Donald Davidson (Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian)
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Donald C. Davidson is the historian of the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United State ...
, the only person to hold such a position on a full-time basis for any
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s facility in the world. Davidson started his career as a
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, publicist, and historian at USAC. His radio program, ''The Talk of Gasoline Alley'', is broadcast annually throughout the "Month of May" on WFNI in
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
, and he is part of the IMS Radio Network. Davidson is a member of the Auto Racing Hall of Fame, the Richard M. Fairbanks Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame, and the USAC Hall of Fame. In 2016, he was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor
Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th ...
.


Personal history

British born, Davidson was from Salisbury, Wiltshire in South West England. He worked as a cinema projectionist at the Odeon Leicester Square in London. He first learned of the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United State ...
when he became passionately interested in
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motor racing in the mid-1950s. Part of that interest stemmed from viewing highlight films of auto races. It did not take long for his interest to transfer over to the Indianapolis 500, plus other forms of
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oval track racing. Davidson sought out books, magazines, and other various publications relating to auto racing. He then proceeded to memorize, in great detail, the results of every Indianapolis 500. He has been described as having Selective Retentive Easy-Access Memory. Davidson saved up his own money and first visited Indianapolis in May 1964. He had relatives in Chicago, with whom he arranged to stay during part of the trip. He had written to
IMS Ims is a Norwegian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Gry Tofte Ims (born 1986), Norwegian footballer * Rolf Anker Ims (born 1958), Norwegian ecologist See also * IMS (disambiguation) Ims is a Norwegian surname. Notable people wit ...
radio announcer
Sid Collins Sid Collins (born Sidney Cahn Jr.) (July 17, 1922 – May 2, 1977) was an American broadcaster best known as the radio voice of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network from 1952–1976. Collins coined th ...
and amazed the crowd by being able to recite the record of every driver who had ever competed in the "500." He was quickly and warmly welcomed by the Speedway staff as well as participants, and within hours of his arrival, he was given free credentials. Collins invited Davidson to make a brief appearance as a guest on the radio broadcast of the 1964 race.


USAC years

Davidson returned to the Speedway to attend the
1965 Indianapolis 500 The 49th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Monday, May 31, 1965. The five-year-old "British Invasion" finally broke through as Jim Clark and Colin Chapman triumphed in dominatin ...
. He reunited with
Sid Collins Sid Collins (born Sidney Cahn Jr.) (July 17, 1922 – May 2, 1977) was an American broadcaster best known as the radio voice of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network from 1952–1976. Collins coined th ...
and the Radio Network staff. He joined the staff as a popular fixture, and sought permanent employment in Indianapolis. A few days after the 1965 race, Davidson was hired by Henry Banks to work at USAC as a
statistician A statistician is a person who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. It is common to combine statistical knowledge with expertise in other subjects, and statisticians may wor ...
, a position he would hold for 31 years. He also worked as a publicist, writing the USAC newsletter and other related publications. Davidson left USAC in 1997, and worked briefly for IMS Productions, the in-house television division at the Speedway. In January 1998 he officially became the full-time historian of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and maintains an office at the Museum. He is also now the longest-serving commentator on the IMS Radio Network staff, having served in at least some capacity on every radio broadcast of the Indianapolis 500 since 1965 (not including his guest appearance in 1964). Parallel to his work on the IMS Radio Network, Davidson also worked on the local radio coverage of practice and time trials on WIBC.


''The Talk of Gasoline Alley''


Origins

In 1966,
Sid Collins Sid Collins (born Sidney Cahn Jr.) (July 17, 1922 – May 2, 1977) was an American broadcaster best known as the radio voice of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network from 1952–1976. Collins coined th ...
arranged for Davidson to host 15-minute semi-daily radio program on 1070 WIBC during the month of May. The program was called "Dial Davidson," and allowed phone-in callers to ask Davidson questions about the Indianapolis 500. In 1967, Davidson was unable to continue the program because he was going through basic training at Fort Rucker in the National Guard. He missed a considerable part of the month of May at Indy in 1967, but was able to attend the race itself and serve on the radio network broadcast. After management changes at 1070 WIBC in 1970, the station vastly increased their coverage of the Indianapolis 500 for 1971. Davidson was invited back to host a one-hour nightly
quiz show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, sh ...
about the Indy 500. The show was unnamed for the first two to three years, but for a brief time it was called "Stump the chump". Lou Palmer called the program "Do it to Donald" and Chuck Riley called it "Stymie the Limey." Callers won prizes if Donald did not know the answer.


