11 replies to this topic

[island]

Hi!
In Indycars he was one of the best in the
Shierson Lola (1984) and the Penske machines
(1985-1990). But he was certainly good
enough for F1. He raced Rosberg hard in the
1983 Race of Champions and was on a par with
Alboreto in the GPs.
What do the members of this board think
of him ?

[Keir]

Danny really should have stayed in F1, he certainly had the talent. The Indy 500 win may not have come his way, but he was more of a pure road-racer than an oval driver.

------------------
"I Was Born Ready"

[Eric McLoughlin]

Did he not win the 1985 Indy 500, and after a 200 mph plus 360 degree spin?
He also won the revived Glover Trophy for 11/2 litre Formula One cars at Goodwood in 1998 - despite never having driven a 1 1/2 litre F1 car before or even SEEN the track before. He also spun off in that race too and came back to win.

[Ray Bell]

He was also one of the leading lights in the New Zealand International Series the first or second year they went to Formula Atlantic - that was probably an honour earned chasing down the exhaust pipe of Keke Rosberg, too.

------------------
Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Hot Rod Otis]

Sullivan won Indy in 85 in the famed "spin & win". Had the field covered in 1988, too. But had a right front wing break and hit the wall. Once he left Penske, he was saddled with the ALFA ROMEO which was a piece of crap & had some limited success with Galles, and then finished out the string with Pac West, ending his career in a crash at Michigan.. His glamour-boy image overshadowed the fact that he was a damn good racer. He was lucky to be with Penske at the right time but he was no light weight. He would have had success had he stayed in F-1, but I doubt he would have become as famous and as well-known as became due to his Indy win. Back then an Indianapolis 500 win actually made you somewhat well-known around the world. Not any more.

[Eric McLoughlin]

Oops! I've just noticed I had Danny Sullivan driving an 11 1/2 litre F1 car at Goodwood - now that WOULD be something to behold.

I read this weekend that there will be no 3 litre F1 race at this year's Circuit Revival Meeting. Apparently the FIA would only sanction a 3 litre race if some safety changes were made to the circuit. Lord March refused and that, I suppose, was that.

It looks like the 1999 race will remain the only 3 litre F1 race ever held at Goodwood now.

[This message has been edited by Eric McLoughlin (edited 04-25-2000).]

[Ray Bell]

As the FIA would say, c'est tragique.
Probably a good thing, anyway, gives an excuse to stick to the older cars... much more atmospheric.

------------------
Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Fast One]

I THINK Danny drove Fearless John's '62 Lola-Climax. I remember seeing footage of he and Surtees talking about the car, and I'm pretty sure he drove it in the race.

[Eric McLoughlin]

It was the Lola. What's more, it was the first time he'd driven a single seater without wings or other aerodynamic devices (at least that's what it says in the History of Goodwood book). Did he not ever drive in Formula Ford?

[Jonathan]

I understand he got his professional start in New York Taxicabs ! (I am being serious here).

[Ray Bell]

He was before his time, the starting lights came in much later.

------------------
Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Dave Ware]

I had read that he had spent some time driving a taxi.

He did race Formula Fords in England, along with Formula Three. I don't remember what he did between F3 ('73, '74) and Can Am (that's F5000 rebodied Can Am, in the late seventies, early eighties.) Won a couple of Can Am races and then got the Tyrrell ride. Then started Champ cars in '84.

Speedvision recently had a 1/2 hour program on the '85 Indy race, which I taped. I remember watching the broadcast in '85. They interviewed Mario after the race. He was really unhappy.

Dave