Behind the Wheel with ABC's Danny Sullivan

Early in his career, race car driver Danny Sullivan learned he had a knack for entertaining. Even when he was behind the wheel, he did things the Hollywood way.

In 1985, Sullivan won the Indianapolis 500 with a had-to-see-it-to-believe 360 degree spin to victory. ABC/ESPN Auto Racing announcer Bob Varsha recalled, " The 'spin and win' just confirmed what I already thought; Danny has lived a charmed life and was born under a star".

After the memorable Indianapolis 500 win, Sullivan received numerous acting offers which began his segue into the entertainment business.

"In car racing, the public doesn't see your face. They see a helmet tucked in a car. It's the same with football players, and have you noticed that most players take off their helmets as they are leaving the football field. It's not because all of sudden they're hot, I'm sure their agents tell them to do that, " laughed Sullivan. " It's hard to sell a guy unless people know who he is and what he looks like."

Sullivan hired the Rogers & Cowan public relations agency to handle his career and increase his exposure. "The Rogers & Cowan agency managed to get me on a few magazine covers. The publicity made my racing sponsors happy campers," said Sullivan modestly.

Modesty aside, it was Sullivan's dashing good looks that landed him on popular magazine lists like, PLAYGIRL'S "10 Sexiest Athletes in America" and PEOPLE'S "10 Most Eligible Bachelors".

Sullivan made his acting debut on the hit television show "Miami Vice." "I really had a good time doing 'Miami Vice," he explained. "It was fun to be out of my own environment and to see what goes into doing the show and putting it together."

More recently, Sullivan has been working on the made for-tv-movie "Outlaw Justice", starring Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Sullivan portrays a wagon train master in the remake of the classic western film.

"Well, at least I am driving something. And after driving the wagons for the movie, I admire, the pioneer people who really drove cross country," said Sullivan. Sullivan is also currently working as a racing analyst for ABC Sports. "Like auto racing, television broadcasting is harder than it looks, " said Sullivan.

Despite his success, Sullivan remains a down-to-earth kind of guy. According to his partner in the broadcast booth, Bob Varsha. "Danny has adjusted very well and is easy to work with.

He has never looked down on me because I am a layman, which is not always the case in sports broadcasting when working with an athlete turned broadcaster."

"For a super athlete, he's an approachable person. Danny has that way of moving from group to group. Whether it's Hollywood's rich and famous or the guy working in the garages at the races, he moves so well among them. Everyone feels they know him," Varsha added.

This weekend Danny Sullivan and Bob Varsha will be broadcasting the CART Marlboro 500 Race at the California Speedway in Fontana, California, Sunday, November 1 (Airs on ESPN at 3:30 ET/ 12:30 PT). Sullivan regards the California Speedway, as one of the best. "The track is a replica of the Michigan Speedway with less banking. The facilities are great and it's always sold out. Based on what we saw at the Michigan 500, where there were 260 lead changes, we can expect lots of wheel-to-wheel racing."