Dan Gurney Reflects on Last Open-Wheel Race in Sonoma Valley in 1970

         

SONOMA, Calif. - Thirty-five years ago, major league
open-wheel racing roared through Infineon Raceway's golden hills for the
first and only time to date - that is, until the IRL Argent Mortgage
Indy Grand Prix, Aug. 26-28. 

            On that April date in 1970, Dan Gurney held off an
incredible field of some of the biggest names in racing to win the USAC
IndyCar 150 (also called the Golden State 150) on what was then-called
Sears Point Raceway. The next month, the track closed for a year and
IndyCar did not return when it reopened.

            "Mario (Andretti) was within two seconds of me for the whole
race," said Gurney, who started third on the grid for the April 4 event
on the raceway's 12-turn, 2.52-mile permanent road course. "We had a
stellar cast."

            What a field it was. Andretti started second on the grid,
next to pole-winner Mark Donohue and just ahead of Gurney. Al Unser
started fourth and finished third; Gordon Johncock qualified eighth and
finished fourth; Fifth-place finisher Johnny Rutherford started ninth on
the grid, and Dick Simon, who was 13th in qualifying, finished sixth.

            In addition, that 1970 field included Bobby Unser (18th),
Bill Vukovich (20th), Gary Bettenhausen (21st) and Jerry Grant (22nd).
Pole-sitter Donohue didn't make it through the race and finished dead
last (25th).

            Gurney's victory was his seventh and final in Indy-type
cars. He retired from open-wheel racing in 1970.

            "Mario was the fastest guy on Firestone (tires)," said
Gurney, who rode on Goodyear rubber. "The Firestone/Goodyear (tire) war
was really heated then. I never had anything I could call a comfortable
lead. My car, as it got low on fuel, became more and more difficult to
hook up. I had to finesse it (into corners) and go like hell (on the
straights)."

            Gurney's victory came in a car of his own design, the
Eagle-Gurney, with Ford power. Andretti was also running Ford power in
his McNamara and neither was turbo-charged like the power plants run by
most of the other road course winners in the 1970 season.

            Predominantly rear-engine machines, other cars in the field
had names such as Colt-Ford, Mongoose-Drake-Offy, Eagle-Drake-Offy,
Gerhardt-Drake-Offy, King-Ford (the dirt-track specialist) and
Coyote-Ford.

            "There was a lot more freedom from a design standpoint,
which you can't do anymore in this country," said Gurney, whose power
plant produced around 900 horsepower. "Today's drivers are just as
brave, just as much gladiators, as we were then."

            The IRL will run on a version of the Infineon Raceway track
that is slightly different from the traditional course, reducing the
length slightly to 2.26 miles, but still with 12 turns. This will mark
the first event on a permanent road course in the 10-year history of the
IRL.
            "It will be a challenge (for the IRL cars)," Gurney said.
"Some guys will be able to do it better, of course."

            Gurney also won the Belgian Grand Prix that year in a car
that his All American Racers produced. He retired from racing in 1970
but his All American Eagle was the most successful IndyCar of the '70s.

            "In the end, I had the respect of my peers and I think that
is most important," said Gurney. 

Argent Mortgage Indy Grand Prix

WHAT: Big O Tires Racing Season Presents: Argent Mortgage Indy Grand
Prix

WHEN: August 26-28

CIRCUIT: 12-turn, 2.26-mile road course

IN ADDITION: The weekend will also feature the Menards Infiniti Pro
Series(tm), as well as the Moly Shield Oil Historic Grand Prix

NOTABLE: This will be the first-ever race on a permanent road course in
the 10-year history of the IRL

TICKETS: 800-870-RACE, www.infineonraceway.com
<http://www.infineonraceway.com/> , www.ticketmaster.com
<http://www.ticketmaster.com/>