65th "TURKEY NIGHT" SET FOR SPEEDWAY ... AGAJANIAN FAMILY CELEBRATES 50 YEARS

SIXTY-FIFTH RUNNING OF THANKSGIVING NIGHT GRAND PRIX
WILL CELEBRATE 50 GOLDEN YEARS OF PROMOTION BY THE AGAJANIAN FAMILY - NOVEMBER 24, 2005 - IRWINDALE, CA.


Irwindale, Calif. - - “This will truly be a night to remember,”  said Irwindale Speedway GM, Bob DeFazio as he and the Agajanian family made the joint announcement that the sixty-fifth running of the event known far and wide as the “Turkey Night Grand Prix” will be held for the seventh time at Irwindale Speedway.  The date: Thursday, November 24, 2005.

Adding to the celebration is the remarkable fact that this event will be the fiftieth consecutive year that the event has been promoted by the legendary Agajanian family.  “We are so very proud of our family name being synonymous with the Turkey Night Grand Prix,”  said J.C. Agajanian Jr.  “Our dad didn't invent this race, but he's the one who brought it back to life and international prominence after it had not been run for four years following the closing of Gilmore Stadium in 1950.”  

Indeed, it was “J.C.” who brought the race first to Gardena Stadium and then a few blocks down the road to Ascot Speedway, where it reined supreme for 30 years with only one “hiccup” when the event was staged in, of all places, Irwindale.  That year, 1975, the race was run at the old 605 Speedway ½-mile paved track which was located right across the San Gabriel River Freeway from today's Irwindale Speedway.

There have been six “Turkey Night Grand Prix” races at Irwindale, the first of which capped off the new track's opening year in 1999.  It was won by a young Jason Leffler. Tony Stewart won the celebrated 100-lapper in 2000, Dave Steele got the first of his two GP wins in 2001 (with an encore in 2003), Michael Lewis got all the marbles in 2002, and young driving phenom Bobby East capped off a all-conquering championship year by winning the 2004 running.  

Along the way drivers the likes of Parnelli Jones, Stan Fox, A.J. Foyt, Ronnie Shuman, Mel Kenyon, Billy Boat, Tony Simon, Gary and father Tony Bettenhausen, Bill Vukovich, Bubby Jones, Kevin Olsen, Brent Kaeding, Chuck Gurney, Joe Garson, Warren Mockler, Sammy Sessions, Jay Drake, Billy Cantrell, and the 1934 inaugural race champion Bob Swanson (the driver who none other than Chris Economaki called, “…Perhaps the best track driver I've ever seen.”), have all been winners of this prestigious event.

In 2003, a new perpetual trophy named in honor of Mr. Agajanian, who passed away in 1984, was commissioned and presented for the first time at Irwindale Speedway.  The oversized trophy has three tiers with the name of every winner along with the name of the track where the race was run each on an individual plate brass.  

The trophy is formally named “The J.C. Agajanian Trophy” but it already has a nickname, “The Aggie”.  At the top of the trophy, in the hung up position, is J.C.'s own signature Stetson.  It's his real hat which was carefully bronzed.   It now crowns the trophy with a quiet elegance that reminds everyone of the great legacy that Mr. Agajanian left for motorsports and the great future that his family's continuing involvement has assured for many years to come.  

“When Irwindale asked us about using dad's hat on a trophy named for him, I went and asked my mom,”  said J.C. Agajanian Junior.  She thought about it for quite a while and then she went into dad's dressing closet brought out his white Stetson and handed it to me.  She was offering her blessing on the award, and now when I see the trophy I really know that my dad is still a big part of the event.  Our entire family is both humbled and honored by it.”

Earlier this year the late Mr. Agajanian was named posthumously as the winner of the annual Eagle One Shav Glick Award named for the legendary LA Times motorsports reporter and given to the Californian who has made a significant contribution to  motorsports.  Other recipients of this prestigious award have included Wally Parks, Dan Gurney, Les Richter, and Rick Mears.

Once again, mark your calendars right now, tell your kin that it's either an early-in-the-day Turkey feast or schedule your Thanksgiving Dinner for Friday.  

This is the one that they come from all over the world to be a part of.  

Turkey Night number 65, and Agajanian family promotion number 50 at Irwindale Speedway, November 24, 2005 … Hey, we'll see you there!