Fred Levon Agabashian (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.Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame 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 ninth. He made the next 11 500s with a best finish of fourth 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.

Agabashian 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

Agabashian died on 13 October 1989 at Alamo, California and was cremated.Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More than 14000 Famous Persons, Scott Wilson

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 Complete AAA/USAC Championship Car 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 Ref 1947 Ross Page Offenhauser INDY MIL LAN ATL BAI MIL GOS MIL PIK SPR ARL24th200 1948 Ross Page ARL INDY MIL LAN MIL SPR MIL DUQ ATL PIK SPR DUQ NC0 1949 IRC Maserati ARL INDY MIL TRE SPR MIL DQSF PIK SYR DET SPR LAN24th200 J.C. Agajanian SAC DMR 1950 Kurtis Kraft INDY MIL LAN SPR MIL PIK SYR SPR SAC PHX BAY DAR14th532.5 Lou Rassey DET 1951 Andy Granatelli INDY MIL LAN DAR SPR MIL DUQ DUQ PIK SYR DET25th278.2 Pat Clancy DNC SJS PHX J.C. Agajanian BAY 1952 Cummins Engines INDY MIL RAL SPR 35th80 J.C. Agajanian MIL DET DQSF PIK SYR DNC SJS PHX 1953 Grancor Auto INDY MIL SPR DET SPR MIL DQSF PIK SYR ISF SAC PHX 19th315 1954 Charlie Merz INDY MIL LAN DAR SPR 14th460 Bardahl Oil Company MIL DQSF PIK SYR ISF SAC PHX LVG 1955 Federal Engineering INDY MIL LAN SPR MIL DQSF PIK SYR ISF SAC PHX NC0 1956 Federal Engineering INDY MIL LAN DAR ATL SPR MIL DQSF SYR ISF SAC PHX 32nd50 1957 George Bignotti INDY LAN MIL DET ATL SPR MIL DQSF SYR ISF TRE SAC PHXNC0 1958 City of Memphis TRE INDY MIL LAN ATL SPR MIL DQSF SYR ISF TRE SAC PHX NC0

Indianapolis 500 results

YearCarStartQualRankFinishLapsLedRetired19474123121.4781391910Flagged19482632122.7372823580Oil line19491531127.0072527380Overheating1950282132.792 328640Oil line19515911135.0296171090Clutch195228 1138.010 327710Clogged air intake1953592137.546442001Running19547724137.7463062000Running1955144141.933 232390Spun T21956427144.0698121960Flagged1957144142.5578221070Fuel leakTotals12731

Starts11Poles1Front Row3Wins0Top 51Top 103Retired7

Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pts 1950 Indianapolis Race Cars Maserati 8CL Offenhauser 3.0 L4s GBR MON 500 SUI BEL FRA ITA NC 0 1951 Granatelli-Bardahl/Grancor Kurtis Kraft 3000 Offenhauser 4.5 L4 SUI 500 BEL FRA GBR GER ITA ESP NC 0 1952 Cummins Diesel Kurtis Kraft Cummins 3.0 L6s SUI 500 BEL FRA GBR GER NED ITA NC 0 1953 Grancor-Elgin Piston Pin Kurtis Kraft 500B Offenhauser 4.5 L4 ARG 500 NED BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA 18th 1.5 1954 Merz Engineering/Milt Marion Kurtis Kraft 500C Offenhauser 4.5 L4 ARG 500 BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA ESP NC 0 1955 Federal Engineering Kurtis Kraft 500C Offenhauser 4.5 L4 ARG MON 500 BEL NED GBR ITA NC 0 1956 Federal Engineering Kurtis Kraft 500C Offenhauser 4.5 L4 ARG MON 500 BEL FRA GBR GER ITA NC 0 1957 Bowes Seal Fast/Bignotti Kurtis Kraft 500G Offenhauser 4.5 L4 ARG MON 500 FRA GBR GER PES ITA NC 0 1958 City of Memphis Kurtis Kraft 500G Offenhauser 4.5 L4 ARG MON NED 500 BEL FRA GBR GER POR ITA MOR NC 0

References

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