In: Shelby Newsletter 2015-4-16 Gurney

TITLE: Gurney Gets His Groovy Car Back BY PETE LYONS [361 text words, submitted 17 April 2015]

Santa Ana, CA — What do you get a man who has raced everything? Why, his own racecar, of course. No, really. This Eagle-DOHC Ford is Dan Gurney’s car. The very one he raced in the 1967 Indy 500.

You remember that one: he qualified in the middle of the front row, just scant fractions of a mph slower than Mario Andretti, Big Dan’s best-ever starting spot at the Speedway. He was a contender during the race, at one point heading the pack for a couple of laps, but once again that infamous Gurney luck struck and he was out, a piston gone.

He had a lot else on his day planner that summer (think: winning at Le Mans, winning at Spa, getting his fledgling All American Racers factory up to speed), so it’s understandable that he let the disappointing Indycar go. First it went to AJ Foyt (his Le Mans cockpit partner), who road raced it some before passing it along. So began a slide into oblivion. By way of being turned into a Super Modified. And catching fire. And pretty much melting.

Who would see any value in such a pile of junk? Luckily, Dan’s son Justin Gurney came along. After a long search, he and AAR found the car and sent it out for expert restoration.

Make that “resurrection.” Metal magician John Mueller of Entrepreneur’s Motor Sports in Fresno, CA, didn’t have much to work with — a couple of suspension parts and the transaxle. But that was plenty. Heck, we live in an age when a racecar can be reborn from its chassis plate. Under the hands of geniuses like Jerry Wise, chassis man, and Joe Boghosian, who built up the DOHC V8, this 48-year-old Eagle rose literally from ashes. The job was done in time — JUST in time — for Dan Gurney’s 84th birthday party on April 13 at AAR’s shop in Santa Ana, CA.

Seeing it again made a lot of eyes there happy. Eyes that started watering the instant a bark came from that bristling engine and stinging Methanol fumes filled the Southern California air. What a perfect present. Happy Birthday, Mr. Gurney. — Pete Lyons

26151 Kitt Ansett Dr. Sun City, CA 92586

Pete has recently published another book.....this time on Riverside petelyons.com

951-679-9796

RIVERSIDE INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY "A Photographic Tour of the Historic Track, its Legendary Races, and Unforgettabl $49.95 (plus shipping and CA tax where necessary) Brand New Book Now Available! Click on "Add to Cart" button below to purchase directly from the author. I sign every book sold on this site, but for a personalized autograph (to you or someone else) please indicate how you'd like it to read on the order form's final page, where it gives you a chance to "Review your information" and asks, "Want Pete to sign your book?" There is NO additional charge.

Spry Publishing’s photo history of RIVERSIDE INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY Text by Pete Lyons; Design by Richard Baron 11 5/16 x 10 15/16 inches (287 x 277 mm), 3.2 lb/1.45 kg, 202 pages of content, over 550 illustrations US$49.95

CLICK HERE to s ee a few page samples