Oscar Cabalén
| Oscar Cabalén | |
|---|---|
Oscar Cabalén
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| Nationality | Argentine |
| Born |
February 4, 1928 Chabás, Santa Fe, Argentina |
| Died | August 25, 1967 (aged 39) San Nicolás de los Arroyos, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Debut season | 1950 |
Oscar Cabalén (February 4, 1928 – August 25, 1967), was an Argentine racing driver, mainly active in the Turismo Carretera series. He also took part in the Carrera Panamericana and the Mille Miglia, and was a reserve driver for the Formula One Argentine Grand Prix in 1960.
Nicknamed "El Turco", Cabalén bought an HRD motorcycle in 1948. Fifteen days later he won a race in Bell Ville. He competed in four further races before crashing in Calvez and fracturing his tibia and fibula, which took six months to heal. On doctors' advice, he abandoned motorcycle racing and worked for a time at his brothers' lorry company.
Switching to four wheels, he made his debut in Turismo Carretera on July 1, 1950. In 1953, he and his co-driver Guillermo Ibanda participated in the Carrera Panamericana where he finished 36th, third in the "Turismo Especial" class. The race was marred by the deaths of a number of drivers, including Felice Bonetto. The following year, with Mexican co-driver Genaro Silva, Cabalén finished 33rd and seventh in his class.
Following in the footsteps of his mentor and friend Juan Manuel Fangio, Cabalén moved to Europe. At the 1955 Mille Miglia in Italy, with Italian co-driver Ottavio Guarducci, he finished fifth in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce category. He later competed in the 10 Hours of Messina, driving a Ferrrai 500 Mondial with Venezuelan Joao Rezende dos Santos, and finished second behind Maurice Trintignant and Eugenio Castellotti, winning his class.
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