Not that the world of auto racing doesn't bring natural excitement on it's own, but you've got to have someone to help "hype it up". This class of 1991 Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee was just that - a hype man. From announcing local short tracks, to founding a nationally syndicated television show, the auto racing world was brought to the limelight thanks in part to this Michigan Motorsports History Month Presented by Sweet Manufacturing featured inductee, Gordon "Bud" Lindemann.
Gordon ( Bud ) Lindemann was born August 22, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from high school and joined the Coast Guard during World War II stationed on the Eastwind in the North Atlantic. While in the service, he met his wife Kay and they were married February 9, 1945. He began his radio career in Boston following the war and then moved to Grand Rapids in 1946.
Big Bud became active involved in motor sports in the mid-fifties as an announcer at the now-defunct Grand Rapids Speedrome. He also worked at Berlin Raceway and Kalamazoo Speedway until the mid-sixties.
In 1964 he began a television program called Autoscope featuring local races as well as some national events while working for WZZM-TV. The show was a success and in 1967 he expanded by forming his own production company, Car & Track Productions, and began to produce the first nationally syndicated television show strictly devoted to motor sports. Titled, "Car & Track", the show was syndicated to over 160 stations across America. He continued to produce the series through 1975 having covered over 250 racing events.
Beginning in 1976, the television networks contracted Car & Track to produce racing features for their sports shows including ABC's Wide World of Sports and CBS Sports Spectacular. He also began a another new trend by producing ten minute theatrical short subjects for theatres centered around motor sports.
In 1979 he began in new series featuring author George Plimpton, of Paper Lion fame. The series,"The Ultimate High", followed George as he attempted to learn to skydive, hang glide, kayak, windsurf, drive a Carl Haas Can-Am car and ultimately, an Indy car ride with a rookie driver named Bobby Rahal.
Big Bud died in November or 1983. (1925 - 1983)