Toledo Speedway

TOM DAVIDSON

Thomas (Tom) Davidson, whose career in ARCA spanned 60+ years from the 1950s to the 2010s, passed away at Otterbein Senior Living near his home in Pemberville, Ohio on September 17, 2024, at the age of 89.

Davidson joined John and Mildred Marcum’s fledgling MARC Circuit of Champions, which evolved into today’s ARCA Menards Series, as a photographer, quickly being named Official Photographer. Traveling with the tour for decades, his iconic black & white images documented the series’ early years of barnstorming as many as 50 races per season. He was the principal contributor, historian and editor of the book “ARCA 50 Years Of Racing” published in 2003. His razor sharp memory of racecars, paint schemes, race venues and landmarks became invaluable in identifying images of tracks, cars and racers long removed from competition. He also served as Official Photographer of Toledo Speedway and in the 1970s the Toledo Goaldiggers semipro hockey team. Tom also was a car owner in the series for a time, his cars driven by veteran Paul Wensink of nearby Deshler Ohio. Tom’s wife Diane participated as an ARCA team scorer and his son Steve and daughter Stacy also spent time working at Toledo Speedway.

A native of Bowling Green, Ohio, Tom Davidson was a lifelong resident of Pemberville Ohio. He was employed as a metallographer at Brush-Wellman in Elmore Ohio, where he spent his entire working career before retiring after 40 years of service. He was a member of First United Presbyterian Church of Pemberville and the Eastwood Athletic Booster Club, and served on the Eastwood School Board.

Services were held at Marsh & Marsteller Funeral Home, Pemberville, www.marshfuneralhomes.com.