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But there was also no one faster in the States, even when it came to crossing those states as quickly as possible. On the track Gurney won in Can-Am, Trans Am, you name it. Off the track, he went just as fast. In 1971, one year after he'd retired from formal competition to focus on life as a team owner, he was coaxed off the bench by racing writer Brock Yates to participate in the still-new Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. They won the highly illegal secret event's second running, using a Ferrari Daytona to cover 2,863 miles in just under 36 hours, receiving only one speeding ticket. "At no time did we exceed 175 mph," Gurney deadpanned. A decade later, "The Cannonball Run" was released and Burt Reynolds essentially played Gurney on the big screen.
Yeah, that's how cool Dan Gurney was.
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http://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/st...ns-sports-cars