Conceived to publicize their new truck engine, Cummins took advantage of the rules of that time which allowed diesels 400 cubic inches, compared to 270 cubic inches for a traditional race engine. In addition, there were no turbocharging restrictions for diesels.
What Cummins’ engineers designed was a six-cylinder, 400-cubic-inch, turbocharged engine that produced nearly 400 horsepower. Based on their production engine, it was heavy, so exotic metals were experimented with to lighten it. Cast in the company’s Columbus, Ind., plant, it featured an aluminum block and heads with a magnesium crankcase.
The engine was also dimensionally large. To compensate, it was designed to lay only five degrees off the horizontal. They sent a metal and wood mockup to Frank Kurtis who designed and built the sleek car around it.
Unusual in that era, the car’s shape was further refined in a wind tunnel. Agabashian was frequently in the cockpit during this process, with tufts of yarn attached to his helmet to study airflow as he and the car were blasted with race-speed wind.
After a few runs once the track opened for practice in May, the team realized it had a remarkably fast car. As a result, they turned secretive, never running a complete lap at speed until Pole Day.
With 15 minutes left in qualifying Agabashian roared away, flashed under the green flag and shattered track records. Nearly breaking the 140-mph barrier on his first lap, Agabashian dirt tracked the 3,100-pound car through the turns and finished the run with the tires in sheds.
Unable to push the car in the race like he did in qualifying, Agabashian went backward at the start and fell out early with a clogged turbocharger. Still his spectacular run for the pole remains a speedway legend.
Agabashian retired from the cockpit in 1957, but not from racing. He was constantly in demand as a speaker and his mellow baritone voice made him a star on the Indianapolis 500’s race-day radio broadcast from 1958 to 1965, and again from 1973 until 1977.
Inducted into numerous Halls of Fame, Agabashian died in 1989.
This story appeared in the March 29, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
