Editing Fred Wacker (section)

{{short description|American racing driver (1918–1998)}}
{{Infobox F1 driver|
  name = Fred Wacker |
  nationality = {{flagicon|USA}} American |
  birth_date = {{birth date|1918|7|10}} |
  birth_place = [[Chicago, Illinois]] |
  death_date = {{death date and age|1998|6|16|1918|7|10}} |
  death_place = [[Lake Bluff, Illinois]] |
  Years = {{F1|1953}}–{{F1|1954}} |
  Team(s) = [[Gordini]] |
  Races = 5 (3 starts) |
  Championships = 0 |
  Wins = 0 |
  Podiums = 0 |
  Points = 0 |
  Poles = 0 |
  Fastest laps = 0 |
  First race = [[1953 Dutch Grand Prix]] |
  First win = |
  Last win = |
  Last race = [[1954 Italian Grand Prix]] |
}}
[[File:Cunningham C2-R no 5103, front right (Greenwich 2018).jpg|thumb|The Cunningham C2-R driven by Wacker in the [[1951 24 Hours of Le Mans]]]]
'''Frederick G. Wacker Jr.''' (July 10, 1918 [[Chicago]] – June 16, 1998) was an engineer and former president of two large Chicago companies.  He was also a prominent Chicago [[socialite]], a jazz musician, and a [[racing driver]].  He participated in five [[Formula One]] World Championship races, debuting on June 21, 1953.  He scored no championship points. He also participated in several non-Championship Formula One races.

Wacker was the grandson of [[Charles H. Wacker]], the first chairman of the [[Chicago Plan Commission]] and the man for whom [[Wacker Drive]] in Chicago is named.  He attended [[Hotchkiss School|The Hotchkiss School]] and [[Yale University]].  He worked with [[ACDelco|AC Spark Plug]] before enlisting in the [[United States Navy]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Cohen|first=Jodi S.|title=Executive, Socialite Frederick Wacker|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/06/19/executive-socialite-frederick-wacker/|access-date=15 May 2014|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=19 June 1998}}</ref>

Wacker was involved in a fatal accident during the second lap of the 1952 [[Watkins Glen Grand Prix Course, 1948–1952|Watkins Glen Grand Prix]], which at the time was a street course. While preparing for a right hand turn, his [[Allard J2 (original)|Allard J2]] came dangerously close to a Cunningham driven by [[John Fitch (racing driver)|John Fitch]], and both drivers swerved to avoid a collision. The back end of the Allard came out slightly to the left and closer to a throng of spectators sitting on the curb along the side of the course. Ten people were injured and a 7-year-old boy was killed. The tragedy caused the end of street racing at the Glen and elsewhere in the United States.<ref>{{cite book |last=Defechereux |first=Philippe|title= Watkins Glen 1948-1952: The Definitive Illustrated History|year=1998 |publisher=Beeman Jorgensen |isbn=0-929758-17-X }}</ref>