Worked as a chief crewman in the 1960's. He was remarkably sprightly and was a regular attendee of reunions, historic meetings and to any race at the Irwindale Speedway, until a stroke in the early 2000's. Sadly, he was in ill-health since and died in 2007. Oakes also raced in boat racing for 10 years after he left motor sport. He was a two-time West Coast Midget racing champion and it was in that discipline that he was best known. During World War 2, Oakes worked as a flight inspector for Lockheed. Danny was inducted into the National Midget Hall of Fame in 1996 and was married five times, outliving all of his wives. Oakes was also known for his smart clothes, always making attempts to be as dapper as possible.

Biography last updated 30 Jul 2016