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Albert John (Al) Loquasto (Jr.)[1] (June 21, 1940 – July 31, 1991), was an American racecar driver.
Al Loquasto | |||||||
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Nationality | ![]() | ||||||
Born | Albert John Loquasto, Jr. June 21, 1940 Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||
Died | July 31, 1991 Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, U.S. | (aged 51)||||||
Champ Car career | |||||||
60 races run over 15 years | |||||||
Years active | 1967, 1969–1980, 1982–1983 | ||||||
Best finish | 19th – 1975 | ||||||
First race | 1969 Rex Mays Classic (Milwaukee) | ||||||
Last race | 1983 Domino's Pizza 500 (Pocono) | ||||||
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NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
6 races run over 2 years | |||||||
Best finish | 81st (1982) | ||||||
First race | 1981 Mountain Dew 500 (Pocono) | ||||||
Last race | 1982 Busch 500 (Bristol) | ||||||
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Born in Easton, Pennsylvania, Loquasto died in a plane crash in Fogelsville, Pennsylvania. He drove in the USAC and CART Championship Car series, racing in the 1969–1980 and 1982–1983 seasons, with 61 combined career starts, including the 1976 and 1977 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 11 times, with his best finish in 7th position in 1975 at Ontario.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Gurney_Eagle_Turbo_Offy%2C_1972_-_Collings_Foundation_-_Massachusetts_-_DSC07046.jpg/220px-Gurney_Eagle_Turbo_Offy%2C_1972_-_Collings_Foundation_-_Massachusetts_-_DSC07046.jpg)
Loquasto raced on a tight budget, fielding his own cars which were often several years old. He qualified for his first Indy 500 after receiving technical assistance from Clint Brawner. [2]
He also drove six NASCAR races from 1981 to 1982. Prior to his open-wheel career, Loquasto was a five-time national hillclimbing champion. Loquasto's chief occupation was as the owner of APCO, Inc., an automotive warranty company, and he was a veteran of the Vietnam War. [3] Loquasto was a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus. [4]
Al Loquasto was the first cousin of Sicilian-American scenic designer and costume designer Santo Loquasto, and a distant cousin of Sicilian-American author Angelo F. Coniglio. All are descendants of Libertino lo Guasto,[5] a foundling born in Serradifalco, Sicily in 1796. Al Loquasto's survivors include his spouse Sandra Loquasto and son A.J. (III) Loquasto.
Motorsports career results
editNASCAR
edit(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Winston Cup Series
editNASCAR Winston Cup Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | NWCC | Pts | Ref | |||||||
1981 | Ulrich Racing | 99 | Buick | RSD | DAY | RCH | CAR | ATL | BRI | NWS | DAR | MAR | TAL | NSV | DOV | CLT | TWS | RSD | MCH | DAY | NSV | POC 24 |
TAL | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | ATL | RSD | NA | - | [6] | |||||||
1982 | 6 | DAY | RCH | BRI | ATL | CAR | DAR | NWS | MAR | TAL | NSV | DOV | CLT | POC 16 |
RSD | MCH | DAY | NSV | POC 29 |
TAL 24 |
MCH 36 |
BRI 37 |
DAR | RCH | DOV | NWS | CLT | MAR | CAR | ATL | RSD | 81st | - | [7] |
Indianapolis 500
editYear | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish |
---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | Gerhardt | Offy | Practice Crash | |
1971 | Gerhardt | Ford | Practice Crash | |
1972 | Gerhardt | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |
1973 | McLaren | Offy | Practice Crash | |
1974 | McLaren | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |
1975 | McLaren | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |
1976 | McLaren | Offy | 24th | 25th |
1977 | McLaren | Offy | 15th | 28th |
1978 | McLaren | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |
1979 | Eagle | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |
1980 | McLaren | Cosworth | Failed to Qualify | |
1982 | Eagle | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |
1983 | Penske | Cosworth | Failed to Qualify | |
1984 | March | Cosworth | Sold Car |
References
edit- ^ "Al Loquasto". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
- ^ Call, PAUL REINHARD, The Morning (August 1991). "DESPITE RACING SETBACKS, LOQUASTO NEVER GAVE UP". mcall.com. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Brown, Allen. "Al Loquasto". OldRacingCars.com. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
- ^ Call, KRISTIN CASLER, The Morning (August 1991). "WEISENBERG PLANE CRASH KILLS RACE DRIVER AL LOQUASTO, FRIEND". mcall.com. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Original documents for Libertino lo Guasto
- ^ "Al Loquasto – 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ "Al Loquasto – 1982 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
External links
edit- Loquasto's ancestry at rootsweb.com
- Al Loquasto driver statistics at Racing-Reference