Fred Agabashian earned a spot in the prestigious Champion 100 Mile An Hour Club in the 1954 Indianapolis 500 driving the beautiful #77 Merz Engineering Special to sixth place, his best solo finish ever at the Brickyard. He persuaded his friend George Bignotti to come to Indianapolis for the first time to build the engine, leading to Bignotti's career as chief mechanic for a record seven winning Indy 500 cars.