanMillward]

No bad jokes: good. No good jokes: bad. Hmmm. Need to get good at comedy.

[@ianwynne764]

Hello Aidan: This is lovely. Thank you. I am old enough to remember when Dan and the Eagle were racing. I would read about them in Car and Driver magazine. At the time, I was living in Perth, Western Australia, which was incredibly remote from motor sport. Stay safe and well.

[@solsol1624]

More innovation from Dan, I believe he was the first to use a full faced helmet in F1 or maybe even motorsport

[@shaun_sharlev]

views are up because this channel is awesome. Did you ever do a video about the 1971 Questor Non-Championship GP? i would love to get your style of delivery on that one 🏁❤

[@othgmark1]

The Questor event wouldn't be able to happen again but in a season with many less GPs on the schedule it made an interesting side show. The history of the Big O itself is fascinating as it went from the world's fastest racetrack to a shopping mall.

[@coachhannah2403]

My hero growing up...

[@jimiverson3085]

The issue in 1966 wasn't so much the chassis as how long the Weslake engine took to sort. The chassis was essentially an adaption of the Lotus 38, the car Clark used to win at Indianapolis in 1965. Len Terry designed both that car and the Eagle. Starting with an Indy car reflected the belief at the time that 3 liter cars would need to be relatively larger to house more fuel-thirsty engines. Brabham's first cars challenged that notion, then the Lotus 49 killed it. Cars like the Eagle and Honda lingered into 1968 but that was the end of the road for them.

[@d_cave486]

Dušan Borković, a Serbian touring car driver, is 207cm, which is just over 6ft 9. I doubt there was ever anyone taller, dude had trouble fitting in a WTCC Honda Civic...

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Definitely showing my age. I remember Dan Gurney - just. At the end of his F1 career, or just past it. Just checked Wiki - I was about 5 when he had his last F1 race, so I must have seen replays or post-F1 drives. Definitely remember seeing him though. My memory from when I was a kid - related to people and events, particularly if I saw them, moving as opposed to stills or text - is actually pretty accurate, as long as I don't need to remember the date. Maybe I did see him in his last year? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Re driver heights: Dad was "only" 6 ft and rallied a mini (long story, but connected to a certain Mr Cooper). Having watched my 6'1½" hubby try to get comfy in an ordinary mini and failing (had to drive with his head tilted), I asked Dad how he managed it. Apparently he'd shove the seat right back (might have been welded in place for safety reasons? Not mentioned by him and sadly I can't ask him any more), start the engine, "shut his eyes" and trust his co-driver. Given that one co-driver directed him up a tree (yes, that is true. Another long story...), I _think_ he was kidding. But having taught me to drive on roads he'd rallied on, and not being able to see over the bonnet of his behemoth, I had to trust his instructions implicitly. During the most terrifying minutes of my life he casually mentioned that he'd rallied the mini at night on this dreadful part of a _steep, single track mountain road with 90° left turns_ road (right hand drive, remember. No way to see the actual road, only the corner of the cliff), maybe he did trust at least one of them that much (they were three guys who'd take it in turns to act as driver, co-driver and spanner). 🤷🏻‍♀️ He couldn't possibly have trusted Mr Indecisive... 🤣

[@leneyvautrinsr5225]

Thank you for your outstanding presentations.👍🤟

[@scottdelong1]

You forgot about the Surtees Team when listing driver's teams. Chis Amon and Arturo Merzario also fielded teams, although they were not very successful. Nice video to an American icon otherwise. Dan said the greatest complement he ever received was when Jim Clark's father told Dan at Jim's funeral that he was the only driver Jim really feared on the track.

[@AidanMillward]

No I didn’t.

[@scottdelong1]

@@AidanMillward - Sorry mate.

[@shaun_sharlev]

Thanks for all the vids!

[@AidanMillward]

Cheers Shaun!

[@TheNecromancer6666]

The AAR Eagle was built in UK as well. They were based there. The parts were manufactured and designed in the US and assembled in the US. Btw, before there was constructor championship, Mercedes won F1 titles.

[@Housetian2]

Thanks for another great story Aidan :) I would love it if you did a video on Mario Andretti!

