Dan Gurney won the first Motor Trend 500 in this Galaxie 500, owned and crewed by the Wood Brothers and prepped by Holman and Moody

I am looking forward to putting racing numbers on my ol Dodge someday, and have been looking at race car door numbers for years to get a design to emulate. This might be it

 

Wow, I've never seen this decal before, I LIKE it! 

https://public.fotki.com/gwadagone/sixties-nascar--dec/2821.html#media

Did you ever hear how Dan Gurney won the 1962 Daytona Continental Sport Car race? (a race I've never heard of) Thank you Mike!

Dan Gurney had built up a good lead when he had serious engine difficulties, the crankshaft had failed. 

Because of his position on the track, he was able to coast towards the finish line, but he knew that the car was done, and might only have a single lap left in it.

Unfortunately for him, the three hour duration had not yet occurred, so he stopped the car short of the finish line and had to wait for the three hour duration to be reached. When the time had expired, he used the starter motor to move the car across the finish line and win.

Thank you Bruce! He sent me his Gurney Eagle Charter Member patch and shirt that were part of Gurney's fundraiser to pay for F1 racing!

the shirt was made by Russell, the company most famous for great college sweaters and athletic wear

for more info  https://allamericanracers.com/images/pdf/AutoMobilia.pdf

https://www.facebook.com/groups/112213797311

and short of owning a real Gurney Eagle, maybe one of the coolest collectables there might be is one of 5 fiberglass replacement nose panels

but getting the shop truck? Would be awesome  https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2023/09/dan-gurney-all-american-racers-eagle.html

Dan Gurney communicating despite language barriers, Italian GP

 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10220659823285767&set=gm.10159507526057312&idorvanity=112213797311

1st time I've ever seen a Gurney Weslake in a slingshot dragster!

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10220747459716623&set=gm.2450304588496110&idorvanity=527146584145263

Wow! Serious cool new Hot Wheels that I didn't see in any news! Compliments on this choice of a release to the Hot Wheels management team!

 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=7459216547480043&set=gm.8161578890554208&idorvanity=1264958710216295

But a complete fail on the website people for not putting this, and hell, whatever else is missing, from the website when looking up Gurney, or Hot Wheels Premium. This simply isn't online https://shop.mattel.com/search?q=grey&oq=gurney 

Dan Gurney at Bonneville, first I've seen or heard of that!

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/notable-legends-that-owned-cool-cars.1122533/

The Austin Hatcher Foundation for treatment of pediatric cancer has an industrial arts treatment program I just learned of, where children with cancer and their families, as part of the Austin Hatcher Foundation STEAM therapy program, teamed up with Factory Five Racing, to build and sell this to raise funds for the charity

That's Austin's mom. I hadn't met her until now, but I've posted a couple articles about the foundation, as in 2015 https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search?q=austin+hatcher Dan Gurney, Galpin, and Goodguys worked with it to help out

The Austin Hatcher Foundation provides families free mental and behavioral health services. If you know a family impacted by childhood cancer, please direct them to https://www.hatcherfoundation.org, or have them call  (434)243-3471. 

This car will be auctioned by Bring A Trailer, online, between Nov 26th and Dec 03rd

The vehicle will be available for auction in winter 2023, with all proceeds benefiting AHF's mission of providing comprehensive coordinated care and mental health services at no cost to pediatric cancer patients and their families.

https://www.facebook.com/AustinHatcherFoundation

https://www.hatcherfoundation.org/23build

Dan Gurney All American Racers Eagle Club was for joining up for a newsletter, might have been a fundraiser for the AAR F1 effort after a sponsor pulled out

and the renewal stickers

membership had another priveldge, access to the open house 

where someone got a photo of the company truck, and likely, the only truck to ever sport the AAR decal

https://www.facebook.com/groups/112213797311/?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=10159126008052312

https://www.facebook.com/groups/112213797311/posts/10159139882097312/

Dan Gurney pushing AJ Foyt to win the Grand Prix of Volkswagens during Nassau Speed Week, 1964.

