Petersen Museum exhibition to honor Gurney

The Petersen Automotive Museum is celebrating the spirit, talent and innovative mind of America's greatest racer on Friday night in Los Angeles when it honors Dan Gurney.

"The Eagles Have Landed" exhibit will be a year-long display of Gurney's creations, a little over 50 years since he rolled out the first Eagle for the 1966 Indianapolis 500.

"It's interesting to be this old because you accumulate a lot of stuff and some of it almost makes you feel young again," said the 85-year-old from his All-American Racers' shop on Wednesday. "But it's pretty cool, and I'm very appreciative of the Petersen people and it should be a fun evening because we're taking the whole Gurney clan."

The only American to ever win a Formula 1 race in his own car will be reunited with that 1967 Spa winner (pictured), along with the Eagle that Bobby Unser drove to victory for Gurney at Indy in 1975, thanks to the generosity of collector Miles Collins, who owns both treasures and transported them from Florida to L.A. for this historic show.

During his driving days, Gurney won in IndyCar, Formula 1, NASCAR, sports cars and Trans Am, and it's doubtful anyone ever had a more demanding, diverse and satisfying season than he did in 1967.

He set quickest time for the Daytona 24 Hours in February, drove his Eagle-Weslake to victory in the F1 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch in March, started and finished second at Indianapolis, co-drove with A.J. Foyt to win Le Mans in June, and followed that up with his historic win at Spa two weeks later before closing out his season with an IndyCar victory at Riverside.

Gurney retired from driving after 1970 and put all his energy behind his beloved Eagle.

In Unser's hands, Gurney's 1972 Eagle annihilated the IMS record by 17 mph and a year later there were 19 Eagles in the 33-car line-up – including Gordon Johncock's winner. Dan finished second twice and added a third place in during a three-year run from 1968-'70 and Unser scored the Eagle's initial Indy 500 triumph in 1968.

And AAR's Toyota-powered sports cars dominated IMSA GTP in 1992 and '93 – winning 17 consecutive races and back-to-back titles.

Dan's son, Justin, cleaned out the AAR museum in Santa Ana, Calif. and a total of 12 cars and one motorcycle will be on display at Petersen, including:

• 1967 AAR Eagle Gurney-Weslake V-12 #36 F1 Grand Prix Car
• 1968 AAR Indy Olsonite Eagle #48
• 1968 AAR Indy Eagle Rislone Special #3
• 1968 McLeagle Olsonite AAR Can-Am Car #48
• 1970 Plymouth Barracuda AAR Trans Am Car #48
• 1971 AAR Indy Olsonite Eagle #2
• 1972 AAR Indy Olsonite Eagle #6
• 1975 AAR Indy Jorgensen Eagle #48
• 1977 AAR SCCA Eagle Formula Ford #48
• 1981 AAR Indy Eagle #48 "Pepsi Challenger"
• 1993 AAR Toyota Eagle Mk III GTP #99
• 1999 AAR Eagle 997 Champ Car
• 2002 Gurney Alligator A6