The second person who impacted Sullivan’s career was Scottish racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart.
“Jackie was one of the true great first professionals in the sport,” Sullivan said. “He understood. Jackie might still have a contract with Ford. He still has a contract with Rolex. He still has a contract with Heineken and might still have a contract with Goodyear. Jackie was the consummate professional in that perspective.
“Jackie always told me it’s always better to be friendly to the fans than not because they are the ones paying your way.”
Sullivan learned the value of public relations and representing the sponsor from Stewart.
“What sets you apart from other drivers? It’s the publicity you get from the sponsor,” Sullivan said. “These are lessons I learned along the way.
“But you also have to have success on the track for it to work. I had to make myself that way to raise the money to go racing.”
Ken Tyrrell gave Sullivan his only season in Formula 1 in 1983 when the sponsor, Benetton, wanted an American driver. Sullivan’s best finish was fifth in the Grand Prix of Monaco.
“I had done a bunch of racing in Europe, Can-Am and I tried my hand at a couple of Indy car races in 1982, but I got a call from Ken Tyrrell when it was Benneton Tyrell for Formula 1,” Sullivan recalled. “I had a season with Ken Tyrrell and his team. Benetton wanted to go with a turbocharged car and I went to Phoenix and met with Doug Shierson, who said he had an opening in CART in 1984.
“After some long nights going back and forth with Ken Tyrrell, I agreed to go with Doug Shierson.
“It turned out to be the right call.”
Sullivan won three times at three different types of race tracks that season.
“That got Roger Penske noticing me and he made me an offer,” Sullivan said. “I thought, ‘Here we go.’ That’s how my Indy car career took off.”
Penske provided Sullivan with the team and vehicle for his career to skyrocket, beginning in 1985.
“This was Roger — between the end of the season with Doug Shierson in November and the first race in 1985 at Long Beach, I did 52 test dates,” Sullivan recalled. “Roger wanted me embedded with the team, getting to know the engineers and working with Derrick Walker.
“I was leading in the last turn of the last lap at Long Beach and ran out of fuel. I missed the pits, got out of the car and tried to push the car down the straightaway. I finished third.
“The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, everywhere, that was the picture that was on the front page the next day. That’s how it started.
“The next race was Indy.”
That meant one of the highlights of Sullivan’s career, his famous spin and win triumph.
“The rest is history,” Sullivan said. “From that point forward, with Miller Beer and with Roger Penske, the rest was very good. A great team to be with and super people.
“There aren’t many people more competitive than Roger Penske. That’s the type of owner you want as a driver because he is pushing harder than you are. From a driver’s perspective, that’s the guy you want to drive for.”
Sullivan had many highlights with Team Penske, including starting in the middle of an all-Penske front row at Indy in 1988 and winning the CART title that season.
Even in his 70s, Sullivan carries the aura of glamour when he enters the room.
Sullivan has worked a couple of Formula 1 races as a steward this season and has been involved in the effort to save Palm Beach Raceway from developers.
“We’re pretty active,” he said. “We’ve invested in a lot of things.
“I don’t wake up in the morning with lack of anything to do. Brenda and I recently played golf in the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. We’re having a good time. We still ski. She has actually developed into a great golfer. When I started working more, golf went out the window, but Brenda is a 2 or 3 handicap right now.
“It’s full tilt. Never lift. I work out five days a week staying fit. It gets harder as you get older, trust me.”
Sullivan remains involved in auto racing and believes international motorsports continues to show promise, even in difficult times.
“I think IndyCar is about as exciting as I’ve seen it in a long time,” Sullivan said. “Formula 1, which I work in, is very exciting now that there are a number of teams that are more competitive and I’m anxious to see what happens next year with the new car and new regulations and budget restraints. NASCAR is plugging along as good as ever. IMSA racing seems very good.
“I think racing is good, strong and healthy. People like it and people enjoy watching it. I’m still on the board at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, Calif. There is a lot of demand, a lot of challenges, but it all seems healthy.”
Much of that health and foundation can be attributed to the legends of racing, including the glamorous Danny Sullivan.