Former Automatic Racing Driver Dies at Age 58 of Pancreatic Cancer
The sports car racing world lost a true gentleman and one of its finest drivers on Monday.
Ramin Abdolvahabi, longtime co-driver (with Rob Ecklin, Jr.) of the No. 9 Stoner Car Care Aston Martin in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series, passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He and Ecklin had just achieved their series goal – the Bronze class victory at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring weekend – when Abdolvahabi was diagnosed.
A nationally recognized neurosurgeon, Abdolvahabi was based in Wellington, Florida. He graduated from the Medical College of Virginia, interned and completed his residency at Wayne State University in Detroit, and set up practice in the Palm Beach area of Florida.
While he was proud of his many professional accomplishments, and the many lives that he helped to improve along the way, it was at the racetrack that Abdolvahabi found his passion. He particularly loved his home track, Sebring Raceway, with its history as a former World War II airbase.
“You could drive Sebring for years and never get bored,” Abdolvahabi said in 2022. “And it has such a legacy, with its history before it was a racetrack – what it went through, how it was changed. There’s no track like it in the world, and after 80 years, no one wants to change it.”
Abdolvahabi competed in several Trans-Am races but focused primarily on the Michelin Pilot Challenge, racing in the series since 2014. In 2017, he found a home with Orlando-based Automatic Racing, run by longtime team manager David Russell.
“I love racing with Automatic,” Abdolvahabi said at Daytona International Speedway in 2022. “It’s really a team of like-minded people, crew and drivers, so there’s really no ego or fear about asking for help. The Stoner and Invisible Glass liveries are so recognizable, and you can’t say that about that many other cars, so that brings a very enjoyable element to the program.”
The partnership with Ecklin clicked on and off the track as well, with the duo complementing each other’s racing abilities and keeping the atmosphere in the team truck light and fun.
“Ramin would do anything you asked of him,” remembered Russell. “He was always there to pick me up when things weren’t necessarily going as planned. I always look forward to our dinners together where we would dice up our entrées and share with each other – that was a common theme. Most dinners we would laugh so hard until we cried. He truly loved the team and considered it part of his own. I was blessed to know him and be a small part of his journey.”
“I enjoyed a lot of good racing years with my racemate Ramin,” said Ecklin. “It was very satisfying to pick up some Bronze victories with him in the last couple of seasons, along with other podiums.”
In lieu of flowers, the team will support Lustgarten pancreatic cancer research foundation. Donations may be made in Abdolvahabi’s name at lustgarten.org/donatenow/.