[@mrgmmiller]

Dan was the man!

[@Topcat_Saigon]

Michael Parkes was 6'4". He was more of an engineer than driver but was very good.

[@chrisrose4407]

Great video. Remember this car, certainly one of the best looking F1 cars ever. Probably not helped that when it was at its best, the Lotus 49 hit the scene. Often wondered what would have happened if Colin Chapman had been a year later with the 49.

[@chrisguardiano6143]

Fun fact: Dan Gurney is only one of three drivers (Mario Andretti & Juan Montoya are the other two) to have won a race in NASCAR, F1, Indycar & Sports Cars.

[@sennasenna6023]

you definitely shoulda mentioned how he started the cannonball run!

[@patrickporter6536]

Gurney was one of the best, and the F1 car was good too. Pity about the Weslake engine.

[@F-Man]

Easily in the top 5 most beautiful open wheelers ever.

[@rainingmoneyx]

Great video, now let's do the Eagle mk III, the car that "killed" IMSA prototype racing

[@cam3002]

Dan Gurney for President

[@Ultegra10SPD]

You left out what Jim Clark’s dad told him at his son’s funeral. -U10

[@ImInLoveWithBulla]

TiMag is the one material used in cars that has as cool a name as Pagani’s Carbotanium.

[@RRaquello]

Santa Ana is also not far from Downey, CA, which was where the Apollo command and service modules were being built, at the same time Gurney's team was racing in Formula One. I don't know if this made any difference, if he got any clues to the use of such materials as titanium and magnesium, or any engineering help from those employed in the space program. I have no idea, but it wouldn't be a surprised, as at least a couple of the astronauts of the time, for example Gus Grissom and Gordon Cooper, were involved in sports car racing, which was Gurney's province. Another very tall driver was Tommy Kendall, a very successful sports car racer in the US, and long time TV commentator. The reason given why he was never given an opportunity in IndyCars was his size. I believe he was 6'5".

[@philiptownsend4026]

I would expect that with so much top quality engineering running through his family that Dan G had an extensive network of specialised engineering contacts to call upon to source ideas and help solve problems. Both directions.

[@RRaquello]

@@philiptownsend4026 I saw a documentary on the building of the Apollo spacecraft, which was done at North American Aviation in Downey. The spacecraft had several crushable honeycomb type bulkheads, and because of the surfer culture in that area of the country, and because surfboards have the same structure, North American hired surfer dudes to work on Apollo modules because of their expertise in this specialty. So the technologies did bleed over into different applications, and it seems tech & engineering going from aerospace to auto racing would be natural.

[@philiptownsend4026]

@@RRaquello Glad we agree.

[@michaelh.9866]

Thank you...

[@jamesnicholson7412]

Thanks Aidan! Been waiting on this one for a while!

[@paulmccourt6185]

Alex Wurz could make the tall list at 6"2' there was rumours that he was going to surgically shortened to fit in the Benetton! 😁

[@LightsOutLow]

Apparently the only driver Jim Clark ever truly feared

[@simonz5905]

Hey! There has been many succesful American drivers in F1. Fangio, Fitipaldi, Senna etc...

[@philiptownsend4026]

Yes. When we say American we mean every country N and S on that continent, not just USA as many assume. Even Venezuela is American. Nobody assumes, say, France when we talk about Europeans.

[@shanewondrak9661]

In my opinion, that is the single best looking car to ever race.

[@TheFarCobra]

I met the guy who owns Gurney’s Challenger Trans Am car and The McLeagle (McLaren M1 modified by AAR) Can Am car at the Monterey historics Also a really nice guy.

[@TheFarCobra]

… I also met a guy from Idaho who was building a reproduction of the Ti22 CanAm car … in his living room.

[@RaceSimCentral]

Still have my Gurney for President bumper sticker and treasure the license for the Mk I.

[@PLZFrosty]

South African racing legend, Sarel van der Merwe, was also too tall for F1. I don't know what his height is, but i can remember listening to him in an interview of some magazine show when i was a kid. I don't know if it's a bit too much to ask, but would you mind making a video about him?