Dan Gurney was special guest at the 2012 Goodwood Revival, held 14-16 September at Goodwood Circuit in West Sussex, England.
Daniel Sexton Gurney’s contribution to motor racing is incalculable, his tally of four World Championship Grands Prix wins and victory in the Le Mans 24 Hour race as a driver being only part of his packed resume.His final points-paying win in Formula One – the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa – came at the wheel of his Eagle-Weslake; it was constructed by his All American Racers team. As a manufacturer and team owner, his cars excelled in Champ Car racing, with honours in the Indianapolis 500 among others. In sports car racing, his always immaculate Eagles claimed several IMSA titles and outright victory in the Sebring 12 Hours and Daytona 24 Hours.
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Dan Gurney’s maiden Grand Prix victory at Rouen, the Goodwood Revival 2012 featured a daily track parade of his most famous cars, including the Ferrari 250 TR59/60 he raced at Goodwood in 1959, the stunning 1967 Belgian Grand Prix-winning Eagle T1G, Max Balchowsky’s immortal Buick-powered Ol’ Yeller II road racing special and other examples of his celebrated Eagle Grand Prix and Indy racers, as well as Porsches, McLarens, Fords and Cobras. Notable drivers participating in the celebration included Jackie Stewart, Tony Brooks, John Surtees, Bob Bondurant and Sir Stirling Moss.
Goodwood also led a ‘Dan Gurney for President’ campaign with tongue planted firmly in cheek. This recalled the 1964 campaign that took place in the USA – instigated by Car and Driver magazine in its May 1964 edition – seeing this influential American motoring publication issuing bumper stickers to support this activity. Disenchanted with the 1964 US presidential election, the magazine decided to mount its own campaign for Gurney which really took off, with the ‘Dan Gurney for President’ bumper stickers appearing all over the Unites States at the time.
Goodwood ran its own campaign for this popular driver, including huge banners mounted on the pedestrian bridge crossing into the motor circuit from the Over The Road attractions and Revival Car Show. Goodwood Actors Guild (GAG) actors and charity volunteers also roamed the Revival site encouraging visitors to support the campaign by buying a pin badge or bumper sticker, with a £1 donation to charity for each.
Similar to the 2011 Tribute to Juan Manuel Fangio and the 2010 Tribute to John Surtees, Senior Photographer Tim Scott also documented the 2012 Goodwood Revival, including the following pictures from the celebration of American motor racing legend Dan Gurney. To see more from Tim, visit fluidimages.co.uk.
Goodwood Revival 2012 – Dan Gurney Tribute Photo Gallery
