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American motorsport legend Dan Gurney has died today, aged 86, from complications related to pneumonia.
Virtuoso Gurney won at the sport’s very highest echelons in Formula 1, Le Mans, IndyCar and NASCAR. He also ran a racing car manufacturer team, All American Racers, using the Eagle name – winning the 1967 Belgian GP driving his own machinery.
Gurney won four Grands Prix from 86 starts for Ferrari, BRM, Porsche, Lotus, Brabham, Eagle and McLaren. He won the 1967 Le Mans 24 Hours for Ford with AJ Foyt, after which he set the iconic trend of spraying champagne on the podium.
His IndyCar career resulted in the creation of the Gurney flap aerodynamic device, while in NASCAR he won five races at Riverside in California.
All American Racers, his wife Evi and the Gurney family issued the following statement:
“With one last smile on his handsome face, Dan drove off into the unknown just before noon today, January 14, 2018. In deepest sorrow, with gratitude in our hearts for the love and joy you have given us during your time on this earth, we say ‘Godspeed.’
“…Smell the sea and feel the sky,
Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic…”
According to Gurney’s wishes, his funeral will be private. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Hoag Hospital Foundation in Newport Beach, CA. For those that want to express their sentiments, please write a note to eagleracingcarsusa@aarinc.com.