OCTOBER 19, 2021

If ever there was a driver that embodied the glamour and lifestyle of being a professional race driver in the 1980s, it was Danny Sullivan. 

Beginning with this episode of Pit Pass Indy, we’re going to take a deep dive into the great career of the 1985 Indianapolis 500 winner and 1988 CART IndyCar Champion.

He dated beautiful women who were models and actresses including Christie Brinkley and Lisa Hartman before she married actor/singer Clint Black. Sullivan even modeled himself for Town & Country Magazine.

Sullivan’s appeal was so strong, he was cast in an episode of the iconic 1980s television show “Miami Vice” in the episode “Florence, Italy.” He played a race car driver accused of murdering a prostitute with some of the filming scenes in pit lane of the Miami Grand Prix.

He played golf with the greats of the game and struck up a friendship with Greg Norman that continues today.

Sullivan was an “A List” celebrity. He was the epitome of what many in the mainstream thought a race driver should look like. 

But deep-down, Sullivan was a true racer. It was a long path that brought the driver from Louisville, Kentucky to stardom. 

For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at Twitter at @BruceMartin_500