Dan Gurney

Daniel Sexton Gurney (April 13, 1931 – January 14, 2018) was an American racing driver, race car constructor, and team owner who reached racing's highest levels starting in 1958. 

Early life
Gurney was born in Port Jefferson, New York, but moved to California as a teenager.

Racing career
Gurney won races in the Formula One, Indy Car, NASCAR, Can-Am, and Trans-Am Series. Gurney is the first of three drivers to have won races in Sports Cars (1958), Formula One (1962), NASCAR (1963), and Indy Car (1967) (the other two being Mario Andretti and Juan Pablo Montoya).  

In 1967, after winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans together with A.J. Foyt, he spontaneously sprayed champagne while celebrating on the podium. Apart from starting this tradition, he also was the first to put a simple right-angle extension on the upper trailing edge of the rear wing. This device, called a Gurney flap, increases downforce and, if well designed, imposes only a relatively small increase in aerodynamic drag. 

At the 1968 German Grand Prix he became the first driver ever to use a full face helmet in Grand Prix racing.

Death
Gurney died from complications of pneumonia in Newport Beach, California on January 14, 2018, at the age of 86. He was survived by his wife Evi and their four sons, Justin, Alex, Dan Jr. and Jimmy.

References

Other websites

 Dan Gurney's All-American Racers 
 Official Gurney-Weslake home page
 Dan Gurney at Le Mans

Category:1931 births
Category:2018 deaths
Category:Deaths from pneumonia
Category:Disease-related deaths in California
Category:American Formula One drivers
Category:Sportspeople from New York (state)
Category:Sportspeople from California