This is sad news for both drag racing and Formula/Indy Car racers. Danny was one of Fords all time greats in drag racing!
I was very sadden to hear this today. I knew and raced with Danny for for two years, between '73 and '75. He died Feb 26, in Anaheim Hills, next door to my home town of Orange CA but, he lived in, I believe Long Beach, when he was racing in the '70's.
Danny was a exceptional guy! He was quiet, shy, unassuming and a unbelievably talented driver, in both Funny Car and Formula Cars, as well as anything he could get his hands on, such as the MT, Bonneville Mustangs.
There doesn't seem to be any info on him, in his early days of road racing, when he made his transition from Vel's / PJ, Top Fuel & Funny Car day's to Formula car racing and I can fill that in.
My first SCCA drivers school, was his second, in Nov '73, at Willow Spring, CA and I got to know and race with him, while he had started to qualifying for his pro F5000 license. I remember the first time I met him, it was at the drivers meeting, before we went out for the first session. My brother was with me and when everyone introduced themselves, my brother and I looked at each other and our jaws dropped. We were drag racers and knew his name well but, had only seen pictures of him in mags.
While he was running Parnelli Jones Funny Car, in '73 (not sure when he quit running PJ's Funny Car), PJ loaned him a F5000, Lola 300 and Carrol Smith (of Shelby fame), to wrench it for him. He was a stand out, right from the start! There were some very good F5000 cars in Cal Club, in those days and if the competition was fairly equal, he always had the ability to make the pass before the end, even with the pro drivers. The pro F5000 drivers, used the Cal Club races as practice, between pro races.
After his first year (it took almost 2 years to get the pro license), a local, SoCal car owner Ed Obrien let him run his car (Lola 300) for, maybe 2 or so, races and then he met Ted Fields (Interscope). Ted bought two cars (330 Lola's) for Danny and himself, Ted was not cut out for it but, Danny, of course shined and became a huge star in F5000 and Indy Car. He also ran some F1 races and sports cars.
RIP, my friend, you will always be remembered
