Dan Gurney was one of my hero race drivers: Californian, handsome, nice guy; winner in sports cars and F1, Indy 500 contender, NASCAR myth spoiler, built his own team cars... Gurney was every bit as talented as Foyt, Andretti, Petty, or any American race driver you can name. A few years ago when running an IndyCar team with Juan Fangio's nephew and Parnelli Jones' son as drivers, Gurney appeared at a pre-race media event in Vancouver. I brought with me a black & white photo I'd taken at Sebring in the 60's when I was a car magazine editor. The shot included Carroll Shelby, Ken Miles, and Gurney, all three bent over the engine of a Cobra during a pit stop. Dan happily autographed it with "to Philip, and the good old days."

A new book is being released by David Bull Publishing, titled Dan Gurney's All American Racers. The publisher says: "One of the earliest AAR Eagles made racing history in 1967 when Gurney himself drove it to victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, making him the only American in Formula 1 to ever win a GP in a car of his own making. Less than a year later, an Eagle driven by Bobby Unser would capture the marque's first Indianapolis 500 victory, with others to follow in 1973 and 1975. Two decades later, AAR's Toyota Eagle Mark III dominated IMSA's Grand Touring Prototype category, scoring back-to-back drivers and manufacturers championships in 1992 and 1993."

Written by John Zimmerman, this book describes how each car was conceived, created, and refined. His descriptions and analysis are accompanied by hundreds of color and black and white photos. A special publisher's edition, limited to 36 copies in superior garment quality leather and presented in a carbon-fiber and fiberglass slipcase, is available for $525. A deluxe edition costs only $225. Both are autographed by Dan Gurney. The rest of us can purchase this definitive book for a mere $75. Click on the David Bull Publishing link and prepare to enjoy some of the finest moments in American racing history.