In my thread about the March Turning Wheels Mystery Man, I forgot to mention an interesting anecdote gleaned Thursday from famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway Historian Donald Davidson.
As you may know, Mr. Davidson (he's a little older than me, so he's Mr. Davidson until I've been instructed otherwise!) is not a native of the United States. Rather, he was born and raised in England.
However, he became so fascinated with The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and has such an incredible memory that he became a walking encyclopedia about the event even while growing up in England. (I.e., ask him who placed 4th in the 1952 race, for example, and he'll easily rattle off from memory not only the guy's name, but half of that driver's personal life history as well. Indeed, a goodly portion of what he knows is -ahem- not "disclosable!")
Donald Davidson really is an incredible man, but I found him to be very approachable.
His passion for the event moved him to the United States in 1965, whereupon he immediately settled in Speedway IN; the real town that surrounds the "500" track. Ultimately, he was able to parlay his knowledge of the facility and the event into a full-time job as the Official Historian of the enterprise:
Anyway, when yesterday examining Page 34 of the March Turning Wheels, he noted the red 1962 Regal convertible at the bottom of the page and said, "That was my first car when I came to the United States and got a Drivers License. It was the first time I had had a Drivers License."
I allowed that the one on the page was a 1962 model. Mr. Davidson clarified that his was not a 1962 Lark Convertible, but a pea green 1960 Lark Convertible. He didn't know if it was a six or an eight...but the more he talked about it, I believe it was a six. He said he bought it used from a neighbor lady down the street in late 1965 or 1966 for "either $300 or $350; I forget which."
Apparently, from what he said, it was in marginal condition at best. He reported that the engine seized on partially-complete I-465 around Indianapolis one day, admitting that he had not responded to one of the red lights on the dash! I think we can figure out which one <GGG>. And that was the end of that.
Small world: The world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway Historian began life as a United States Citizen and Hoosier with an Indiana-built 1960 Lark Convertible!
Cool beans. BP
As you may know, Mr. Davidson (he's a little older than me, so he's Mr. Davidson until I've been instructed otherwise!) is not a native of the United States. Rather, he was born and raised in England.
However, he became so fascinated with The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and has such an incredible memory that he became a walking encyclopedia about the event even while growing up in England. (I.e., ask him who placed 4th in the 1952 race, for example, and he'll easily rattle off from memory not only the guy's name, but half of that driver's personal life history as well. Indeed, a goodly portion of what he knows is -ahem- not "disclosable!")
Donald Davidson really is an incredible man, but I found him to be very approachable.
His passion for the event moved him to the United States in 1965, whereupon he immediately settled in Speedway IN; the real town that surrounds the "500" track. Ultimately, he was able to parlay his knowledge of the facility and the event into a full-time job as the Official Historian of the enterprise:
Anyway, when yesterday examining Page 34 of the March Turning Wheels, he noted the red 1962 Regal convertible at the bottom of the page and said, "That was my first car when I came to the United States and got a Drivers License. It was the first time I had had a Drivers License."
I allowed that the one on the page was a 1962 model. Mr. Davidson clarified that his was not a 1962 Lark Convertible, but a pea green 1960 Lark Convertible. He didn't know if it was a six or an eight...but the more he talked about it, I believe it was a six. He said he bought it used from a neighbor lady down the street in late 1965 or 1966 for "either $300 or $350; I forget which."
Apparently, from what he said, it was in marginal condition at best. He reported that the engine seized on partially-complete I-465 around Indianapolis one day, admitting that he had not responded to one of the red lights on the dash! I think we can figure out which one <GGG>. And that was the end of that.
Small world: The world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway Historian began life as a United States Citizen and Hoosier with an Indiana-built 1960 Lark Convertible!
Cool beans. BP
We've got to quit saying, 
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