The rumor surrounding that race was that the two conspired to get the win. 

AJ's car was legal, Dan's was not. Dan would push AJ so they could finish 1 & 2. 

If the inspectors missed the illegalities in Dan's car he would take the win. As it turned out, pushing AJ was an insurance policy...

Gurney catapulted into the lead from the start but faded back into the pack to make it sporting, particularly for AJ, whose car was struggling and unable to take advantage of the draft Dan was providing.

So Gurney dropped behind Foyt and pushed him through the pack and into the lead. Before they reached the finish line Gurney swooped around to grab the victory. 

A strictly-by-the-book tech inspection disqualified Dan, giving AJ the win.

https://www.facebook.com/Petersen.Photo.Archive/photos/a.477001505664467/817203184977629/

https://www.barcboys.com/nassau-19621964

http://luftkyld.blogspot.com/2015/07/nice-guys-finish-first.html

https://beetleinjection.wordpress.com/2018/01/18/dan-gurney-1931-2018-y-el-volkswagen-inch-pincher/

This sort of fun and easy going approach to racing reminds me of the Corvair in 1962 https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-scuderia-caribe-corvair-in-1962-has.html 

Dan Gurney racing the #9 EMPI Bug (from Joe Vittone's Economotors) at the 1963 and #3 in the '64 Nassau Speed Week.

and there's the California license plate... you know that it would simply blow anyone's mind to realize they have Gurney's race car with it's original license plate, right?

Notice the license plate trim ring, Economotors: In 1966, Economotors offered complete new cars fitted with a range of EMPI parts but which were still covered by a full Volkswagen warranty. The cars were known as the EMPI GTVs and could be bought in one of four levels of specification. 

in 1963 the Beetle joined the American elite. The Nassau Speed Week in the Bahamas was a glamorous off-season gathering for the great and the good of both Europe and America.

Amid the glamour and the girls, the Jaguars and Ferraris there arrived in 1963 a bright orange Volkswagen Beetle. From America.

Joe Vittone was one of the first VW dealers in America and had developed a neat line in replacement parts and tuning kits under the EMPI banner. Putting all his firm’s expertise into preparing his son Darrell’s 1956 Beetle and employing fellow Californian driver Dan Gurney, the EMPI Beetle caused a sensation in 1963-64.

See http://www.sebeetles.50megs.com/empi_gtv.htm for the details

I posted about it a couple years ago  http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2021/01/dan-gurney-racing-vw-bug-in-bahamas.html

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2402817483225013&set=p.2402817483225013&type=3

Above is 1963, below, Gurney was in the #3

https://sebeetles.com/empi-gtv-mk-i-iv/

http://www.sebeetles.50megs.com/empi_gtv.htm

https://www.motorsportretro.com/2011/04/racing-vw-beetles/

https://beetleinjection.wordpress.com/2018/01/18/dan-gurney-1931-2018-y-el-volkswagen-inch-pincher/

https://www.facebook.com/HotVWs/posts/dan-gurney-and-inch-pincher/3240510699316799/

the company known as US Mags, is run by the son of the cofounder, and is a conglomerate of Ansen, Rebel, Dan Gurney, Foose Wheels, and American Racing.

 https://www.us-mags.com/about

On May 24, Paula Murphy will be celebrated at the Petersen, 1st with a film, then with a panel discussion with her.

Paula Murphy: Undaunted, a film from the Left Behind documentary series created by Pam Miller and Cindy Sisson. The series about women in the automobile and motorsports world, who didn't create the household names that Petty, Knievel, and Breedlove did. 

Her family came to Southern California in the 1950s, where she soon won her class in an Alfa Romeo in 1959. Shortly after, she went on to teach at Dan Gurney’s racing school, and caught the attention of marketing genius Andy Granatelli.

She soon became known as “Miss STP”, and driving for Granatelli’s then ubiquitous STP oil-additive brand, she set 365 new stock-car records for Granatelli and Studebaker at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1963. 

