My earliest memory of auto racing was a short TV segment/snippet of the Mexico GP with Dan Gurney racing Richie Ginther FTW.
A later memory of Gurney was him saying he retired when he could count 50 friends that died racing. Different days/different world.
The man invented champagne spraying! He said it was because it was a hot day. I have always wondered if he wasn't just a bit p.o.'ed that he had tried 10 times, while AJ Foyt treated it like a Toyota Celebrity Race.
When USAC/Indycar had belatedly figured out which end of the car to put the motor in; and more quickly discovered aero, there was some chatter about US open wheel cars being inferior to GP. Gurney said he would bring his driver in his Eagle and $100,000 to the Ring. Lotta noise but no takers...
Currently on backup deVICE lacking access to great pic of Gurney and AJ just a couple years ago...
RIP