Tom Carnegie, a veteran broadcaster and the voice of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has died today at the age of 91. Carnegie worked as the announcer at the Speedway for sixty years, from 1946-2006. He was known for his famous calls of “Heeeeeez on it!”, which he would proclaim as the drivers approached the green flag in qualifying, and “It’s a NEW TRACK RECORD!”
Carnegie was born in Norwalk, CT with the name Carl Kenagy, which would be his legal name for his entire life. He started his career in radio broadcasting in 1942 when he hired on at WOWO in Fort Wayne, IN, where he took the name Tom Carnegie. Three years later, he moved to Indianapolis where he hired on at WIRE and wrote a column for the Indianapolis Star. The next year, in 1946, Tony Hulman hired Carnegie to be his track announcer at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He knew nothing about auto racing at the time.
Carnegie's career traced the evolution of the sport, from the front-engine roadsters of the 1940s to today's sleek rear-engine, high-tech racers, and even the introduction of NASCAR to IMS. When he started, women weren't even allowed in the pits; by the time he retired, Danica Patrick had led the race.
Carnegie was hired by WRTV, then WFBM, in Indianapolis in 1953 as a sports broadcaster. He saw many things while working for WRTV, including traveling to Japan and Mexico for the Olympics, and he was even on the public address system when underdog Milan High School famously won the Indiana high school state championship in 1954, which led to a cameo in the movie "Hoosiers." He retired from WRTV in 1985, but stayed on at the Speedway until 2006.
I have many fond memories of going to IMS as a “young’un” and listening to Carnegie’s famous deep voice proclaim “It’s a neeeeew traaaaack record!” It was sad day in the world of racing when he retired from IMS, but it’s an even sadder day today following his death. There will never be a replacement for Tom Carnegie.
Garth McMains
WGRE Intern