Show format

After a few seasons, the show evolved from a "rapid fire" call-in quiz show to a more long form caller-based question & answer talk show, with Davidson taking the role of raconteur. Davidson fields the callers' questions, preferably of a nostalgic nature, about the history of the Indianapolis 500. Furthermore, he prohibits himself from using any sort of reference material during the show, relying only on his own memory. Not only does he answer questions, but he adds various anecdotes,
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, statistics, driver biographies, and may recount other related stories, typically of personal experiences regarding the subject matter. Topics for discussion are broad, but are often focused on biographies of drivers, team owners, mechanics, and other personalities associated with the race or the track. Other popular topics include track lore, famous cars, race recaps, members of the IMS Radio Network, the museum and its exhibits, and specific events from a particular year. Discussions regarding non-race winners and drivers of relative obscurity (particularly drivers from the very early years) are warmly received, as it offers "fresh" content to the program. Controversial topics are frowned upon, and a small list of oft-repeated subjects that have been answered ad nauseam are usually avoided (the Turbines,
Jigger Sirois Leon Duray "Jigger" Sirois (born April 16, 1935) is an American former racing driver from the small town of Shelby in northern Indiana. He raced in a variety of racing genres, most notably midget, stock and Indy "Big" cars. Racing career Midg ...
, the Jim Hurtubise "beer engine" incident, the 1911 controversy, and others). In addition, shows that air during Brickyard 400 week invite questions about NASCAR and
USAC Stock Car The USAC Stock Car division was the stock car racing class sanctioned by the United States Auto Club (USAC). The division raced nationally; drivers from USAC's open wheel classes like Indy cars, Silver Crown, sprints, and midgets frequently comp ...
history, both of which Davidson is also well-versed.


WIBC years

By the late-1970s, the program adopted the now-familiar name ''The Talk of Gasoline Alley'' (in reference to the nickname of the garage area at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United State ...
). Although in the early 1980s, the title ''The Talk From Gasoline Alley'' was also used. Starting around 1983, the show moved from the downtown studios of WIBC to the track itself, and for one year was set up in the lobby of the Speedway Motel. The following year, the show moved to the garage area. Eventually Davidson was invited to broadcast the program from one of the team's garages, and mechanics were usually heard in the background working on the cars. In many years, the show was done from the garages of the Jonathan Byrd team. Starting in 1990, a special post-race drive home show has also been aired, immediately following the conclusion of the IMS Radio Network race broadcast. In recent years, the program has originated from the media center at the Speedway, or from the WFNI studios downtown. For much of its run on 1070 WIBC-AM, the hour-long show aired daily at 6:00 p.m. local time. That coincided with the time of the day the track closed for practice (or time trials) each evening. In early years, it was co-hosted by Kevin Calabro. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the show was jointly produced as a part of Dave "The King" Wilson's nightly drive-home show. Consistent with airing on a traditionally
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/
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station, the show was frequently at the mercy of numerous breaks for news, traffic, and weather reports, and occasional pre-emption for breaking news and other live sports coverage. For a brief period, the show was expanded to two hours, with the second hour carried on ''Network Indiana'', a syndicated feed that was picked up by several stations around the state. Starting in 1994, the program expanded to new events at Indy. The show was added the week of the Brickyard 400 (1994–2009, 2013–2019), the weekend involving the F1 U.S. Grand Prix (2000–2007), as well as Moto GP. During the decade of the 2000s, WIBC began streaming over the internet, effectively exposing the show to a nationwide/worldwide listening audience. In 2006, the program became available in podcast form. Davidson's other radio experiences included regular appearances on WIBC's Sunday morning program "The First Day" in 1976–1984, and a nostalgic radio program titled "Looking Back with Davidson" on
WIAN Robert C. Wian (June 15, 1914 – March 31, 1992) was the founder of the Big Boy restaurant chain. The restaurant started as a 10-stool hamburger stand in Glendale, California, opening in 1936 with an investment of $300 raised from the sale of hi ...
in 1973.


