INDIANAPOLIS -- As David Letterman's 33-year career as a late night talk show host ends on May 20 with the final airing of "The Late Show with David Letterman" on CBS, the lifelong Indianapolis 500 fan and Verizon IndyCar Series team owner has played a key role in exposing the sport on his show.
The Indianapolis native also has some interesting anecdotes on some of the most famous icons in the Indy 500.
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On A.J. Foyt, the first four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and current IndyCar team owner:
"Tremendous guy in his era. I'm not looking for a fight with A.J. Foyt. I was sorry to see him race into his early 60s or whatever age he was at when he retired. I remembered when he crashed at Elkhart Lake and they were trying to cut him out he told Dr. Terry Trammell, 'Just go back to the pits, get a hammer and hit me in the head I'm in such GD pain.' They had to make an extra-wide cockpit in the Lola.
"Honest to God, A.J. â you won the race four times. Just stop. Just stop. That is my regret about A.J. and when he punched Eddie Sachs in the pits from years ago.
"But he put that place on the map. Like he says, drivers don't make that place; the place makes the drivers."
On Al Unser, the second driver to win the Indy 500 for a fourth time:
"The fourth time he won he did it with a show car that they pulled out of a Penske dealership and found and an engine, put it together and he won the race. Winning four times you get the credit you deserve. But there are guys like Rodger Ward who was not just a great oval driver but also one of the great drivers of all time. They are great in the world of auto racing."
On Rick Mears, the most recent four-time Indy 500 winner:
"He slammed hard one year coming out of the second turn and I can remember him talking about knowing he was in trouble so he tucked down inside the tub of the car and slammed it as hard as you can. He was busted up pretty good and that Saturday they helped him back into the car and he qualified. I always thought he was a tremendous driver and drove most of his career with busted up feet. That tells you there are more than just physical elements to racing. If he could win that many races with busted up feet that is admirable."
On Jim Nabors, the longtime singer of "Back Home Again in Indiana," who performed it for the final time before the 2014 Indianapolis 500:
"At some point, they decided Jim Nabors would sing and it became part of pre-race festivities and was adored. A friend of mine was standing on the main straightaway and Jim Nabors was getting ready to sing Back Home Again in Indiana. My friend said, 'Oh My God â there is Jim Nabors.' I said, 'Please don't make trouble. He's here. They want to hear him sing.' He goes running down the track to where Jim Nabors is and stands next to him for no reason. He stands there for the next 10 minutes. Jim Nabors doesn't know why he is there. He is shadowing Jim Nabors just to be a wise ass.
"So, in addition to Jim singing Back Home in Indiana I can't help but think of my dumb buddy down there bothering the poor man."
Who would he choose if he were stuck on a Desert Island with one of the Unsers?
"So we are stuck and I have to pick one of the Unsers. I'm going to go with Bobby because I'm under the impression that he won't shut up and it would either be endlessly entertaining or that he wouldn't shut up or it would give me the courage to kill him and eat him."
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Be sure to catch Bruce Martin's Honda IndyCar Report on RACEDAY on FOX Sports Radio every Sunday from 6-8 a.m. ET.
