Author Topic: Dan Gurney passes  (Read 1618 times)

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Offline aircap

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Dan Gurney passes
« on: January 15, 2018, 12:39:56 AM »
Check any auto forum or news site.... AutoWeek has a slew of articles.
Dan - you were THE MAN!
"Act your age, not your shoe size". - Prince

Offline fordboy628

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Re: Dan Gurney passes
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2018, 07:35:48 AM »
A sad day for American racing.

Truly one of the great minds and innovators of the 1960's and 1970's, Dan was just as responsible as Jim Hall and Mark Donohue for driving American and International racing to embrace technology as the way to move forward.

It was Dan, and other minds like his, that ended the stylized, cut it and fit it until it "looks right" era of aerodynamics.    He also was one of the motivating forces behind the beginning of analyzing suspension dynamics.   And although he was not an "engine guy" per se, he understood the requirement for science based power plant development.

And as a driver, Jim Clark was quoted as saying that Dan Gurney was the only driver that Jim feared.

Truly, an end to an era . . . . . .

RIP Dan

 :cry:
Admirerboy
Science, NOT Magic . . . .

I used to be a people person.  But people changed that relationship.

"There is nothing permanent except change."    Heraclitus

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."     Albert Einstein

Offline WOODY@DDLLC

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Re: Dan Gurney passes
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2018, 10:43:53 AM »
Spot on FB! Loss of a genuine innovator! :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:
All models are wrong, but some are useful! G.E. Box (1967) www.designdreams.biz

Offline manta22

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Re: Dan Gurney passes
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2018, 11:43:51 AM »
August 1962 at the Nurburgring, a 14.2 mile circuit running through the Eifel mountains- the legendary "Nordschleife". Rain poured down intermittently from leaden skies as the drivers moved their cars to the grid for the start of the German Grand Prix. Porsche had entered a new car, the 804, powered by an "achtzylinder boxer motor", a flat eight-cylinder air-cooled engine. It turned in the fastest time in qualifying and sat in the pole position-- driven by an American, Dan Gurney!

To us, a small group of American GIs who had driven up from Babenhausen to see this race it was exciting to see Gurney there, representing us. The flag fell and the cars screamed away toward the South Curve- all except Jim Clark who, red faced, had forgotten to switch on his electric fuel pump. The rain continued. How those drivers could negotiate a wet track winding through that narrow forest road - or even see through the rain- it boggles the imagination.

At the finish, with clearing skies the three top finishers stood on the podium- 1. Graham Hill, 2. John Surtees, and 3. Dan Gurney! We were elated. After they played the British national anthem on the PA system and then the "Star-spangled Banner" we stood at attention, a small group of GIs in a crowd of 350,000 and saluted our national anthem and our hero, Dan Gurney. RIP

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline manta22

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Re: Dan Gurney passes
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2018, 11:46:44 AM »
Dan Gurney 1962 German GP.
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