Danny Sullivan

Danny Sullivan (born March 9, 1950), is an American former racing driver. He earned 17 wins in the CART IndyCar World Series, including the 1985 Indianapolis 500. Sullivan won the 1988 CART championship, and placed third in points in 1986. Sullivan also scored a victory in IROC. He competed in the 1983 Formula One season with Tyrrell, scoring 2 championship points.

Sullivan was given a 21st birthday present of a course at the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School at the Snetterton circuit in England. He competed in Formula Ford, Formula 3 and Formula 2 before returning to race in the United States.

In 1982, he made his début in the PPG Indycar series, and was recruited by the Tyrrell Formula One team for the 1983 season at the request of primary sponsor Benetton, who wanted an American driver. Sullivan competed in the fifteen races of the 1983 season, scoring two points with a fifth place at the Monaco Grand Prix and finishing seventeenth in the World Drivers’ Championship.

He also performed strongly in the non-championship Race of Champions held at the Brands Hatch circuit in April, seeing off an early race challenge from 1980 World Champion Alan Jones, before finishing second behind reigning World Champion Keke Rosberg, finishing only half-a-second behind the Williams, after 40 laps of racing.

Nevertheless, he was somewhat overshadowed by his more experienced teammate, Michele Alboreto (who won the 1983 Detroit Grand Prix for the team’s last F1 victory), and was not retained at the end of the season. Sullivan is seen here-below at the 1983 South African Grand Prix, where he finished seventh.