We were very sad to hear that Dan Gurney had died on 14 January.

The word “prolific” would be a good start to describing Dan Gurney’s career or, to be more accurate, 3 careers covering racing, racing car manufacturing and racing team ownership.  Gurney was very successful with an impressive 51 wins out of 312 starts and 42 pole positions.

He was inventive too, giving the motor racing world the ‘Gurney Flap’; a design feature increasing downforce created by the rear wing to which the flap was attached therefore improving the car’s traction.  A bubble was also named after him.  His above average height meant that he struggled to fit into the MK IV Ford GT 40 in which he was supposed to be competing at Le Mans in 1967; a bubble - the so called ‘Gurney Bubble’ - was fitted into the roof of the car to create room needed for his head and helmet. Gurney and team mate Anthony Foyt won the race after which Gurney showered everyone close to the victory stand with Champagne; a tradition upheld by winning drivers to this day.

Great stuff.