Héctor Luis Gradassi (6 March 1933 - 4 February 2003) was an

Argentine Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...

motorist Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. A driver's permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met, and drivers are required to ...

. Most of his career was carried out in

Turismo Carretera Turismo Carretera ( Road racing, lit., ''Road Touring'') is a popular stock car racing series in Argentina, and the 2nd oldest auto racing series still active in the world. The series is organized by Asociación Corredores de Turismo Carretera. ...

, where he was a champion for the

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

brand 4 times.

Career

Before racing cars, Gradassi competed in motorcycle races in 100 cc and 125cc classes. He won the National title in 1960, 1961 and 1962 before switching to cars in 1964. Gradassi began his car racing career in 1964 through

Improved Touring Improved Touring is a category of classifications for cars in amateur road racing defined by the Sports Car Club of America. The class is used by other sanctioning bodies with compatible rules, such as the International Conference of Sports Car Clu ...

. He first entered

in 1967 after being signed by the official

Industrias Kaiser Argentina Industrias Kaiser Argentina S.A. (mostly known for its acronym IKA) was an Argentina, Argentine automobile manufacturer established in 1956 as a joint venture with Kaiser Motors of the United States. Headquartered in Santa Isabel District, Río Cu ...

team, where he won his debut race. He won the Turismo Carretera Championship in 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1976. After leaving the IKA team in 1970, he signed for the official team of the Ford subsidiary, driving a

Ford Falcon The Ford Falcon is an automobile nameplate by Ford Motor Company, Ford that applied to several vehicles worldwide. * Ford Falcon (North America), an automobile produced by Ford from 1960 to 1970. * Ford Falcon (Argentina), a car built by Ford ...

. In the highest category of Argentine motorsports, Gradassi was able to become champion four times, always driving a Ford Falcon. During his time at Ford, he got to know other well-known TC competitors such as

Nasif Estéfano Nasif Moisés Estéfano (18 November 1932 – 21 October 1973) was a racing driver from Argentina with Lebanese ancestry. He participated in two World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 7 February 1960, but scored no championship p ...

, Esteban Fernandino and

Juan María Traverso Juan María "Flaco" Traverso (28 December 1950 – 11 May 2024) was an Argentine racing driver. He was a multiple champion in the most important championships in Argentina and raced in European Formula Two in 1979. Traverso died due to oesop ...

. In his career Gradassi participated in 244 races, winning 49 of them.

Social Life

''"Pirín"'', as Gradassi was nicknamed, was part of the Córdoba Automobile Club where he was a member of the board of directors for many years. He was also part of a local Antique Car Club, with which he participated in many regular competitions even after retirement.

References

1933 births 2003 deaths Argentine racing drivers Turismo Carretera drivers World Sportscar Championship drivers {{Argentina-autoracing-bio-stub Sportspeople from Córdoba, Argentina