Sid Collins

Sid Collins was an iconic American broadcaster best known as "The Voice of the 500" for his role as chief announcer of the Indianapolis 500 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network from 1952 to 1976. He revolutionized race coverage with his "full coverage concept" and coined the phrase "the greatest spectacle in racing," which became synonymous with the Indy 500.

Born Sidney Cahn Jr. in Indianapolis, Collins began his broadcasting career at WKMO in Kokomo, Indiana, after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1947, he joined WIBC in Indianapolis, initially selling advertising before becoming a radio announcer and host for "PM Party".

His involvement with the Indianapolis 500 began in 1948 when he worked as a track announcer. Collins' breakthrough came in 1952 when he was named chief announcer for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network.

He introduced the "full coverage concept," replacing the previous format of brief updates with comprehensive flag-to-flag coverage of the race. This innovative approach expanded the broadcast from a limited update system to a marathon four-and-a-half-hour program that reached a global audience.

Under Collins' leadership, the Indy 500 radio broadcast grew exponentially. By 1954, it could be heard over the United States Armed Forces Radio Network in Germany, and soon more than 1,000 stations were carrying his eloquent commentary. By 1976, the broadcast reached an estimated 100 million listeners on 1,200 stations worldwide.

Collins' impact on motorsports broadcasting extended beyond the Indy 500. He anchored auto racing coverage for the TVS Television Network and hosted national TV coverage of the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade.

His distinctive voice and poetic descriptions made him a beloved figure in the racing community.

Throughout his career, Collins received numerous accolades, including nine American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association awards as the best auto racing broadcaster in the nation. He was posthumously inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame in 1979, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2011 and the Indiana Broadcast Hall of Fame.

Tragically, Collins was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in April 1977 and died the next month, just weeks before what would have been his 30th Indianapolis 500 broadcast.

January 2025