Grim Business

Seventeen years ago, I started this magazine, in no small part, because I was finding it increasingly difficult to be surrounded by so much sadness and death at the National Cancer Research hospital where I was working as a research scientist. Little did I know, at the time, that one of the most consistent and sad parts of my new business would be the almost monthly, somber reporting of one or more racing legends passing away. This relentless stream of passings has unfortunately gotten harder, not easier, as with the progression of time, I’ve been either lucky—or unlucky enough, depending on your perspective—to get to know many of these legends, prior to their qualifying for the big, “Main Event” in the sky. Last month, I wrote in this space about the passing of Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Bill Spoerle, a legend in the world of restoration. This month, I just learned of the passing of another little known, but significant pioneer in post-war American racing history. Southern California racer and entrepreneur Mary Davis passed away the second week of December, at the age of 86.

While I had been to a number of events where she too had been present, I got to know her a little more deeply in 2011, when I was asked to moderate a panel discussion at that year’s Riverside Reunion event. The panel was to be a group of pioneering women in racing. Some of the names, like Lyn St. James, were well known, but the panel also included lesser-known names like Ginny Sims, Mary McGee, Paula Murphy and one Mary Davis. Each of these later names, shared how they began to road race in the ’50s, when racing was new, casual and more accessible. Most took part in “Lady’s Races” at venues like Santa Barbara and Torrey Pines, at a time when the sport was a little less “macho” and safety concerns and sponsorship dollars had not yet hindered the average Joe or Jane’s ability to participate. Davis, like the other ladies, was humbly dismissive of the notion that she was a pioneer for the female drivers, like St. James, who followed. According to her, they were just out for some fun!