J. C. Agajanian
| Joshua James Agajanian | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 16, 1913 San Pedro, Los Angeles, California |
| Died | May 5, 1984 (aged 70) Gardena, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Joshua James Agajanian |
Joshua "J.C./Aggie" Agajanian (June 16, 1913 – May 5, 1984) was an influential figure in American motorsports history. He was a promoter and race car owner.
Agajanian was born in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, just six months after his father had immigrated to the United States, with his entire family, including some cousins, out of war-torn Armenia. He grew up a hard-working young man in the family's refuse collection and hog ranching businesses, which Aggie would later oversee.
At 18, Agajanian had saved enough money to buy a race car. When he told his father that he was going to become a race car driver, the elder Agajanian's reaction was not what young Aggie had hoped. Looking at the car in the garage, his father said to J.C., "So, you are going to be a race driver, that's fine. Just a few things I want you to do first. Go kiss your mother goodbye, pack your bags since you won't be living here anymore and while you're at it, change your name."
The racing game was brutal in the 1930s. Drivers were dying almost every other week on the dirt ovals of Southern California and Agajanian's father understandably did not want his son to become another statistic. A compromise was settled upon: J.C. could keep the car, but only in the capacity of an owner. J.C. agreed and at 18 became perhaps one of the youngest car owners in automobile racing.
While Agajanian never achieved his childhood dream of becoming a race driver, he did almost everything else, from promoting races to building cars and discovering drivers.
While promoting a race under the blazing desert sun in Arizona, Agajanian purchased a Stetson cowboy hat to protect his head, and thereafter he was rarely seen without one. His trademarks were his Stetson hat and high-heeled boots made especially for him in Spain.
He was the Armenian heir to a fortune built on pig farming and garbage collection. J.C. was partial to the number "98" and used the number on his Indianapolis, Sprint and Midget cars, a tradition which has continued for generations in the family, including three Indianapolis 500 wins, including the ownership by J.C. in 1952 with driver Troy Ruttman and 1963 with driver Parnelli Jones and co-ownership by son Cary and business partner Mike Curb with Bryan Herta Autosports in 2011 with driver Dan Wheldon and 2016 with driver Alexander Rossi.
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