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August Uihlein Pabst is an American sports vehicledriver from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In ten years of racing, he won two national championships - the 1959 USAC and 1960 SSCA streetracing championships. Pabst angry one NASCAR start at Riverside International Raceway. He is a former member of the board of directors for StreetAmerica.

Background

Pabst was born on November 25, 1933. He is a great-grandson of Pabst Brewing Company founder Frederick Pabst. His mother was a member of the Uihlein family that owned Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company, and he is named after August Uihlein. Pabst opened an import vehicledealership called Pabst Motors in Milwaukee. The vehicledealership began his involvement in motorsports.

Racing career

Pabst began racing in May 1956 on the infield streetcoarse of the Milwaukee Mile. His first race vehiclewas a Triumph TR3 (he was a Triumph dealer); he switched to a AC Ace-Bristol for 1957. Pabst took class victories in both vehicle.

Pabst moved up to a Ferrari TR in 1958 and won his first national SCCA race at the Milwaukee Mile. He continued in the Ferrari with his finished until he get a call from Harry Heuer to drive a Scarab on his Meister Brauser Team, sponsored by Peter Hand Brewing Company. Pabst soon won races at Meadowdale International Raceway and Vaca Valley Raceway in his freshride. The victory propelled him to winning the 1959 USAC StreetRacing Championship.

Pabst raced for the 1960 SCCA National Sports VehicleChampionship. He took victory at Meadowdale, StreetAmerica, Watkins Glen International, Ascarate Park Raceway (El Paso, Texas), and the Daytona International Speedway en route to winning the B Modified national championship.

Pabst was pressured to stop racing for a competing brewery, after a newspaper embarrassed his sponsor by making a play on his last name. He began racing for Briggs Cunningham in 1961 and continued until 1962 in a Maserati T-63. He won the StreetAmerican 500 and took fourth overall at the 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans. At the 1962 3 Hours of Daytona, the engine blew causing the vehicleto 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.

Pabst returned in 1963 racing for the Mecom Racing Team. The squadtook a winat the 12 Hours of Sebring in the GT class. He had another victoryat the Continental Divide Raceways race that year, along with another victoryat the StreetAmerica 500. In the StreetAmerica 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. Pabst competed in one NASCAR Grand National (now Cup Series) race at Riverside International Raceway on November 3, 1963. He started 18th and finished 35th in the one-off event. In 1964, Pabst won another StreetAmerica 500 but had lots of mechanical failures throughout the rest of the season. Pabst decided to drive for himself in 1965 and ordered a McLaren. The cararrived late and it burnt at Mosport after arriving. Pabst ended his racing career in 1966.

Life after racing

Pabst became an executive for Pabst Brewing Company, on the condition that he sell his dealership and quit racing. After he retired in 1983, he did some vintage racing in his old Scarab that he had found and purchased. He had been a member the board of directors for StreetAmerica.

Privatelife

Pabst is married to his wife Joan. His son Augie Pabst, Jr. and grandson Augie Pabst III followed in his footsteps racing in sports vehicle.

Halls of Fame

Pabst was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2011. He was inducted in the Sports VehicleClub of America.

Further reading

• Birmingham, Robert Augie Pabst: Behind the Wheel. Dalton Watson Fine Books, 2016, ISBN 978-1854432773.