Dan Gurney’s Historic Chevrolet Impala Is Set to Race At Laguna Seca

Justin, son of the late Dan Gurney, will drive the same 409 big-block powered 1961 Chevrolet Impala that his father piloted in the 1961 British Saloon Car Championship at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion this August.

The mildly modified but mostly stock Chevy Impala was leading the Silverstone race while competing against less powerful European sedans when the car broke a wheel, forcing Gurney to drop out on the second-to-last lap. After that, it was not allowed back into the race: Much to Gurney’s dismay, the car with its big powerful V8 was banned from the competition. Gurney tried to dispute the ban but was denied due to the car’s unmistakably large displacement.

“Dad wasn’t very happy with the ban prior to the second race and tried to argue his case, but in the end realized he couldn’t fight city hall and sold it on the spot,”  Justin said. Justin is now the president and CEO of All American Racers, the same racing and technology company his father started. He also owns the ‘61 Chevy Impala that his dad sold 63 years prior.

The historic race car will come back to life in front of a live audience as the pace car for the “Dan Gurney Saloon Car Trophy” at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which takes place on August 13^th through the 16^th at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

“My dad loved this car and always talked about it,” Justin said, adding; “There’s a photo of him in our office’s hallway, and a large mural in the shop, driving it.”

“I’m not going to race the car, but to participate as the pace car in the Dan Gurney Saloon Car Trophy races… It’s going to be both exciting and sentimental when―unmuffled as it will be―the deep guttural 409 big block engine should turn quite a few heads.”

According to the press release from the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, the car’s original 409 engine couldn’t be found during the restoration so a different 409 was sourced, but “when the owner expressed interest in selling the car to Justin, the original 409 with matching numbers was found…as the power plant inside a boat!”

When the Chevy recently arrived in a shipping container at the Port of Los Angeles after its long journey home, Justin unlocked and opened the door of the container to see the original 409 strapped down on the floor behind the car.

“It was an emotional experience to sit on the bench seat and take hold of the steering wheel,” he exclaimed. “It even has the original AM radio that dad kept intact, although this car is so loud there is no way you could hear music!”

Bruce Canepa, chair of the Rolex Reunion Advisory Council and vice president of Friends of Laguna Seca, expressed his excitement for the upcoming showing of the Chevrolet Impala:

“We are thrilled to invite Justin to the Rolex Reunion and have him bring this historic Impala that meant so much to his dad. Everyone will enjoy seeing and hearing this long-lost car fittingly serve as the pace car for the Saloon car race. Making memories like this are what the Rolex Reunion is all about.”

Canepa is also encouraging Justin to take his mother Evi as a passenger during the pace laps at the Rolex Reunion.

“I can’t think of a better tribute to Dan than to have Evi riding shotgun with Justin in one of Dan’s favorite cars at one of his favorite race courses,” he said.

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is expecting over 400 historic race cars to compete this August, and this historic Chevrolet Impala is promised to be a crowd pleaser.

The post Dan Gurney’s Historic Chevrolet Impala Is Set to Race At Laguna Seca appeared first on The Online Automotive Marketplace.