While celebrating Dan Gurney’s 86th Birthday today, let’s include his 27th Birthday on April 13, 1958 when Dan won the Palm Springs sports car racing main event driving Frank Arciero’s Ferrari 375 Plus, and in so doing put Carroll Shelby driving the John Edgar-entered Ferrari 410 Sport and the rest of the over-1500 cc modified field in Gurney’s mirrors at the checkered! This picture taken minutes after Dan’s win is a real prize, too. Dan’s on the right, the guy in a big hat is Sam Hanks, winner of 1957’s Indy 500. Next to Sam, with the buzz cut, is Dan’s lifelong friend and fellow racer Skip Hudson. The hatted man far left is Frank Arciero, and the young boy is Frank’s son. There’s another guy in the shot, seen between Dan and Sam, but his name has remained unknown, though his enthusiasm for Dan’s win is obvious. What a day that was! And there were many great racing days for Dan before that one and so many, many ever since! What a guy! … Photograph by Lester Nehamkin, Edgar Motorsport Archive since 1958. [To purchase a large photo print of this image, please see Contact page and email me.]
