IMS historian Davidson shares Indy 500 excitement

DONALD Davidson has given speeches and conducted question-and-answer sessions about the history of the Indianapolis 500 to enthralled fans across Indiana for decades.

That popular program saw Indianapolis Motor of the counties in the state of Indiana in 2016 as part of the buildup to the historical 100th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in May last year. It’s almost a traveling road show version of his beloved, longtime radio show during the Month of

But this late winter and spring, Davidson is Hoosier State.

Davidson, believed to be the only full-time his 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil on May 28 at IMS. The program remains centered in Indiana, but additional Wisconsin through May and beyond.

rewarding because the people are so neat. They’ve been very, very well received.”

Every presentation by Davidson is different, depending on the venue and the audience. He can dig more deeply into the lore and traditions of the groups, while he provides a more basic, “101” his

plenty of time to expound on Indianapolis 500 the program, with limited time. Some presentations are open to the public, while others are for private groups.

by friend and former Greencastle, Indiana, Mayor

It’s never dull and always a thrill for Davidson, a respected, revered institution of the race and facility with fans worldwide.

“Everywhere we go we’ve been warmly received,” Davidson said. “There are always people nodding heads. They have their own stories, and they want to come up and share with you.”

Hosts for the tour include auto racing fan clubs, Kiwanis and Rotary clubs, Chambers of Commerce, - ernments.

Davidson remains thrilled and grateful for the crowds that attend the presentations in Indiana and neighboring states. But he’s particularly impressed by the zeal for the Indianapolis 500 and IMS shown by one group.

“What has been really neat to me are the number of mayors that are genuine fans,” Davidson said. “That’s really been amazing. They come up and

open to the public by following the IMS Twitter feed, @IMS.