Donald C. Davidson [racing historian]

Donald C. Davidson[1][2] is the historian of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the only person to hold such a position on a full-time basis for any motorsports facility in the world.[3] 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 a member of the Auto Racing Hall of Fame, the Richard M. Fairbanks Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame,[4] and the USAC Hall of Fame.[5] In 2016, he was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Mike Pence. **Personal history** British born, Davidson was from Salisbury, Wiltshire in South West England.[1][6] He worked as a cinema projectionist[7] at the Odeon Leicester Square in London.[8] He first learned of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he became passionately interested in Grand Prix 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 American 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.[6][9] Davidson saved up his own money and first visited Indianapolis in May 1964.[6] He had relatives in Chicago, with whom he arranged to stay during part of the trip. He had written to IMS radio announcer Sid Collins 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.[6][9] Collins invited Davidson to make a brief appearance as a guest on the radio broadcast of the 1964 race.