WFNI years

In 2008, after 37 years on 1070 WIBC, the station was reorganized, and the program moved to 1070 The Fan. The show moved to the 8 p.m. timeslot. It is currently part of a two-hour daily block, with ''Trackside with Curt Cavin & Kevin Lee'' serving as a lead-in during the 7 o'clock hour. Typically either Lee or Cavin sat in to serve as host/
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. Tony Donohue briefly took over the host chair in 2019. Since having moved to a dedicated sports talk station, the program enjoys more leeway in the broadcast window, and is no longer burdened by news reports and the like. However, the program is still occasionally interrupted by Pacers games, as WFNI is the flagship for the team. In some cases, the program has been simulcast or
mirrored ''Mirrored'' is the debut studio album by American experimental rock band Battles. It was released on May 14, 2007 in the United Kingdom, and on May 22, 2007 in the United States. ''Mirrored'' marked the first album in which the band incorporated ...
over to sister station 107.5 FM to avoid preemption. Along with the traditional telephone calls, questions are now also accepted via e-mail and Twitter. In some cases discussion topics are pre-planned by the hosts, particularly for the opening segment, or follow-ups from previous night's question(s) kick off the program. A short list of longtime frequent callers complement the show, including Dave from Marion, Paul in
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, Mike in Vernon Hills, Jerry in
Delphi Delphi (; ), in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), in ancient times was a sacred precinct that served as the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. The oracle ...
, and many others. The show is traditionally aired live, however, on rare occasions when Davidson (or the co-host) has prior commitments, the show will be pre-recorded. In those cases, no phone calls will be taken, instead the topics will be culled from e-mail or Twitter requests. As of 2017, the show has aired for 46 consecutive seasons, and has produced upwards of 1,275 episodes. In 2010, Davidson was inducted as a member of the Auto Racing Hall of Fame at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 2013, he was inducted into the Richard M. Fairbanks Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame. In 2016, '' The Indianapolis Star'' named Davidson to the list of the 100 most influential people in the history of the Indianapolis 500, and likewise WFNI ranked him #10 on the list of Top Ten Influential People (Non-Drivers) in Indy history. In June 2016, Davidson was named the grand marshal of the
Indy Legends Charity Pro–Am race The Indy Legends Charity Pro–Am race is a vintage sports car race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The race takes place on the combined road course at the Speedway as part of the SVRA Brickyard Vintage Racing Invit ...
.


Books and media

As chief historian for USAC and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Davidson has written, or contributed to numerous books about auto racing and the Indianapolis 500. His earlier contributions include the annual 500 Yearbooks and magazine articles. In 1974 and 1975, he wrote a short-lived series of Indianapolis 500 annuals entitled "Donald Davidson's 500 Annuals." During the month of May for numerous years, Davidson penned a daily column in the ''
Indianapolis Star Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
'' about Indianapolis 500 history. In addition to his work on the radio Davidson also co-hosted local Indy 500 practice and qualifications coverage on WTTV (1984–1989) and WNDY-TV (1995–1997). After many years of helping others with their books on the Indianapolis 500, Davidson wrote his own, put out through the publishers of '' Autocourse'', entitled ''Autocourse Official History of the Indianapolis 500'', co-authored by Rick Shaffer. An updated second edition was published in 2013. Davidson has appeared on numerous television programs, including ''
Motorweek Illustrated ''MotorWeek'' is an automotive news and information program focused on car road tests, previews, and maintenance tips. The program is produced by Maryland Public Television for PBS and also airs on the commercial cable/satellite channel MAVTV. ...
'', '' SportsCentury'' on ESPN, and ''Indy 500 The Classics'' on Speedvision. Davidson has served as a lecturer at IUPUI and for many years taught a
course Course may refer to: Directions or navigation * Course (navigation), the path of travel * Course (orienteering), a series of control points visited by orienteers during a competition, marked with red/white flags in the terrain, and corresponding ...
in motorsports history. He has been a frequent guest speaker at various engagements including trade shows, civic and social events, banquets, and awards ceremonies. Davidson lives close to the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United State ...
, and has an office inside the museum. In 2003, a house fire swept through his basement, destroying some items from his personal collection, including a photograph of himself with
1911 Indianapolis 500 The 1911 International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1911. It was the inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500, which is one of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, most prestigious automobil ...
winner Ray Harroun. On his radio program, though he is guarded of his age, Davidson mentioned that he shares a birthday with Indy 500 winners Jimmy Bryan and
Takuma Sato , nicknamed "Taku", is a Japanese professional racing driver. Sato is a two time winner of the Indianapolis 500, having won the event in 2017 and 2020. He was the first Asian driver to win the Indianapolis 500, and the twentieth driver to win th ...
, as well as driver Gene Hartley.''The Talk of Gasoline Alley'' – 1070-AM WIBC/Network Indiana, May 15, 2007


Footnotes


Works cited


Donald Davidson Racing History
(via Internet Archive)
The Talk of Gasoline Alley – Podcasts: 1070 The FanKeeping Track
– Indianapolis Monthly (May 2006)
Donald Davidson: The biggest fan of the Indy 500 there ever was


External links


The Talk of Gasoline Alley Episode GuideMan with the amazing memory remembers his checkered past


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, Donald American sports radio personalities American information and reference writers Historians of technology Historians of motorsport Indianapolis 500 Writers from Indianapolis Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People from Salisbury People from Marion County, Indiana Historians from Indiana