Danny Sullivan

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Danny Sullivan
Nationality  Flag of the United States American
Formula One World Championship career
Active years 1983
Teams Tyrrell
Races 15
Championships 0
Wins 0
Podium finishes    0
Career points 2
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
First race 1983 Brazilian Grand Prix
Last race 1983 South African Grand Prix
CART World Series
Years active 1982-1993, 1995
Teams Forsythe Racing
Shierson Racing
Penske Racing
Patrick Racing
Galles Racing
PacWest Racing
Starts 170
Wins 17
Poles 19
Best finish 1st in 1988
Championship titles
1988 CART World Series
Awards
1985 Indianapolis 500 winner

Daniel John (Danny) Sullivan III (Born March 9, 1950 in Louisville, Kentucky) is a former racing driver from the United States. He is best known for winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500.

Sullivan participated in 15 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, all during 1983, debuting on March 13. He scored two championship points.

The following year Sullivan returned to America, where he competed in the CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) open-wheel series winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1985. The "spin and win" footage of his red and white Miller American spinning through 360 degrees down the south short chute (between turns one and two) at Indy after passing Mario Andretti for the lead in the race's 120th lap has been played on countless motorsports programs. Recovering from the spin undamaged except for flat-spotted tires, Sullivan went into the pits for new rubber, then returned to the track and passed Mario a second time twenty laps later to go on for the win. Danny would set the pace at Indy again in 1988, leading 91 of the first 101 laps, until he drifted out and hard into the turn 1 wall. Nevertheless, he went on to win the CART series title for Roger Penske that year.

In 1986, Sullivan was a guest star on the television show Miami Vice, playing a race car driver accused of murdering a prostitute.

In 1994, Sullivan took a sabbatical from Indycar racing, and joined ABC/ESPN as a color commentator. He also attempted to run selected events in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series that season. He, however, qualified for only one race (the 1994 Brickyard 400), and finished an unimpressive 33rd for a very underfunded team.

He returned to Indycar racing for one final year in 1995. His season ended early after a serious crash at Michigan International Speedway. While recovering from a broken pelvis and other injuries, he announced his retirement from open-wheel competition. He returned to ABC-TV for 1996-1997. Meanwhile, he moved to France, and began racing a very limited schedule in European sports cars, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Sullivan was also instrumental in the Red Bull Driver Search program to find an American driver to compete in the Formula 1 world championship. The program successfully promoted American Scott Speed from California.

[edit] Indy 500 results

Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired
1982 53 13 196.292 17 14 148 0 Crash T4
1984 30 28 203.567 17 29 57 0 Broken Wheel
1985 5 8 210.298 8 1 200 67 Running
1986 1 2 215.382 2 9 197 0 Flagged
1987 3 16 210.271 6 13 160 4 Engine
1988 9 2 216.214 2 23 101 91 Crash T1
1989 1 26 216.027 15 28 41 0 Rear Axle
1990 7 9 220.310 9 32 19 0 Crash T1
1991 20 9 218.343 17 10 173 0 Turbo
1992 18 8 224.838 9 5 199 0 Flagged
1993 7 12 219.428 19 33 29 0 Crash T3
1995 17 18 225.496 29 9 199 0 Running
Totals 1523 162
Starts 12
Poles 0
Front Row 2
Wins 1
Top 5 2
Top 10 5
Retired 8

[edit] Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 WDC Points
1983 Benetton Tyrrell Team Tyrrell 011 Cosworth V8 BRA
11
USW
8
FRA
Ret
SMR
Ret
MON
5
BEL
12
USE
Ret
CAN
DSQ
GBR
14
GER
12
AUT
Ret
NED
Ret
ITA
Ret
17th 2
Tyrrell 012 EUR
Ret
RSA
7

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Rick Mears
Indianapolis 500 Winner
1985
Succeeded by
Bobby Rahal
Preceded by
Bobby Rahal
CART Series Champion
1988
Succeeded by
Emerson Fittipaldi
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