Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you will join me in a moment of silence to mourn the passing of a legend, the great Dan Gurney, who passed on Sunday at the grand old age of 86.
Given his career choice, he was not expected to live to such an age as dying was an accepted risk in 1960's Formula One, but he survived, becoming the first, and only, American to win a Formula One race in an American designed and built car, the Anglo American Racing Eagle, designed and built by the All American Racers team and powered by a British Westlake V12.
He also had success at Le Mans, being part of the Ford GT40 team that became legendary by wiping the board clean and kicking the Ferrari's into touch, and there was success in other series'.
He was second only to Mario Andretti in number of F1 races won by an American driver, and the great Jim Clark even went so far as to say that Dan was the only driver he feared on the track.
So, if you wish, please make some time and raise a glass to a true sporting legend, for we will never see his like again.
RIP Dan, and keep spraying that champagne wherever you are.
Given his career choice, he was not expected to live to such an age as dying was an accepted risk in 1960's Formula One, but he survived, becoming the first, and only, American to win a Formula One race in an American designed and built car, the Anglo American Racing Eagle, designed and built by the All American Racers team and powered by a British Westlake V12.
He also had success at Le Mans, being part of the Ford GT40 team that became legendary by wiping the board clean and kicking the Ferrari's into touch, and there was success in other series'.
He was second only to Mario Andretti in number of F1 races won by an American driver, and the great Jim Clark even went so far as to say that Dan was the only driver he feared on the track.
So, if you wish, please make some time and raise a glass to a true sporting legend, for we will never see his like again.
RIP Dan, and keep spraying that champagne wherever you are.
