Dutch racer Marcel Ankone (28) leads Brit Phil Gurner (46) and Eugene Brown (160) of Portland, Oregon, in the 1975 Daytona 200. Ankone was a semi-regular GP rider throughout the 1970s. He scored a podium finish (third) in the Belgium 500cc Grand Prix in 1976. Gurner, who was the top finisher in this group, was killed at the Isle of Man just a few months later. Gene Brown went on to become one of the founders of the Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association.
Dutch racer Marcel Ankone (28) leads Brit Phil Gurner (46) and Eugene Brown (160) of Portland, Oregon, in the 1975 Daytona 200. (Photo courtesy Daytona International Speedway)
Rider Files 
How nice to see a photo of my friend PHIL GURNER during the 1975 Daytona 200 – I have not seen the picture before.
I was Phil’s race mechanic for most of his career and was at Daytona to prepare his TZ750. We had been in the U.S. since October ’74 and travelled across to the Yamaha H.Q. to pick up the bike in the photo – we were expecting it to be a 700 but the machine was one of the first full size 750’s.
We actually collected 2 bikes at that time, one for Phil and the other for JEFF MARCH of Springfield Illinois who also rode at Daytona that year but he fell early in the race and broke his collarbone, he was going to return to Europe with us after Daytona and race over here but the injury prevented that and we subsequently lost touch – does anybody know what happened to him ?
By the time of the Isle of Man TT in June 1975 Phil was just coming into his own and maturing into a very good racer. He was in 4th place in the Senior TT when he fell at Milntown Cottage with the worst possible result.
I remember him every day and time has not helped diminish the sense of loss and of a life cut short.
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Hello Eric,
I have just seen your post from 2011, but hope you will see this reply.
Lovely to see your comments about my cousin Phil Gurner. I too remember him every day miss him greatly. He came with me to USA and started racing over there. I went to Oliver’s Mount with you and Phil and to IoM where, as Phil had injured himself earlier in the week, you took me round the course on a bike one evening. I have a copy of the scrapbook you gave to his father, Jeff and am hoping to write about his racing career.
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It is good to hear that people still remember phil gurner,myself and 2 other friends followed phils racing progress and got to know him very well, we were at daytona when this photograph was taken, we were also in the isle of man the day of the senior tt when phil tragically lost his life.
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7/25/21 I am Eugene w Brown 160 on Yamaha TZ700 & still racing at 74 years in Oregon Motorcycle Association I help found . This year 2021 I am racing a 2021 Honda CBR1000 RR-R !
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Hello, My name is Gary Bower. I hope someone in a previous post picks this up, it was nice hear about your personal connections to Phil. I would like to say I knew him (although I am not sure how much he knew me).
As young kid my uncle took me to Jeff’s Wood yard on many occasions. I would marvel at the bikes in the back workshop, on occasion go and watch him test the bikes down Brampton straight mile and go and watch him race at Caldwell.
I think it was this that gave me an intrest in motorbikes. I was 9 when Phil had his TT accident, and remember not quit believing what my parents had told me.
Although I was young and probably did not know him that well, the memory of Phil has stayed with me.
Have taken far too long to renovate my bike, but finalIy it’s finished. This year for the first time I plan to ride it to the TT and pay my respects to Phil.
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