Fred Agabashian
BornFred Levon Agabashian
(1913-08-21)August 21, 1913
Modesto, California, U.S.
DiedOctober 13, 1989(1989-10-13) (aged 76)
Alamo, California, U.S.
Champ Car career
28 races run over 12 years
Years active1947–1958
Best finish14th – 1950, 1954
First race1947 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Last race1957 Rex Mays Classic (Milwaukee)
First win1949 Golden State 100 (Sacramento)
Wins Podiums Poles
1 1 2
Formula One World Championship career
Active years1950–1958
TeamsMaserati, Kurtis Kraft
Entries9 (8 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points1.5
Pole positions1
Fastest laps0
First entry1950 Indianapolis 500
Last entry1958 Indianapolis 500

Fred Levon Agabashian[1][2] (August 21, 1913 – October 13, 1989) was an American racer of midget cars and Indy cars.

Career

Midget car racing

Agabashian competed in his first midget car race in his teens. His first championship was the 1937 Northern California Racing Association against such drivers as Duane Carter, Lynn Deister, and Paul Swedberg.[3] He captured the 1946 BCRA championship for Jack London. He won the 1947 and 1948 BCRA championships for George Bignotti.

Championship racing

Agabashian qualified for his first Indianapolis 500 in 1947 and finished 9th. He made the next 11 500s with a best finish of 4th in 1953, the extremely hot race day where he was relieved by Paul Russo. He qualified on the pole in 1952 in the Cummins Diesel Special, the first turbocharged Indy race car, but it dropped out after 71 laps.

Agabashian won one Championship race, a 100-mile contest at the Fairgrounds in Sacramento, CA in 1949.

He retired from the sport after failing to qualify at Indianapolis in 1958.

Broadcaster

After his retirement, Agabashian did color commentary for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, serving from 1959 to 1965 and again from 1973 to 1977.

Death

He died on 13 October 1989 at Alamo, California and was cremated.[4]

Recognition

Agabashian was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame, and in 2005, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame.

Racing record

USAC results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Rank Points
1947 Ross Page Offenhauser INDY
9		 MIL LAN ATL BAI MIL GOS MIL PIK SPR ARL 24th 200
1948 Ross Page ARL INDY
23		 MIL LAN MIL SPR MIL DUQ ATL PIK SPR DUQ N/A 0
1949 J.C. Agajanian ARL INDY
27		 MIL TRE SPR MIL DQSF PIK SYR DET SPR LAN SAC
1		 DMR 24th 200
1950 Kurtis Kraft INDY
28		 MIL
8		 LAN
6		 SPR
8		 MIL
8		 PIK SYR
6		 DET
DNQ		 SPR
4		 SAC
5		 PHX BAY
13		 DAR 14th 532.5
1951 J.C. Agajanian INDY
17		 MIL
DNS		 LAN
6		 DAR
DNQ		 SPR MIL DUQ DUQ PIK SYR DET DNC
6		 SJS
6		 PHX
17		 BAY
12		 25th 278.2
1952 J.C. Agajanian INDY
27		 MIL RAL SPR MIL
9		 DET DQSF PIK SYR DNC SJS PHX 35th 80
1953 Grancor Auto INDY
4		 MIL SPR DET SPR MIL DQSF PIK SYR ISF SAC PHX 19th 315
1954 Bardahl Racing INDY
6		 MIL LAN DAR SPR MIL
10		 DQSF PIK SYR ISF SAC PHX LVG 14th 460
1955 Federal Engineering INDY
32		 MIL LAN SPR MIL DQSF PIK SYR ISF SAC PHX N/A 0
1956 Federal Engineering INDY
12		 MIL LAN DAR ATL SPR MIL DQSF SYR ISF SAC PHX 32nd 50
1957 George Bignotti Racing INDY
22		 LAN MIL
17		 DET ATL SPR MIL DQSF SYR ISF TRE SAC PHX N/A 0
1958 City of Memphis TRE INDY
DNQ		 MIL LAN ATL SPR MIL DQSF SYR ISF TRE SAC PHX N/A 0

Indianapolis 500 results

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Pts
1950 Indianapolis Race Cars Maserati 8CL Offenhauser 3.0 L4s GBR MON 500
25		 SUI BEL FRA ITA NC 0
1951 Granatelli-Bardahl/Grancor Kurtis Kraft 3000 Offenhauser 4.5 L4 SUI 500
17		 BEL FRA GBR GER ITA ESP NC 0
1952 Cummins Diesel Kurtis Kraft Cummins 3.0 L6s SUI 500
27		 BEL FRA GBR GER NED ITA NC 0
1953 Grancor-Elgin Piston Pin Kurtis Kraft 500B Offenhauser 4.5 L4 ARG 500
4		 NED BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA 18th 1.5
1954 Merz Engineering/Milt Marion Kurtis Kraft 500C Offenhauser 4.5 L4 ARG 500
6		 BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA ESP NC 0
1955 Federal Engineering Kurtis Kraft 500C Offenhauser 4.5 L4 ARG MON 500
32		 BEL NED GBR ITA NC 0
1956 Federal Engineering Kurtis Kraft 500C Offenhauser 4.5 L4 ARG MON 500
12		 BEL FRA GBR GER ITA NC 0
1957 Bowes Seal Fast/Bignotti Kurtis Kraft 500G Offenhauser 4.5 L4 ARG MON 500
22		 FRA GBR GER PES ITA NC 0
1958 City of Memphis Kurtis Kraft 500G Offenhauser 4.5 L4 ARG MON NED 500
DNQ		 BEL FRA GBR GER POR ITA MOR NC 0
Source:[6][7]

References

  1. ↑ "Fred Agabashian". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  2. ↑ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 8, 2015. WFNI.
  3. ↑ Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More than 14000 Famous Persons, Scott Wilson
  5. ↑ "Fred Agabashian Indy 500 Race Stats". www.indy500.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2006. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Fred Agabashian – Involvement". StatsF1. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Detail – Tipo 8 CL". barchetta.cc. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
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