Her success made her the first woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500, behind the wheel of the Novi, Granatelli’s challenging Studebaker Indy race car. Back to Bonneville in 1965, she piloted Avenger, the STP jet car—despite four inches of water on the ground—to 243.33 mph.

She drove a Studebaker Avanti coast-to-coast for the Ford Transcontinental Speed record and set four transcontinental speed records. 

Her first drag racing was in 1965 driving an Olds 4-4-2 prepared by Dick Landy. Her competitive best was 12.46 at 110 mph. 

She was licensed in a Funny Car when Tom ‘The Mongoose’ McEwen, then president of the United Drag Racers Association, welcomed her and presided over her licensing at Lions and Don ‘Big Daddy’ Garlits signed off. The NHRA nixed her license, and Grantelli didn't like that, and got it reinstated. The following year saw her dip into the sevens and break 200 mph. 

For the 1969 season, Paula purchased a Barracuda Funny Car built by Don Hardy and spent most of the year match racing around the Midwest—where the money was. 

She went to England in 1973, along with Don Schumacher, as part of a three-weekend trip organized by Tony Nancy.

Murphy went on to Grand Prix racing, where she was the only American selected to represent the United States in the first Women’s Grand Prix Race in 1974.

https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/petersen-automotive-museum-honors-racer-paula-murphy-1234842078

https://www.gregwapling.com/hotrod/land-speed-racing-history/land-speed-racing-paula-murphy.html

https://ahrf.com/paula-murphy

Ray Evernham is selling his car collection, 32 cars and 1 engine at Mecum Auctions upcoming Indianapolis Auction Thanks Mike!

https://www.mecum.com/auctions/indianapolis-2022/collections/ray-evernham-collection/
https://www.facebook.com/rayevernhamenterprises/posts/515694680224681

the only American-built F1 car to win a Grand Prix.

 https://www.clubroadster.net/threads/doep-sh-tzzz.1962/post-5935650

a 1975 Dan Gurney Eagle BMX bike with rear suspension Thanks Marc B!

 

https://www.bmxmuseum.com/forsale/446545

there's one for sale at Pittsburgh's Bicycle Heaven Museum, the world's largest private bicycle collection

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/dan-gurney-eagle-monoshock-a-rare-classic-bmx-endorsed-by-an-american-f1-hero-188481.html#

Dan Gurney got a speeding ticket

https://www.facebook.com/groups/505973489414476/permalink/4453696894642096

Did you know about Swede Savage? Famous for being the partner of Dan Gurney, racing the AAR Barracuda in SCCA,

 that Swede Savage got his start in motorsports, with a motor cycle, working with Evel Knievel in 1965

That's not how he got his start in racing though, he was soap box derby racing at age 5. 

In 1965 Savage dropped by Riverside International, when he heard that Dan Gurney was to be present at a test for the Ford Motor Company. The 20-year old Savage was showing off, popping wheelies on his motorcycle.

Struck by the young man’s skill and bravado, Ford signed him on as a development driver. 

The association with Ford brought Savage the opportunity to run a limited schedule in the NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) series in 1967.

Savage made his stock car debut at North Carolina’s Hickory Speedway with the legendary Holman-Moody team. He was running well before losing the engine 25 laps shy of the finish. His next two outings with the team, at Martinsville and North Wilkesboro, both resulted in top-ten finishes.

In 1968, Savage split his time between NASCAR, and running both USRRC and Can-Am with Dan Gurney’s All American Racers. In Grand National, Savage took a third place on the half-mile oval at Bristol, while he piloted Gurney’s powerful Lola Can-Am car to a top finish of fourth at the road course in Bridgehampton.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swede_Savage

https://motorsportstribune.com/remembering-swede-savage/

Dan Gurney racing a VW bug in the Bahamas for EMPI

Just how cool was it to be a famous race car driver? I suppose he was invited, was paid to drive, got a hotel room for free, etc. 

And got flown to the Bahamas to race. Damn, that's not bad!

https://murdercycles.tumblr.com/post/183071120883/vwgp-nassau-bahamas-foreign-car-guide#notes