One of the
drivers who were deprived of four prime years due to World War
II, Danny won the first race held at Gilmore Stadium after the
war, The “Turkey Night Grand Prix” of 1945. In 1947 he won the
AAA Pacific Coast Midget Championship and twelve years later
repeated the feat under the USAC banner.
He drove for 25 years in midgets and big cars and
though he was never able to qualify for the Indianapolis 500
as a driver,
his mechanical
genius came to light when he prepared the car for Jim
Hurtubise in 1960. The rookie driver outqualified the field by
almost three miles per hour and was a whisker short of turning
the first 150 m.p.h. lap at the Brickyard.
“Herk” took “Rookie of the Year” honors and Johnny
White also won the award in 1964 with Danny Oakes as the crew
chief.
