Dan Gurney recently announced at this year’s U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis, that he is very close to finalizing a deal for the famed Eagle to return to Formula One as part of an All-American Formula One team as early as the 2003 season.
According to Gurney, “The time is perfect for this to happen. It’s going to require certain dominoes to start falling pretty quickly, but it would be a monumental situation. One of the keys right now is engines. We have a commitment – not a contract – from Ford Cosworth, and we could have a signed contract in a couple of weeks’ time. If we have our way, we’ll see you here next September.”
Gurney added, “Bob Balachowski and Russ Olsen have a very good business plan that will stand up to scrutiny to run a good business, and they’ve done a lot of the planning and leg work. We will end up with major American sponsorship that wants to get global racing exposure and business.” While much speculation abounds, early indications seem to point to Gurney’s son, Alex, and CART driver Bryan Herta as front-running candidates for driving positions, as well as Phil Hill’s son, Derek.
Interestingly, Gurney also stated that, “We’ll end up with many vintage car enthusiasts involved.” While we’re not sure what this implies, the notion of an American-built Eagle lining up on the grid with a Hill and a Gurney driving it, seems almost too good to be true. Keep your fingers crossed!
Submitted by Casey Annis
