LOS ANGELES — Shav Glick, who covered the Indianapolis 500 and a variety ofother races during 37 years writing about motorsports for the Los Angeles Times,has died. He was 87.

Glick died Saturday at his Pasadena home of complications from melanoma, thenewspaper confirmed Sunday. He retired at 85 last year.

By the time he was assigned the auto racing beat at the Times, Glick was 48and had already spent 34 years covering other sports.

In 1994, Glick was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America inNovi, Mich., becoming the first writer for a general circulation daily newspaperto earn that honor.

“He was the authority. You wanted to be noticed by Shav Glick,” formerIndianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti told the Times. “He certainly had myrespect.”

Glick served in the Army during World War II. After that, he went to workfor the Pasadena Star-News and stayed until 1954, when future Times publisherOtis Chandler hired him as sports editor of the Los Angeles Mirror, a sisterpaper of the Times.

When the Mirror was merged into the Times, Glick made the transition aswell. Before covering racing, he was the golf beat writer and for a time, hecovered both sports until scheduling conflicts made it impossible.

Glick covered short tracks and super speedways, road racing and drag racingand midget cars.

“He was a true friend of mine, a friend of the sporting world and someonewith high integrity,” car owner Roger Penske told the Times. “I have a lot tothank him for, and so does the entire motor racing industry.”

Born Shavenau Glick on Sept. 16, 1920, he grew up in Pasadena. Glick was aclassmate and friend of Jackie Robinson at what was then Pasadena Junior Collegebefore Robinson became the first black to play major league baseball.

Glick is survived by companion Doris Syme, son Michael of Santa Barbara,three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. His wife of 41 years,Florence, died in 1991. His stepson, Jeffrey Hale, died in 1997.

A memorial was being planned.