Jeff Gordon is a household name in NASCAR. The California native moved with his family to Pittsboro, Indiana to get better opportunities in the racing world. Gordon won several USAC races and being in Indiana was always fascinated by IndyCar. In fact, he was almost en route to an open-wheel career but could not find the funding. This was followed by his debut full season in NASCAR Cup Series (then called Busch Series) in 1993. But the Gordon we know today showed his prowess only in the 1994 season.

Especially the Inaugural Brickyard 400 race, which truly shaped his career, making him a household name. And Jeff Gordon gives credit to the track announcers at the time who made the Brickyard 400 as grandeur as it is and shaped his career into what it became. And one particular veteran from that time is now retiring and Gordon had a heartfelt farewell message for him.

Dave Calabro has retired!

For nearly 40 years, one name has been synonymous with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Dave Calabro. Calabro’s voice has been the soundtrack to some of the biggest moments at the Indianapolis track, and his work as a track announcer since 1985 helped elevate the sport. And not just him many media personnel, especially when NASCAR made its debut at Indy in 1994.

Jeff Gordon, who was fortunate enough to win that first-ever Brickyard 400, credits Calabro and his fellow broadcasters for helping make that race—and his career—what it is today. 93 Cup wins, 4 championships, and whatnot. Ahead of this year’s Brickyard 400, Gordon had a heartwarming chat with Calabro, who was still working with news station WTHR in Indianapolis.

Jeff Gordon shared his gratitude, saying, “Growing up in Indiana, this place was always special to me. I really appreciated how you guys supported me when I moved south to race NASCAR and told the story of that inaugural race. It played a big part in getting us across that finish line first. It was an amazing day that changed my life forever.”

Now, after a legendary 40-year career, Calabro is retiring. But before he hung up the mic, Gordon made sure to give a shout-out to the man who had been such an important part of his career. On X (formerly Twitter), Gordon posted a throwback photo with Calabro, saying, “Congratulations Dave Calabro on your retirement from WTHR Channel 13! You’ve been a staple in the Indy market for years and helped cover a kid from Pittsboro who just wanted to race at the big track. We’ll see you at Indy next year!”

Calabro, who announced his retirement in June and officially wrapped up his time at WTHR recently, isn’t completely leaving the track behind. He made it clear that, as long as Roger Penske will have him, he’ll continue to announce at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “I plan to keep playing on the microphone at my backyard sandbox, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!…as long as the Captain Roger Penske lets me!”

Reflecting on his career, Calabro wrote on WTHR’s website, “As a high school kid who fell in love with radio and TV, I started dreaming about making a career out of it. Here I am, wrapping up nearly 40 years of getting paid to play Television! The past 32 years here at WTHR have been simply amazing. The journey has been an absolute blast.” Well, let’s hope to see him next season in IndyCar doing what he does best!

What’s next for Dave Calabro?

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Calabro started young like Goron, worked in radio as a high schooler at Ben Davis, and through college at Butler University. After graduating from Butler in 1985, Calabro spent five years at WDTN in Dayton, Ohio, where he covered the Cincinnati Bengals and Reds before joining WTHR in 1992 as a weekend sports anchor.

According to Calabro, the experiences matter more than the outcome, “A front row seat to sports history. I always felt it was my responsibility to take you, the viewer, along with me. I tried to never be the story but to bring you the story.  I’ve never cared about personal awards. There are Emmys somewhere in my attic, but my award was all the great relationships I’ve formed along the way! Thank you all for always supporting me and welcoming me into your home! God has blessed me beyond measure! “

Now that his broadcasting career is officially over, Calabro is looking forward to a much-needed break. He plans to spend more time with his family, traveling with his wife, Lisa, and visiting his sons, Drew and Alex, on the East Coast. For Calabro, the career that once dominated his life started to interfere with personal time, and now, he’s putting family first.

According to him, his career has been great but that somewhat started to come between his personal life and that’s something he no longer wanted. So from now on all his focus is going to be on his personal life. But at heart, he will probably always be “a track rat.” 

What are your memories of Dave Calabro? Share with us in the comments below.