Donald Davidson’s Indy 500 column Archive

Donald Davidson’s first Indy 500 column appeared in 1989.

Former Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian Donald Davidson, best known as the host of “The Talk of Gasoline Alley“, also penned a column for The Indianapolis Star and The Indianapolis News during the month of May for many years. Dubbed Donald Davidson’s Indy 500, it began in 1989 and ran through about 2002. These short-form articles focused on nostalgic memories from the history of the Indianapolis 500, the drivers, mechanics, participants, and various other race lore. In some years the column was in the form of a question and answer series, with readers submitting their questions by mail. Towards the end of the series, the column was available on-line only.

Prior to 1989, Davidson occasionally wrote stand-alone articles and had profiles written about him that were published in the Star (morning paper) and the News (evening paper). Some of those are included here as well. In some years, Davidson’s penned stories as a guest writer for the Star’s “30 Days in May“ series. Davidson did not do a daily column during the month of May 1992. Instead, that year the Star featured daily “Fast Facts” about the race, and occasional (longer) articles throughout the month.

In September 1995, the newsroom staffs of the Star and the News merged. Subsequently, Davidson’s daily column would typically appear in both papers each day. In October 1999, the Indianapolis News ceased operations. Thus for 2000 and beyond, the column was exclusive to the Star.

The following is an archive list of his articles, courtesy of Newspapers.com. Note that some of the article titles have been slightly edited for additional clarity.

1998

Beginning in 1998, Davidson’s daily columns were reduced to begin in mid-May. This coincided with the introduction of a scaled-back, “two-week” schedule for the Indy 500 on-track activity.

May 11, 1998: Lead changes made 1996, 1997 races exciting
May 12, 1998: Hartman’s Camp popular spot for midget-car racers in 1950s
May 13, 1998: Change of drivers in two Indy races produced co-winners
May 14, 1998: Speedway payoff wasn’t always worth big bucks
May 15, 1998: Only 25 cars entered, 23 qualified for race in 1921
May 16, 1998: If you don’t see a No. 13 car on the track, there’s a good reason
May 17, 1998: Demand for appearance money in 1916 backfires on Ralph DePalma
May 18, 1998: 500’s alternate qualifiers not always allowed
May 19, 1998: Ways of keeping drivers refreshed has changed
May 20, 1998: Couple reveals secret behind hidden tires
May 21, 1998: Andy Granatelli learned hard lesson; engine oil is thicker than water
May 22, 1998: Train line played a major role years ago as Speedway express
May 24, 1998: Car-hopping was Chicago racer’s claim to fame

1999

May 15, 1999: Conflicting goals fueled the earliest 500 entries
May 16, 1999: Jim Rathmann, Troy Ruttman couldn’t wait to grow old enough for first ride
May 17, 1999: Cummins team completed 1931 race despite signal mix-up
May 18, 1999: In the interest of clarity, here’s the lowdown on the Unser clan
May 19, 1999: Arie Luyendyk’s competitions trips increase his odometer reading
May 20, 1999: Winner in 1912 did not spare the horsepower
May 21, 1999: Indy champ Jimmy Bryan was so attached to local family, he even did chores
May 22, 1999: Bryan gave Hoosier a ride he won’t forget
May 23, 1999: Indy 500 winner Sam Hanks linked (maybe) to a presidential past
May 24, 1999: Car-builder A.J. Watson had huge influence on 1950s, 1960s
May 25, 1999: Even blindfolded, Joe Russo could find his way around IMS
May 26, 1999: Drivers in 1910 prove their mettle bt running at an unlikely venue
May 27, 1999: 1930s teams had to get some mileage from fuel
May 28, 1999: Jim Hurtubise kept up with the best at the Speedway early in his career
May 29, 1999: Van Nuys, California indirectly produced ‘500’ drivers
May 30, 1999: Checkered flag at the finish line predated automobiles
May 31, 1999: As a driver, official or spectator, Emil Andres has been fixture at ‘500’

2000

May 13, 2000: ‘Cinderella Man’ (Lee Wallard) found his groove at the track
May 14, 2000: Speedway’s safety patrol used to wear blue
May 15, 2000: Indy ‘roadsters’ can be traced back to single car from 1950s
May 16, 2000: New car in 1950 began in basement and finished at top
May 17, 2000: Shaving seconds off pit stops came through rules, innovation
May 18, 2000: Racing film ‘Winning’ offered Tony Hulman shot at being ‘actor’
May 19, 2000: Rich Volger had a double dose of bad luck
May 20, 2000: ‘On the pole’ first referred to horse racing
May 21, 2000: Frustrated Indy 500 hopeful Tommy Copp coined racing’s ‘happy hour’ term
May 22, 2000: Nobody has come closer to win in 500 and lost than Robby Gordon
May 23, 2000: Speedway’s home was Downtown
May 24, 2000: Michael Andretti has led race more than other hard-luck drivers
May 26, 2000: Repeating as Indianapolis 500 champ is one of sport’s most difficult tasks
May 29, 2000: Johnny Rutherford gives rookie Tim Richmond a lift in 1980

2001

May 4, 2001: Endorsement issues aren’t anything new
May 5, 2001: Kenny Brack received the longest tow in IMS history
May 6, 2001: Squeezing rubber ball helps wrists
May 7, 2001: Bluebloods like to race, too
May 8, 2001: Johnny Parsons brings long Indy history to radio booth
May 9, 2001: Going so far for such disappointment
May 10, 2001: Manny Ayulo did it all, even when he ran out of socks
May 11, 2001: Numbers game changes over the years at the 500
May 12, 2001: Hands up! Here’s comes an attempt
May 13, 2001: Consistency marked Ted Horn’s career in 1930s and 1940s
May 14, 2001: Entries aren’t always what they appear to be
May 15, 2001: Fast laps in Indy practice used to go unannounced
May 16, 2001: Leader Card Racers used old-school approach in 1986
May 17, 2001: Roberto Guerrero beat the odds in 1984
May 18, 2001: Bentley made good showing in its first 500
May 19, 2001: Bricks gave Jimmy Bryan pounding in 1958 race
May 20, 2001: Speedway gave fans their day in court in 1924
May 21, 2001: Trains used to be the way to travel to the Speedway
May 22, 2001: Forcing fuel in Duke Nalon’s Novi costs him a sure victory in 1948
May 23, 2001: Tom Sneva’s three runner-up finished come behind a trio of stars
May 24, 2001: 500 survives publicity stunt gone awry before 1911 race
May 25, 2001: Last row finished strong in 1980
May 26, 2001: Band leader sponsored car, inspired name
May 27, 2001: Not even fire could stop Charley Merz’s bid in 1913 race

2002

May 10, 2002: Rookies no longer pushovers
May 20, 2002: Mechanics changed often in early days
May 21, 2002: Johnny Rutherford had five White House visits
May 22, 2002: Crashing after 500 happened just once
May 23, 2002: Mel Kenyon’s low-budget run pays off
May 24, 2002: Idea for lap-prize money originated after 1919 race
May 25, 2002: Racing around the bases took toll
May 26, 2002: Select few among top 2 finishers

2003

Davidson did not write a daily column during the month of May 2003. However, he did pen one feature article that was published in the Star’s annual “Souvenir Edition/Race Preview” section on race weekend.

May 23, 2003: Greg Ray bucks tradition with 13

2004

May 11, 2004: Rain policy changes with the situation
May 12, 2004: Short fields common during the early years
May 13, 2004: Yellow flags heled A.J. Foyt hold obscure record for 26 years
May 14, 2004: Fewer completing 200 laps
May 15, 2004: ‘Caveman’ Bob Christie returns as ‘Oldtimer’
May 16, 2004: Jim McElreath’s Hawk/Offy in 1969 brought long history to race
May 17, 2004: A.J Foyt gives Janet Guthrie shot to showcase her ability
May 18, 2004: It wouldn’t be first time Indy didn’t field 33 cars
May 19, 2004: Four diesel-powered cars competed in Indy 500
May 20, 2004: These winners got relief help
May 21, 2004: Car numbers often go high
May 22, 2004: Backup cars: ‘T’ is for temporary
May 23, 2004: Angles for wings are a secret
May 24, 2004: In 1950s, 500 offered F-1 points
May 25, 2004: Doubling up on race day is rare
May 27, 2004: Changing cars requires a move to rear
May 28, 2004: When fastest isn’t fast enough
May 29, 2004: Ponies, not Indy, gave us ‘pole’
May 30, 2004: Starting up front yields more wins

2005

In 2005, Davidson’s daily pieces were featured online only. It appears they were re-published in the Star’s print edition on May 13.

2006

In 2006, there was not a daily column. A series of features appeared in the paper on race day, written by Donald Davidson and Steve Ballard. Each segment featured a highlight moment from each decade.

2007

The series was titled “Recounting the 500 with Track Historian Donald Davison”, and featured excerpts and information from the book Official History of the Indianapolis 500 by Donald Davidson and Rick Shaffer. Curt Cavin compiled the column.

May 6, 2007: Carl Fisher
May 8, 2007: Stoughton Fletcher
May 9, 2007: Betty Blythe
May 10, 2007: 1912 race
May 11, 2007: Ralph de Palma
May 12, 2007: 1917
May 13, 2007: Frank Lockhart
May 14, 2007: Dave Evans in 1931
May 15, 2007: Inside wall
May 16, 2007: Bull pens
May 17, 2007: Prest-O-Lite Smokestack and Pylon wind sock
May 18, 2007: James Melton
May 20, 2007: 1952 race
May 21, 2007: Bill Vukovich
May 22, 2007: 1958 race
May 23, 2007: Vacuuming the bricks
May 24, 2007: 1960 race
May 25, 2007: Jim Clark
May 26, 2007: Uniforms and Helmets
May 27, 2007: Janet Guthrie

Others

May 18, 1964: Speedway Clan Amazed By Visitor From England
May 17, 1973: Sports Over Lightly
May 26, 1984: Davidson’s memory still in demand at Speedway
May 16, 1985: Man with the amazing memory remembers his checkered career
May 6, 1986: ‘500’ history class, ‘professor’ win top marks in debut
May 4, 1987: Frank Fiore goes for broke, Shoestring outfits history
May 28, 1988: Passion for ‘500’ earns Englishman a ‘trivial’ career
May 15, 1994: There’s more to Donald Davidson than ‘500’ stats
May 4, 2001: ‘500’ history has performing heritage
May 21, 2004: He has the answers to all 500 questions (Part 1)
May 21, 2004: He has the answers to all 500 questions (Part 2)
May 21, 2004: He has the answers to all 500 questions (Part 3)

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997