DAN
GURNEY’s 40th ANNIVERSARY YEAR
2007 marks the anniversary year of Dan Gurney's historic F1 victory with the All American Racers Eagle in the Grand
Prix of Belgium at Spa-Francorchamps on June 18, 1967. In the 100 year
history of Grand Prix Racing he remains the only American who managed
to put an American Formula 1 car of his own construction in the
winner's circle of a World Championship Grand Prix. It is also the 40th
anniversary of Ford’s all-American win at the 24 Hours of Le
Mans, where Dan co-drive the winning car with AJ Foyt.
While these two outstanding victories remain the highlights of
Gurney’s 1967 racing season, his whole year was one
for the record books and quite typical of his schedule during
the preceding 8 years.
In 1967 he crossed the Atlantic several times starting
the season at the F1 Grand Prix of South Africa in Kyalami on
New Years Day and ending it at the Rex Mays 300 for Indy cars in
Riverside, California in November. When all was said and done he had
participated in 27 major events driving Stock cars, Sports cars, Indy
cars, Formula 1 cars, CanAm and TransAm machines. He had put his car
among the first three on the grid no less than 18 times, leading many
races but suffering a multitude of mechanical breakdowns.
In February he set the fastest qualifying time for the 24 Hours of
Daytona in a Ford MK II.
In March he won the pole and all three heats of the Formula 1 Race of
Champions at Brands Hatch, England, giving his Eagle and the new
purpose built Gurney-Weslake V 12 engine its first victory.
In April he won by inches (over Parnelli Jones) the 4.5-Hour TransAm
113° (in the shade) heat marathon at Green Valley, Texas in a
Ford Mercury Cougar.
In May he put his new Indy Eagle - Ford on the front row of the Indy
500, between Mario Andretti and Gordon Johncock. A week later he
debuted his brand-new Titanium F1 Eagle at the Dutch Grand
Prix at Zandvoort putting it on the front row between Graham
Hill and Jack Brabham,
In June he won the 24-Hours of Le Mans (with A.J.Foyt)
driving a Ford GT 40 Mark IV, establishing a new race record and
starting the champagne spraying tradition in the winner's circle. One
week later he scored his historic victory at the Grand Prix of Belgium
at Spa with the fastest race speed ever recorded for a Grand Prix at
that time.
In August he was leading the Grand Prix of Germany at the
Nuerburgring by 42 seconds when a broken U-joint took him and the Eagle
out of the race two laps before the finish.
In September he got a podium at the F1 Grand Prix of
Canada at Mosport.
In October he put his Lola CanAm machine on the pole at the CanAm Race at Riverside leading this race until mechanical
trouble took him out.
In November he won the Rex Mays 300 for Indy cars at Riverside in a
legendary come-from-behind battle considered by many "Dan Gurney's
finest Drive."
Not resting on his laurels for long: In January, driving a Wood
Brothers Ford stock car, he won the NASCAR Motor
Trend 500 at Riverside for the fifth time!
To celebrate this 40th anniversary year ArteHouse of Santa
Barbara is issuing a Series of fine Prints, Posters/Photographs
featuring this spectacular driver in a variety of
spectacular racing cars. They are not only
a documentary of Gurney's versatility behind the wheel over more than a
decade, but try to evoke the mood of a by-gone era.
While the artwork will showcase Dan Gurney's Driving Career, a book by
Motorsports Journalist and Former RACER magazine
editor-in-chief John Zimmermann will focus on
Dan’s second career as a race car constructor and team owner.
"DAN GURNEY'S EAGLES; the official technical history of the
machines AAR built between 1965 - 2000" will be
published by DAVID BULL PUBLISHING with a release date in early summer.
The book was done with the full cooperation of Dan Gurney, AAR
designers, engineers, draftsmen, crew chiefs and team members.
Dan Gurney’s 1967 racing season is a year worthy of
celebration, especially now, after 4 decades these accomplishments are
cast in a truly monumental light.
Artwork
will be available after February 15th. To order, contact:
ArteHouse
1 N. Calle Cesar Chavez
Suite 110
Santa Barbara, Ca, 93103
1-866-965-1767 ex 101 (toll free)
or see the web site at www.dangurneyartehouse.com
To order the book:
David
Bull Publishing
4250 E. Camelback Road
Suite K.150
Phoenix, AZ 85018
www.bullpublishing.com
1-602-852-9500
1-800-831-1758 (toll free)
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