Augie Pabst Artwork
Wally Thomason pays tribute to the fun-loving American racer.
It’s probably to the good that Innes Ireland, Duncan Hamilton and Augie Pabst were never at a party together – the world would doubtless be configured differently if they had been – a matter of critical mass. I never met Ireland or Hamilton, but I’ve thought for some time that racecars for Augie were simply another means to the end of having as much fun as possible in the shortest time possible. Remember the Hertz car in the pool at the Mark Thomas in ’61? I first saw him drive the Scarab sports racer in ’59 at Meadowdale – the slip angles were breathtaking, spectators backing away from the fence every lap. I’ve never seen anyone do that, and it appeared to be just for kicks. Nonetheless, he kept that car competitive for many years after it was obsolete. Quite a guy. Still driving, still having a hell of a good time.
