History

One of the most coveted trophies in short track automobile history is the "AGGY". It is the perpetual winner's trophy for the annual Thanksgiving Grand Prix midget race which is affectionately known as the Turkey Night Grand Prix.

The Aggy trophy was designed to not only honor the race winners but to also honor JC Agajanian, (AGGY), the long time promoter of the event as well as a legendary motorsports figure. The Stetson hat was his ever-present trademark and only fitting to rest atop the AGGY trophy. The TGGP first ran in 1934 and is the 2nd longest running motorsport event with the Indianapolis 500 being the longest running. However, the TGGP has had numerous homes over the years and currently calls Ventura Speedway its' home.

Bob Swanson was the winner of the inaugural race. In the 90+ years since, the list of winners is a who's who of the best of best from numerous racing backgrounds. Come by and see this beautiful tribute trophy. Regardless of how well versed you are in American automobile racing, there will be some names you probably never heard of but you will also see names like Parnelli Jones, AJ Foyt, Bill Vukovich, Tony and Gary Bettenhousen all of Indy 500 fame from the earlier days. In the more modern era, you have winners listed such as Tony Stewart, Kyle Larson (who started the tradition of kissing the hat) & Christopher Bell who are all NASCAR Super Stars but also amazing in the midgets.

Come by the Woodland Auto Display and spend some time studying the names of winners of days gone by. The AGGY will remain at the Woodland Auto Display until Thanksgiving of 2026 when it will journey to Ventura to see who's name will be added. (Perhaps you would like to venture a guess.)