June 16, 1998(1998-06-16) (aged 79) Lake Bluff, Illinois
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality
American
Active years
1953–1954
Teams
Gordini
Entries
5 (3 starts)
Championships
0
Wins
0
Podiums
0
Career points
0
Pole positions
0
Fastest laps
0
First entry
1953 Dutch Grand Prix
Last entry
1954 Italian Grand Prix
The Cunningham C2-R driven by Wacker in the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans
Frederick G. Wacker Jr. (July 10, 1918 Chicago – June 16, 1998) was an engineer and former president of two large Chicago companies. He was also a prominent Chicago socialite, a jazz musician, and a racing driver. He participated in five Formula One World Championship races, debuting on June 21, 1953. He scored no championship points. He also participated in several non-Championship Formula One races.
Wacker was the grandson of Charles H. Wacker, the first chairman of the Chicago Plan Commission and the man for whom Wacker Drive in Chicago is named. He attended The Hotchkiss School and Yale University. He worked with AC Spark Plug before enlisting in the United States Navy.[1]
Wacker was involved in a fatal accident during the second lap of the 1952 Watkins Glen Grand Prix, which at the time was a street course. While preparing for a right hand turn, his Allard J2 came dangerously close to a Cunningham driven by John Fitch, and both drivers swerved to avoid a collision. The back end of the Allard came out slightly to the left and closer to a throng of spectators sitting on the curb along the side of the course. Ten people were injured and a 7-year-old boy was killed. The tragedy caused the end of street racing at the Glen and elsewhere in the United States.[2]
^Cohen, Jodi S. (19 June 1998). "Executive, Socialite Frederick Wacker". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
^Defechereux, Philippe (1998). Watkins Glen 1948-1952: The Definitive Illustrated History. Beeman Jorgensen. ISBN 0-929758-17-X.
Formula One races. Wacker was the grandson of Charles H. Wacker, the first chairman of the Chicago Plan Commission and the man for whom Wacker Drive in Chicago...
Times. Retrieved January 8, 2022. Persaud, Navi (July 27, 2015). "Wack Packer Fred The Elephant Boy & His Fanny Pack Visit Howard Stern". Empty Lighthouse...
Mel Allen, American sportscaster and game show host (b. 1913) 1998 – FredWacker, American race car driver and engineer (b. 1918) 1999 – Screaming Lord...
Ret 9 Robert Manzon Ret Carlos Menditeguy Ret Roberto Mieres NC Ret 6 FredWacker 9 Simca-Gordini Type 15 Gordini straight-4 Pablo Birger Ret Georges Berger...
Regina Amstetten (1954) – Jürgen von Bredow The Faithful Hussar (1954) – FredWacker The Telephone Operator (1954) – Curt Cramer Des Teufels General (1955)...
Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class pos. 1953 Rees T. Makins FredWacker Jr. O.S.C.A. MT-4 S1.5 80 DNF (Clutch) 1955 Scuderia Ferrari Umberto...
alongside Maurice Trintignant, and the American pairing of Harry Schell and FredWacker, while HWM called on the services of Paul Frère (as they had done the...
Behra 1, 4–8 Carlos Menditeguy 1 Pablo Birger 1 Roberto Mieres 3, 5, 9 FredWacker 3–4, 8 Ecurie Rosier Ferrari 500 Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 D Louis Rosier 3–7...
was unable to participate, and so was replaced by Roberto Mieres. ^3 — FredWacker neither set a qualifying time nor started the race, as his engine was...
traced back to Hallescher Fussball-Club Wacker 1900, founded in 1900 and generally referred to[by whom?] as Wacker Halle, which won the Saale district –...
20 4 Chico Landi Maserati 3:29.1 + 49.0 21 12 Louis Chiron OSCA No time — 22 22 Élie Bayol OSCA No time — 23 44 FredWacker Gordini No time — Source:...
6 5 1 2 2 3 19 Syd van der Vyver South Africa 1962 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 FredWacker United States 1953–1954 0 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 David Walker Australia 1971–1972...
with spectators lining the sidewalks. However, after a car driven by FredWacker left the road in the 1952 race, killing seven-year-old Frank Fazzari...
Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at Occidental College (d. 2018) 1918 – FredWacker, American race driver and engineer (d. 1998) 1919 – Pierre Gamarra, French...
LPS-4049 Tough! Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers LPS-4050 FredWacker Big Band Swings Cool FredWacker Big Band LPS-4051 The Blues, Volume 5 Various Artists...
1954 Jack Ensley Kurtis Kraft Jim Kimberly Ferrari Bill Lloyd Ferrari FredWacker‡ Bristol Briggs Cunningham Osca Rees Makins Osca Candy Poole PBX Special...
5 18 Jacques Swaters Ecurie Francorchamps Ferrari 500 +4 laps 5 6 16 FredWacker Equipe Gordini Gordini T16 +5 laps 9 7 24 Helmut Niedermayr Hans Klenk...
Global Information
American