Frederick G. Wacker Jr. (10 July 1918 Chicago – 16 June 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. Info from Wiki
Bio by Stephen Latham
Fred Wacker earned his fame and fortune as a successful industrialist and was also a prominent Chicago socialite and jazz musician. However, he was also President of the Sports Car Club of America from 1951 to 1953 and the second American to race in the F1 world championship.
After graduating from Yale University, he worked for AC Delco, then served on the USS Shamrock Bay aircraft carrier during the Second World War. Returning to civilian life, he indulged his passion for cars while building an engineering empire.
In late 1948 he was the founder and president of the Chicago region of the SCCA and in 1951 he became national president of the Sports Car Club of America. During his SCCA days he raced a similar Allard-Caddy to Carroll Shelby and was a front-runner in Midwest events.
In 1950 he won the Sebring 6 Hours (with Frank Burrell) and in 1951 raced outside the US for the first time. He competed and finished 2nd in Buenos Aires
He finished second in Buenos Aires and later joined the Briggs Cunningham team for the Le Mans 24 Hours. Unfortunately, his Chrysler V8-powered car crashed while being driven by his co-driver. He returned to Le Mans the following year in an OSCA MT4 1100 (with Phil Hill) though the car did not finish.
1953 saw him racing with the Gordini team. In a crash-ridden GP des Frontières at Chimay, he took a stunning third, just 2.5s off winner Trintignant, taking the first victory for the T16. It was the first post-war Grand Prix podium finish for an American driver.
Next up was Nürburgring where he survived a scary high-speed crash in practice though during a wet race finished ninth.
Two weeks later came Spa, where he finished 10th, but he then missed Bremgarten, having to return to America to sort out business matters at his Chicago factory. He was able to get back in time for the race but had just one qualifying session left. He recalled that ‘he didn’t even have time to put a driving suit on, just putting on his helmet and started going around. Every time he came round they signalled he wasn’t going fast enough though finally he made a good lap and they waved him to come in.
Unfortunately, on his in-lap he flipped the car and was transported to hospital with a fractured skull, broken ribs, and friction burns over much of his body.
Many of the drivers visited him in hospital and a gesture by Fangio made the single biggest impression on him. Fangio had a little chequered flag pin in his coat button hole, which he had won for an event, and which had his name inscribed on the back. He gave this to Fred, who kept it always and was something he really prized.
In 1954 he was back in Europe, again driving a Gordini. He qualified the T16 at Bremgarten but retired on lap 10 of the race when the transmission broke. Then came the Italian GP at Monza where, driving an underpowered Gordini against cars specifically designed to the new 2.5-litre formula, he shone and fought to finish sixth.
He only did two more minor events before retiring from the sport, deciding to return to America to concentrate on building a business (the Liquid Controls Corporation) that continues today.
Fred died in June 1998 and it showed the importance of the family name in Chicago when a major street in the city’s business district was named after them.
In the photos posted, the action shot is from the 1953 Belgian GP. Fred is in the foreground, car no.53, while the other driver is Andre Pilette.
