He got his nickname in Gasoline Alley, but he made his reputation with Gary Bettenhausen in one of the most successful pairings in USAC history. Willie "The Cork" Davis, who passed away Sunday in Indianapolis at the age of 87, was one of open-wheel racing's longest-running acts, as his resume and accomplishments stretched five decades from Bonneville to Carrell Speedway to Terre Haute to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After tearing around the dry lakes of Utah, Davis got interested in sprint cars and midgets during the L.A. boon in the late 1950s and operated out of his shop in Burbank. He also came back to IMS for the first time, helping on the Travelon Trailer Special and...
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