August U. Pabst

One of the true gentlemen in road racing, despite being the man who did auto racing’s legendary ‘All-Time Guy-Thing’ — on a dare by Roger Penske and Peter Ryan — by driving a Hertz rental car into a hotel swimming pool in Monterey, Calif. Started racing in 1956 with a Triumph TR-3, then an AC Bristol, and a Ferrari 2.5 Testa Rosa. Drove his first of six 12 Hours of Sebring races in 1958 in a Corvette. Became the U. S. Auto Club’s road racing National Champion in 1959 and won the pre-Runoffs SCCA National Championship in the 1960 B Modified class, both driving one of the famed Meister Brauser Scarab-Chevrolets for the Peter Hand Brewing Co. His other famous car owners have included Briggs Cunningham, Luigi Chinetti, Holman-Moody, Alfred Momo and John Mecom Jr. 1961-63-64 Road America 500 winner. Competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in 1960, at age 26, and finished second in class driving a Ferrari; fourth the following year in a Maserati. Won the 12 Hours of Sebring’s GT class in 1963, and finished fourth overall, with young Roger Penske as his co-driver in Mecom’s Ferrari GTO, as part of an unprecedented Ferrari sweep of the top six places. Started to back down his racing in 1964 at age 31 but returned to the famed June Sprints at Road America in 1984 to win the Sports 2000 class. Multi-time winner since then in Road America and Watkins Glen Historic races with his famed Scarab. Pabst is a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.