Talking Traditions With Indy 500 Historian Donald Davidson

INDIANAPOLIS - As a young boy in Salisbury, England, Donald Davidson says the names of racecar drivers and test pilots were commonly in the paper and on the radio. About the time he turned 12 or 13, Davidson says something locked his fascination on racers. He sent off for books and began memorizing facts. When he got a map of the different tracks around the world, mostly road courses, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway seemed odd to him - a huge oval. He was intrigued.

In May of 1964, he made his way to Indy and was in awe of the 2 and ½ mile oval and the kindness of everyone he met. Amazed by Davidson’s thorough knowledge of every preceding race, radio broadcaster Sid Collins took him under his wing and had him briefly on the air that year during the race. In 1965, Davidson came back with his green card and joined the Indianapolis 500 Radio Network.

More than 50 years later, Davidson is taking his knowledge to small and large Indiana towns, speaking at libraries and other events. He was delighted to meet a young woman attending a recent Beech Grove Chamber of Commerce luncheon. It turns out her grandmother coined a famous phrase.

Davidson says Sid Collins, the one-time Voice of the Indy 500, made the line famous and took credit for it, but he didn’t actually create, “It turned out that it was a copywriter, 21 years old, Alice Bugner?” he questioned. Grace Miller, the woman’s granddaughter in the audience replied, “Bugher.”  The name rhymes with “fewer”. Davidson appreciated understanding the correct pronunciation. He continued, “She apparently came in and said, “How about stay tuned to the greatest spectacle in racing?”  Davidson says it stuck and Collins began using the phrase in 1954 to let the stations on the 500 radio network prepare for commercial breaks, and it’s still used today.

The historian loves to talk about traditions at the Indy 500, like the winner drinking a glass of milk. Davidson says 1936 winner Louis Meyer drank a cold bottle of buttermilk after he won to quench his thirst.

The song ”Back Home Again in Indiana” was sung for the first time at the Indy 500 in 1946. Over the years, many people, including Mel Torme and Dinah Shore, sang it. Davidson says in 1972 Jim Nabors was attending the race as a guest of Harrah’s of Las Vegas, “And according to Nabors, they came and got him out of the grandstands, and said would you like to sing this song ‘cause we don’t have anybody on race morning,” Davidson chuckled. “And he wasn’t even sure what they were going to sing. And so they told him it was Back Home Again In Indiana. And he said, “Well, I don’t know the lyrics, I know the music.”  Davidson continued, “And so apparently he wrote the music on his hand.” Davidson said he came back the next year and the next and it became a tradition. Nabors decided two years ago would be his last. Indianapolis singer/songwriter Josh Kaufman and the Indianapolis Children’s Choir will sing this year’s rendition. 

Davidson is excited about all the attention leading up to this year’s 100th running of the Indy 500. He expects a sell out. He’s scheduled to make about 30 more appearances in the next few weeks before the action starts at the Speedway.

You can hear 90.1 WFYI’s No Limits show broadcast live from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 17th from the Pagoda Plaza. Stay tuned for more information.