Dan Gurney is a hero and gentleman and one of my favorite all-time drivers. He deserved to have his face on the Borg-Warner but so did so many others...
I did get to have dinner at a Mexican restuarant with Al Unser Sr. Pretty cool dude and some funny comments about Bobby were heard that night. I was hoping Lone Star JR would have joined us too, but no such luck.

I just remembered, while eating breakfast at a restaurant in Montrose, CO during a rock-crawling event weekend in '03, the hubby and I sat next to Walker Evans and his wife. While doing so, we conversed quite a bit with them. Does this count? ;)

Well Jade, if we’re talking about a meal that I prepared myself, complete with one of my homemade Raspberry Pies, the driver would have to be someone really special. I love to cook and my raspberry pies have an illustrious history of disappearing from the dessert table before the main course has been served. I’d gladly spend the entire day in the kitchen for the chance to sit down to dinner with Kyle Petty. My honey would agree and be happy to share the pie. We have always considered Kyle Petty to be the “Renaissance” man of NASCAR. He strikes us a person who could very easily be as ease with anyone and soon have them totally forgetting he was “Kyle Petty”. Of course, I would always be honored to have Dale Jr. to dinner and strongly suspect that he would be a lot more informed than most people might think. I’d love to pick his brain about current events, the human condition, and history, but I cant’ imagine that he would be able to make people forget that it was just “Dale” at the table.
P.S. Another fascinating person I’d want at the table would be Mr. Jade Gurss. He’s quite a renaissance kind of guy too!

Jade,
Great article,
Well I had a chance to sit down for Lunch with Kyle at a S Promotional Event in a group session at one of those BLOOMIN ONION's Restauruants and it was a blast. Now dinner with John Force would definately be a time of good laughs.

Dinner with Paul Tracy would be a hoot. There must be a great, mischevous sense of humour there to deliver lines like: "typical French guy, wouldn't take his helmet off for a fight!", and then show up as "Captain Quebec" for the next Montreal race!

I was able to visit with Kyle and Patti Petty during the tornado warning at Texas Motor Speedway. They were a couple of the nicest people I have met, and to be able to sit down and visit with them over a meal would be a treat.

If I were throwing a fantasy motorsports dinner party, my guest list would also include Juan Fangio, Nuvolari, Carraciola, Wilbur Shaw, and any of the A. J. Foyts that willing to attend. Of course Phil Hill would be atthe head of the table.

morning jade! i've been pondering this for the last few days and i agree with many of the choices given here, especially janet gutherie, jeff burton and kyle petty. for the sheer number of "behind the garage" stories he could provide, i'd have smokey yunick join us. to hear about the early years of nascar and the growing pains as well as some great racing stories, curtis turner would have to be there as well. i'd balance him with bill france -- although maybe at different ends of the table? definitely earning a seat as well are david pearson and junior johnson. my sentimental favorite is bp: i sure miss his love of the sport in everything he said and did. just because he was not only a great driver but i will ALWAYS associate his voice with racing (go figure!): jackie stewart. finally, the table would be full when we add jeff gordon! i'm a #88 fan, to be certain, but i can't pass up a champion like gordon -- and maybe he'll bring some of his latest wines to the table!
(OK, i'm caving, here: dale jr has to join us! he's such an historian of the nascar end of the sport that it would be great to have hime there. maybe we can squeeze him in beside jackie stewart who, being diminutive, can afford to give up a little extra space!)
there are so many more, jade, but my table only has room for 12 so it will have to be a second dinner party for the rest! thanks for a great column and have a great weekend in CA. --red

Jade, I believe your list to be quite interesting, but here are my choices for dinner guests (in no particular order): Paul Newman, Alex Zanardi, Jimmy Vasser, Jacques Villeneuve, and Patrick Carpentier.That would be my "dinner of a lifetime"!

It would be hard to dismiss any of these drivers, but Sam Posey would have to be at my table.