Miller High Life March 85C on display at the Penske
Racing Museum. (The Tomaso Collection)
If only Jacob Abel could have found one of those
missing three miles per hour Sunday…
This riveting No Fenders story is about ‘Ol
Hollywood’, aka Danny Sullivan. Yet Just to put things into perspective.
Reigning IndyCar Champion Alex Palou tied Sullivan’s, Tony Kanaan and Jimmy
Murphy’s career tally of 17 wins at road America on just His 90th start!
As the Spaniard, who’s truly having a magical
season, had 17 wins, 38 podiums and eight poles in 90 starts. While Sullivan
had 17 wins, 40 podiums and 19 poles from 171 starts over 12 years, double
Palou’s “short” career to date.
Danny Sullivan came back upon my radar,
presumably like most for it being the 40th anniversary of that most memorable
Spin ‘n win Indianapolis 500 victory on May 26, 1985; which I still believe is
the first modern day Indy 500 I watched on television.
VIDEO: Danny Sullivan’s 1985
Indianapolis 500
It was fun hearing the old soundbite of IMS
Radio Network’s call of the 1985 Indianapolis 500 during the pre-race build-up Sunday
morning for this year’s race. As Paul Page, who turns 80 this November 25th,
certainly sounds His age today, which obviously is part of the aging process we
All experience…
Funniest bit in Page’s post-race live interview
40yrs ago is Sully’ saying He’d read the scoreboard wrong and thought there
were only 14-laps remaining and it was time to G-O when He spun passing Mario!
Which was actually only lap 140…
Along with Sully’ repeatedly yelling Mamma!
Before Page asked who’s that Danny? That’s my mamma! During the live winner’s
interview in victory lane; then being 35yr old.
Daniel John Sullivan III was born on March 9,
1950 in Louisville, Kentucky, which is also where current IndyCar driver Jacob
Abel hails from.
Sullivan who was a Lumberjack and New York City
Taxi driver before becoming a racing star, cut His racing teeth with a 21st
birthday gift to the Jim Russell Driving School in Jolly ‘Ol England.
Sullivan made His CART PPG IndyCar world Series
debut in 1982 for Forsythe Racing at the Stroh’s 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway,
and contested two rounds that year, i.e.; Atlanta and Indianapolis.
Driving Forsythe Racing’s No. 33 March 82C
Cosworth, Sullivan finished an impressive third upon debut at Atlanta. Before making
His rookie debut in that year’s Indianapolis 500. With fellow rookies Chet
Fillip, Chip Ganassi, Herm Johnson, Jim Hickman, Roger Mears, Bobby Rahal,
Hector Rebaque and Dale Whittington.
As this was the race where ‘Ol SuperTex’, nee
A.J. Foyt infamously called Kevin Cogan that Damn Coogan! As Danny qualified
13th and finished P14 after crashing in Turn 4 on lap 148.
For 1983, Sullivan drove for the Tyrrell
Formula 1 team at the behest of the team’s primary sponsor Benetton, who wanted
an American driver in F1. As Sullivan’s highlight would be finishing fifth in
Monaco before being let go at season’s end.
Returning Stateside, Danny joined Doug
Shierson’s race team and promptly won three races during the 1984 IndyCar
season. Including His debutante win at Cleveland’s Burke Lakefront racetrack.
Followed by wins at Pocono, ironically the team’s primary sponsor’s Domino’s
Pizza 500. And the Molson Indy 300 at the Sanair Super Speedway in Quebec,
where future Penske teammate Ric Mears had a nasty crash that year!
Having finished fourth overall in the ’84
IndyCar Championship with five podiums, Sully’ moved to Penske Racing,
alongside teammates :Rocket” Rick Mears and Big al’, ergo Al Unser Sr.
As how many of us remember that Pancho Carter
won the 1985 Indianapolis 500 pole? Or that Mario Andretti started fourth and
Sullivan started eighth…
The zenith of Sully’s racing career came in
1988 when driving that beautiful gold Miller Beer car, nee Miller High Life for
Team Penske. Winning four races that season, including Portland. Amassing eleven
podiums and nine pole positions enroute to winning the CARTPPG IndyCar World
championship.
Whilst Danny would drive for El Capitano’, nee
Roger Penske until the end of 1990. Capping His Penske career by winning His
final race at Laguna Seca,after leading wire-to-wire from pole.
Next, Sullivan spent one forgettable season at
Patrick Racing with its recalcitrant Alfa Romeo project. Then two fraught years
with His final two IndyCar wins as ‘lil Al’s (Unser Jr) Galles Draco teammate,
and then a subpar partial season for local PacWest Racing in ’95 before
retiring from Open wheel Racing after a major shunt during the Michigan 500.
Having regaled
Y’all a decade ago with more esoteric ramblings upon ‘Ol Hollysood’ in the
following No fenders tome…
Sullivan also tried His hand at Touring Cars
races for Alfa Romeo and NASCAR. Along with making a total of four 24 Hours of
Le Mans starts. With His best finish being third in the 1994 24 Heurs du Mans
with Hans-Joachim Stuck and Thierry Boutsen, driving the Dauer 962 Le Mans
entry.
Meanwhile, back when I could still “See”, I
recall that the Team Penske Miller High Life March 85C was the only Indy 500
winner on display with a “Duckbill” nose, which I interpreted as being a road
course nose. Since every other Indianapolis 500 winner on display at the Penske
Racing Museum had needle nose’s. For which I’ve got no idea what shows up in
the picture above?
Whilst I was disappointed that the legendous’
Spin ‘n Win car wasn’t on display at the Penske Racing Museum this March. For
which it apparently showed up in Gasoline alley in May. Along with the man
Himself, now 75 years old taking a celebratory lap of honour Sunday morning.
Which I suppose makes it even more disappointing that Jacob Abel wasn’t able to qualify His Dale Coyne Racing’s Dallara DW12 Honda replete in Miller High Life livery for this year’s 109th running of that ‘lil Oval race held now each Memorial Day weekend…
