2023 Induction
Racing Category
Dan was born and raised in San Diego, California and picked up a love for motorsports from his dad, who raced Bugeye Sprites and sports racers in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Growing up in that environment, he discovered that he loved competition. Dan learned then that every race win starts in the shop. Speed, reliability, endurance, and safety had to be built into the car to have a chance at the top spot on the podium. He jokes that he is better in the shop than behind the wheel, so he focuses his competitive nature on doing that.
Dan worked on some cars in California, teaming up with Tommy Kendall to do some racing. When Pratt & Miller hired Tommy to race in the GM-sponsored Intrepid program in the 1990s, Dan came with him and got to know Gary Pratt. While great things were happening, GM decided to end the program, leading Dan to find work with Jack Roush working on the NASCAR team, where he spent the next ten years. As Dan was honing his craft, he longed to get back to sports car racing and the chance to race at places like Le Mans. As fate would have it, GM was working with Pratt & Miller on a Corvette Racing program that started racing in the new American Le Mans Series (ALMS) in 1999. By 2001, they had won the overall race at the 24 Hours of Daytona and scored their first win at Le Mans. Dan wanted in and made a call to Gary in 2002. Days later, he was on the team.
From 2002 through 2020, Dan has been a friendly face in the paddock and a leader in the shop and the track, most notably as the Crew Chief for the #3 Corvette. His contributions have added to a legacy that includes several Le Mans wins and Championships. In typical Dan Binks fashion, he quickly takes the focus off of himself and gets it back onto the team. “One of the coolest things about Corvette Racing and Pratt & Miller is the number of people that touch this car. From the fabricators; the composite people; the engine people; the machine shop guys; and so many others, it takes everyone to make these cars as good as they have to be.”
