Davidson, Travers, Coon Inducted To IMS Hall Of Fame, 1985 Race Honored

Indianapolis, IN (May 28, 2010) – Indianapolis Motor Speedway Historian Donald Davidson and Indianapolis 500 chief mechanics Jim Travers and Frank Coon were inducted into the 2010 Auto Racing Hall of Fame last night at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown.

Davidson, who came to the “500” for the first time in 1964, spoke eloquently about his journey from a knowledgeable fan with an encyclopedic memory to befriending some of the sports greats. Davidson thanked Sid Collins the voice of the 500 for many years and former driver Henry Banks who hired Davidson at USAC (United States Auto Club) in 1965 for their early support.

An esteemed panel of nearly 150 electors, comprised of Hall of Fame members, leading auto racing participants, motorsports journalists and officials, votes annually for Hall of Fame inductees.

Danny Sullivan was honored for his win famous “spin and win” twenty five years ago in 1985. Sullivan joined eleven other drivers from the 1985 race on stage. Chip Ganassi received the reputable Louie Meyer Award from the Indy 500 Oldtimers Club.

Many current and former drivers and motorsport icons were in the audience including (but not limited to), Bobby Unser, Janet Guthrie, Roger Penske, Derrick Walker, Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power.

Steve Zautke

Steve Zautke, a Milwaukee, WI native, was raised in the sport of auto racing. His father, Bill, was a movie photographer that shot racing footage at tracks such as the Milwaukee Mile and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the 1960’s and 1970’s Steve’s first professional job in racing was as an Emergency Medical Technician at tracks such as Angell Park and Hales Corners Speedway (1988-1991). Steve has also worked for the Milwaukee Mile as videographer, in media relations and historian (1993-2011). Steve also has worked as a reporter for Racing Information Systems (RIS) and has written features for ‘Vintage Oval Racing’ and ‘Victory Lane’ magazines. Most recently, Steve has written a book on Road America for Arcadia Publishing. ( http://www.amazon.com/Road-America-Nascar-Library-Collection/dp/1467111457 ) Steve co-hosts “Sparky’s Final Inspection” a motorsports-based radio show with hosts, Steve “Sparky” Fifer and “NASCAR Girl” Summer Santana on Sports Radio 1250AM in Milwaukee and is also available on the internet at www.Sportradio1250.com. A member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Induction Committee, Steve follows all types of racing from the dirt tracks to Formula One.

racingnation.com

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