Dan Gurney
Photography by Mike Smith
CLICK THE PHOTOS TO SEE AN ENLARGEMENT
Riverside Raceway 1966
Harvest Motors Ford
HERE'S A GROUP OF DAN GURNEY IN THE WOOD BROTHERS FORD WORKING THE ESSES AT RIVERSIDE RACEWAY. THAT'S DAVID PEARSON HOT ON HIS TRAIL IN THE THIRD PHOTO. THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN AT THE MOTOR TREND 500.
DAN WON THE RACE, FIVE RIVERSIDE 500 MILERS IN HIS CAREER AND FOUR STRAIGHT FROM 1963 - 1966. DAN OWNED RIVERSIDE! CHECK OUT THOSE DOOR HANDLES!
DAVID PEARSON TOOK THE POLE AND CAME HOME IN 2ND. PAUL GOLDSMITH TOOK 3RD.
1965 AND 1966 WERE THE YEARS OF ENGINE BANS WITH THE CHRYSLER HEMI IN 1965 AND THE FORD SOHC 427 AT THE START OF 1966. FORD SAT OUT MUCH OF 1966, EVEN AFTER MID-SEASON RULE CHANGES ALLOWED THE SOHC 427 WITH A WEIGHT HANDICAP. THE WEDGE ENGINES WERE ALLOWED TO RUN TWO FOUR-BARREL CARBS. THE CARS RAN ON A LB/CI WEIGHT RULE AND SMALL BLOCKS WERE EVEN TRIED BY SOME, INCLUDING BOBBY ALLISON WITH A 327.
DAVID PEARSON WON THE G.N. CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING 15 RACES. DAVID WON A STAGGERING $59,205 FOR THE YEAR. THAT WAS PRETTY GOOD MONEY IN 1966.
FORD WON THE MANUFACTURERS TITLE WITH 10 WINS AND 216 CARS WITH TOP 10 FINISHES. PLYMOUTH TOOK SECOND WITH 16 WINS AND 92 TOP 10 FINISHES. DODGE FINISHED THIRD WITH THE MOST WINS AT 18 AND 98 TOP 10 FINISHES AND HAD THE BEST WIN AVERAGE OF .318.
 |
 |
 |
||
|
121RR66 - 8x12
|
121BRR66 - 8x12
|
6121RR66 - 8x10
|
 |
|
|
Riverside Raceway 1967
HERE ARE TWO SHOTS OF DAN GURNEY FORD WORKING THE ESSES AT RIVERSIDE RACEWAY. THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN AT THE MOTOR TREND 500.
THE RACE WAS WON BY PARNELLI JONES.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP WAS WON BY RICHARD PETTY WHO DOMINATED THE SEASON WITH 27 WINS FOLLOWED BY BOBBY ALLISON WITH 6 WINS.
 |
 |
|
|
16AGRR67 - 8x10
|
16BGRR67 - 8x10
|
|
|
|
Riverside Raceway 1970
Petty Plymouth Superbird
HERE'S A GROUP OF DAN IN A PETTY OWNED PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD AT RIVERSIDE RACEWAY. THAT'S DAN BATTLING WITH RACE WINNER A.J. FOYT IN THE FOURTH PHOTO. THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN IN JANUARY 1970 AT THE MOTOR TREND 500 AND WAS THE YEAR THAT DAN RETIRED FROM ACTIVE DRIVING.
DAN FINISHED 6TH. A.J FOYT WON THE RACE. THE CHAMPIONSHIP WAS WON BY BOBBY ISAAC.
THE 1970 SEASON SAW MANY RULE CHANGES AND THE EVENTUAL WITHDRAWAL OF FACTORY SUPPORT DURING THE SEASON. AT THE MICHIGAN RACE THE DREADED "RESTRICTOR PLATE", KNOWN THEN AS A CARBURETOR PLATE, WAS MANDATED THAT CUT THE THROTTLE PLATE OPENING FROM 1-11/16" TO 1-1/4". THE TIRES AT THE ATLANTA RACE WERE ONLY LASTING A FEW LAPS ON SOME OF THE CARS AND THEY HAD TO SLOW THE CARS DOWN. ENGINE SIZES WERE REDUCED JUST BEFORE THE DAYTONA FIRECRACKER 400 FROM 430 C.I. TO 366 C.I.. CHRYSLER DESTROKED THE HEMI TO MEET THE NEW RULE REQUIREMENTS.
 |
 |
|
|
42AGRR70 - 8x12
|
42BGRR70 - 8x10
|
|
| This photo is fuzzy on the front half of the car but still looks good. |
|
|
|
|||
 |
 |
|
|
42CGRR70 - 8x10
|
1142RR70 - 8x10
|
|
|
Dan
chasing A.J. Foyt
|
|
|
|