MOTOR RACING : Agajanian to Receive Honors at Indy, Gardena

The legend and the legacy of the late J.C. Agajanian continue.

Aggie, who died in 1984, will be inducted into the Auto Racing Hall of Fame at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Friday and will be honored with a lifetime motorsports achievement award by the city of Gardena Saturday night at Ascot Park during the final running of the Gardena Gold Cup.

Cary Agajanian, J.C.’s oldest son and president of Agajanian Enterprises since his father’s death, will accept the award at Indianapolis, where J.C. was a car owner who had 500-mile winners with Troy Ruttman in 1952 and Parnelli Jones in 1963. He entered cars carrying his familiar No. 98 in the Indy 500 continuously from 1948 to 1972.

Bobby Unser, three-time winner of the 500, will be the only other inductee into the Hall of Fame this year. Unser, who retired after his third victory and is now a TV commentator for the 500, and Agajanian were chosen by a selection committee of 125 and needed 75% of the votes to gain admission.

Unser and Agajanian will also be honored Saturday during ceremonies on the first day of qualifying for the May 27 Indianapolis 500.

J.C. Agajanian Jr. will accept the award at Ascot Park, where his father promoted races from the start, including the Gardena Gold Cup, part of the American Motorcyclist Assn.’s Camel Pro series Saturday night.

Chris Agajanian, J.C.’s youngest son, promotes speedway motorcycle races at the South Bay Stadium on the Ascot property, and AMA Grand National races in places such as Sacramento, where his father promoted them four decades ago.

“We wanted to make certain the motorcycle world knew we were proud of the 60 events that Agajanian and his family have staged in our city, especially with the closing of the track looming at the end of this year,” said Jim Turner, president of the Gardena Valley Chamber of Commerce, who will make the presentation. The chamber is a co-sponsor of the Gold Cup.

Cary Agajanian called the dual honors “a very special time in all our lives,” adding: “We are especially pleased by the remembrance here in Gardena, where he kept his offices for 40 years.”

The 15-year lease on Ascot Park held by the Agajanians expires Dec. 31, and the track will be razed to make way for industrial buildings.

Saturday night’s 20-lap race, third of 18 in the Camel Pro Series, looms as a battle among Doug Chandler of Salinas, Chris Carr of Manteca and Scott Parker of Swartz Creek, Mich. All have three victories on the half-mile track at Ascot.

SPEEDWAY BIKES--The Nissan American Final at Long Beach Veterans Stadium, where U.S. riders will qualify for the World championships, will be held on June 2, instead of the previously announced June 9.

Juniors will be spotlighted Friday at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. National champion Bobby Schwartz, who was disqualified last week for “bad acting” when he failed to get up after falling and caused the main event to be stopped, will be at Costa Mesa Friday.