An Icon & Warrior, Dan Gurney, is Gone

This is the Statt Mann Baby.  Time to Scatt a little bit.

Tough, tough, tough weekend. Now, there’s word that Dan Gurney is gone.  Complications from pneumonia.  He was 86.

The Freaks knew Dan Gurney well.  He was a part of both our radio and television shows.  He even called in on his own once to chat one Sunday night.

When you grow up knowing the name Dan Gurney as a fan, it’s hard to think of him any other way than as a fan. When you find out that he might be a fan of what you’re doing, well, it still gives us pause.

Dan Gurney was larger than an icon.  He was a warrior.  He won at everything he tried.  He won as a car owner, constructor and driver in F1 fifty years ago.  He won at the LeMans 24 Hours giving Ford the win it coveted over Ferrari.

He won in NASCAR. The Gurney flap in IndyCar aerodynamics is a standard.

His All-American Racers team built cars known as Eagles because Dan was an American original.  His brilliant mind.  His brilliant smile.  His brilliant presence will never be duplicated.

Even the process of spraying champagne on the victory stand was his idea.  He was the first.  He’ll always be the first.  He was Dan Gurney.

Peace.