Dan Gurney

Daniel Sexton Gurney (born April 13, 1931) is one of the most important figures in the history of American auto racing. He was born in Port Jefferson, New York, but moved to California as a teenager. He has been a driver, a car manufacturer and a team owner at racing's highest levels since 1958. He is one of only five American drivers to win a Formula One Grand Prix, and the only one to win in a car of his own manufacture. He also won the 24 hours of Le Mans and races in the Indy Car, NASCAR, Can-Am and Trans-Am Series.

Trivia

• Apart from champagne spraying, Gurney invented the simple but effective Gurney flap at the end of the wings, which improves downforce
• In 1971, he won the first Cannonball Baker Sea To Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, by driving a Ferrari from New York to Los Angeles in 35 hours together with Car & Driver magazine editor Brock Yates. This inspired the series of movies with Burt Reynolds and others
• Gurney now develops a new kind of motorcycle called Alligator, which features an extremely low seat position
• Dan Gurney's NASCAR success was with the Wood Brothers and beating everyone at the old Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California whenever NASCAR was at RIR.