Abdolvahabi Passes Away at 58 After Cancer Battle

Ramin Abdolvahabi, longtime co-driver with Rob Ecklin, Jr. of the No. 9 Stoner Car Care Aston Martin in Michelin Pilot Challenge, passed away Monday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 58.

A nationally recognized neurosurgeon, Abdolvahabi was based in Wellington, Fla. 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.

Abdolvahabi competed in several Trans-Am races but focused primarily on 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.

“Ramin would do anything you asked of him,” said 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.”