Racing Legend Dan Gurney Dies At 86

NEWPORT BEACH, CA -- American racing legend Dan Gurney, the first competitor to win the Sports Cars, Formula One, NASCAR and Indy Car, died Sunday at the age of 86. Gurney, who lived in Newport Beach, died just before noon, his family said.

In a statement to the public, Gurney's family said he died with "one last smile on his handsome face."

"In deepest sorrow, with gratitude in our hearts for the love and joy you have given us during your time on this earth, we say 'Godspeed,'" the statement said.

Born in 1931 in New York, Gurney became infatuated with cars when he was a teenager in California.

Gurney began his racing career in 1957 where he placed in second in the Riverside Grand Prix. He went on to win four Grand Prix and five NASCAR races.

In 2014, Gurney told the Orange County Register, "I’’ve had a great life … a blessed life."

Gurney is survived by his wife, Evi, and children.

--Photo: Dan Gurney, front, and Stirling Moss, of England, top, examine a 1959 Maserati sports car they drove together to win the Nuerburgring endurance race in Germany in 1960, during an appearance by the two at the Concours d'Elegance historic automobile show in Newport, R.I., Friday, July 27, 2007. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)