August Uihlein Pabst Jr. (November 25, 1933 – October 9, 2024) was an American sports car driver from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In ten years of racing, he won two national championships — the 1959 USAC and 1960 SCCA road racing championships. Pabst made one NASCAR start at Riverside International Raceway. He was a former member of the board of directors for Road America.[1]
Pabst began racing in May 1956 on the infield road course of the Milwaukee Mile.[7][1] His first race car was a Triumph TR3 (he was a Triumph dealer);[2] he switched to a AC Ace-Bristol for 1957.[1] Pabst took class victories in both cars.[1]
Pabst was pressured to stop racing for a competing brewery, after a newspaper embarrassed his sponsor by making a play on his last name.[2] He began racing for Briggs Cunningham in 1961 and continued until 1962 in a Maserati T-63.[1] He won the Road American 500 and took fourth overall at the 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans.[1] At the 1962 3 Hours of Daytona, the engine blew causing the car to do an end-over-end roll and Pabst to be ejected from the car. This took Pabst out of racing for several months, as he suffered 3rd degree friction burns all over his body and multiple broken bones.[1]
The Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB with which Ed Hugus and Augie Pabst finished fourth in the Sebring 12-hour race in 1960
Pabst returned in 1963 racing for the Mecom Racing Team.[1] The team took a victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring in the GT class.[1] He had another win at the Continental Divide Raceways race that year, along with another win at the Road America 500.[1] In the Road America victory, he competed in the first half of the race in Mecom's Ferrari and relieved Bill Wuesthoff's victorious Elva Porsche in the second half.[1] Pabst competed in one NASCARGrand National (now Cup Series) race at Riverside International Raceway on November 3, 1963.[8] He started 18th and finished 35th in the one-off event.[8] In 1964, Pabst won another Road America 500 but had lots of mechanical failures throughout the rest of the season.[1] Pabst decided to drive for himself in 1965 and ordered a McLaren.[1] The vehicle arrived late and it burnt at Mosport after arriving.[1] Pabst ended his racing career in 1966.[2]
Life after racing
Pabst became an executive for Pabst Brewing Company, on the condition that he sell his dealership and quit racing.[1] After he retired in 1983, he did some vintage racing in his old Scarab that he had found and purchased.[1][2] He was a member of the board of directors for Road America.[9]
Personal life and death
Pabst was married to his wife Joan.[1] His son Augie Pabst III followed in his footsteps racing in sports cars and running Pabst Racing.
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