Indy Legends and the Lore of the 500 with Donald C. Davidson

Donald C. Davidson was the historian of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1998 to 2020, and the only person to hold such a position on a full-time basis for any motorsports facility in the world. Davidson started his career as a statistician, 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, and he is part of the IMS Radio Network.

Davidson is also 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 2011, he visited the IMRRC to recount some of his stories and memories from America’s Great Race. This remastered center conversation is introduced by the late Michael R. Argetsinger, with an opening presentation by historian Joe Freeman from Racemaker Press.

This episode was originally recorded in 2012 at International Motor Racing Research Center and has been remastered for this podcast.

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00:00:00 Introductions  00:05:00 Joe Freeman's Presentation on Indy Roadsters 00:06:25 The Evolution of Indianapolis 500 Cars 00:19:32 Donald Davidson's Q&A Session 00:55:27 Lotus and Ford's Indianapolis Journey 00:56:14 American Red Bull Special 00:58:07 Restoration and Historical Cars 01:00:25 Friendship and Enthusiasm in Racing 01:02:33 Mel Kenyon: The Underrated Driver 01:21:16 Future of Motor Racing 01:29:13 Honoring Indianapolis 500 Drivers 01:41:32 Conclusion and Acknowledgements

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This episode is part of our HISTORY OF MOTORSPORTS SERIES and is sponsored in part by: The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), The Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Argetsinger Family.