Inducted 2016 – Significant Contributor
David Mathers has done just about everything at a race track. He’s driven, owned a team, been a track announcer, a track technical inspector and helped countless drivers, including several Hall of Fame inductees, with sponsorship. Given his long and varied career, it is no wonder that Mathers is included in this year’s group of inductees.
Mathers began his motorsports career in his native St. Thomas in the 1960s, as a technical inspector at the St. Thomas Dragway and quickly moved into other roles there including track reporter and technical director. Mather’s commitment to the track was so deep that he eventually owned it from 1998 to 2009. Alongside his work in St. Thomas, Mathers also served as technical inspector at tracks all across Ontario, including the Grand Bend Dragway, Delaware Speedway, Cayuga Dragway, and Niagara Dragway. While this would be enough to keep anyone busy, Mathers also often acted as a track reporter.
This interest in reporting eventually led to him acting as a regular contributor to media outlets such as Wheelspin News, National Dragster, and Drag News. Mathers also ran Motion Motorsports Report, which offered a weekly look at results from many series, from 1986 to 1996. During the same time period, he owned Motion Motorsports Racing Team, which, in its day, was Canada’s most successful racing team with over 20 championships. Motion sponsored many cars, including those of Hall of Fame inductees Herbie Rogers and David Whitlock.