Arthur W Graham III

Arthur "Art" W. Graham III, was the Director of Timing and Scoring for the Indianapolis 500 from 1978-97.

A native of Columbus, IN , but a longtime resident of Brownsburg, IN , Graham Created the 1st fully automatic electronic race timing and scoring system and introduced many of the timing-and-scoring procedures now used in American open-wheel racing. Graham also was employed by IBM for 30 years, joining the company in 1962 and serving as a senior systems engineer from 1977-92.

USAC Racing

A lifelong racing enthusiast who recalled watching the first live television coverage of the "500" in 1949 on a tiny screen through an appliance store window, Graham first became involved with the United States Auto Club in 1965 while living in Cincinnati. It wasn't long before he was serving on USAC's various competition commissions, and he eventually became chairman of the rules committee. In 1982, he was named to USAC's board of directors, remaining there until 1997.

Computers already were being used at Indianapolis when Graham first came onto the scene, but he revolutionized their use into timing & scoring procedures. He designed the first system that tracked drivers times and simultaneously displayed race leaders and laps. For many years, it was traditional for an all-night audit to take place, with the results not being officially posted until 8 a.m. on the morning following the race. By the late 1980s, under Graham's watch, they would be posted within a short time after the finish.

In the early 1990s, Graham began championing the cause of the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame, and later served for several years as the organization's secretary.

Interests

A great lover of big-band music, Graham was the Indiana representative of the Four Freshmen Society, and he had put in a considerable amount of effort toward the planning of a 60th anniversary celebration of the group's formation, to be held in Indianapolis in August, 2008.

Family

Survivors include wife Dina, daughter Susan L. Moore, sons Daniel A. and Matthew S. Graham, brother Andrew S. Graham, mother Martha S. Graham, and four grandchildren.

External links

* [http://www.brickyard.com/news/story.php?story_id=11325/ Art Graham Obituary]
* [http://www.usacracing.com/USAC/Home.html/ United States Auto Club]
* [http://www.brickyard.com/ Indianapolis Motor Speedway]
* [http://www.indy500.com/ Indianapolis 500]
* [http://www.worthyofhonor.com/ National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame]