Sports Announcer. Nicknamed "The Voice of the Speedway", he was the longtime announcer of the Indianapolis 500 (1946 to 2006). Born Carl Kenagy, the son of a baptist minister, he was raised in Missouri and attended William Jewel College where he played baseball. His athletic ambitions ended after he was inflicted by polio; he would then join the school's debate team. Following graduation in 1942, he began his career in radio at WOWO in Fort Wayne, Indiana and moved to WIRE Radio in Indianapolis three years later where he served as sports director. In 1946 he was asked by Speedway proprietor Tony Hulman to announce the annual Indy 500 event, a position he would hold for seven decades (although he was not compensated until twenty years after beginning). Carnegie was also identified for his announcing of Indiana high school basketball and had the distinction of working the public address system during the 1954 game which inspired the 1986 motion picture "Hoosiers" (he had a cameo appearance in the film). In addition during the course of his career, Carnegie covered Olympic events held in such countries as Japan and Mexico. He was co-founder of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2006.
Sports Announcer. Nicknamed "The Voice of the Speedway", he was the longtime announcer of the Indianapolis 500 (1946 to 2006). Born Carl Kenagy, the son of a baptist minister, he was raised in Missouri and attended William Jewel College where he played baseball. His athletic ambitions ended after he was inflicted by polio; he would then join the school's debate team. Following graduation in 1942, he began his career in radio at WOWO in Fort Wayne, Indiana and moved to WIRE Radio in Indianapolis three years later where he served as sports director. In 1946 he was asked by Speedway proprietor Tony Hulman to announce the annual Indy 500 event, a position he would hold for seven decades (although he was not compensated until twenty years after beginning). Carnegie was also identified for his announcing of Indiana high school basketball and had the distinction of working the public address system during the 1954 game which inspired the 1986 motion picture "Hoosiers" (he had a cameo appearance in the film). In addition during the course of his career, Carnegie covered Olympic events held in such countries as Japan and Mexico. He was co-founder of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2006.
Bio by: C.S.
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