Motor Racing Network
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| Motor Racing Network | |
|---|---|
| Type | Division of International Speedway Corporation |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Headquarters | Daytona Beach, Florida |
| Key people | Bill France, Sr., founder David Hyatt, president |
| Industry | Radio Network |
| Products | NASCAR racing and radio programming |
| Employees | 70 |
| Website | www.mrnradio.com |
The Motor Racing Network (MRN) is the radio broadcasting operation of NASCAR, promoting themselevs as "The Voice of NASCAR." It broadcasts coverage of most major NASCAR races at the top three levels of NASCAR at tracks owned by International Speedway Corporation, Dover International Speedway and Pocono Raceway and (until the 2008 spring race) at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. The exception to these are NSCS and NNS races held at tracks controlled by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which operates their own radio network called the Performance Racing Network, and the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, which is broadcast by Indianapolis Motor Speedway's own radio network in conjunction with PRN.
Because of NASCAR's policy on radio broadcasts being different as part of NASCAR's agreement in 1995, all NCTS races are broadcast on MRN regardless of track ownership. (NASCAR unified television and radio contracts under their control, not the tracks, in 1995 for that series.) The Sprint Showdown qualifying race and NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race are also broadcast on MRN, despite being held at Lowe's Motor Speedway, an SMI-owned track.
MRN was founded in 1970 by William H.G. “Big Bill” France, the founder of NASCAR and the world famous Daytona International Speedway. Its first broadcast was the 1970 Daytona 500.
The most prominent broadcaster associated with MRN is probably Eli Gold, who is identified by many racing fans as personally being the "voice of NASCAR"; however, Gold's participation is somewhat limited by his association with broadcasts of University of Alabama football, NFL football and NHL hockey
Broadcasts of Sprint Cup races receive MRN's highest ratings and hence the greatest station clearance (number of stations using the broadcasts). Audiences for the Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series are considerably smaller, and so are the number of affiliated stations. Many MRN stations broadcast all three series, with the lower series being preempted in many instances by other events.
Along with race broadcasts, MRN offers other race related programs. Many different reports, talk shows, and commentary are broadcast over the network, as well as via Sirius Satellite Radio's NASCAR channel.
Contents |
[edit] Current Announcers
- Mike Bagley (turn & booth announcer,usally co-anchor for West Coast races,because Barney Hall doesn't travel to the West Coast races; 1992-present)
- Kurt Becker
- Eli Gold (host of NASCAR Live; occasionally does turn announcing at Daytona and Talladega, and former lead announcer on TNN)
- Barney Hall (lead anchor "The Voice of Nascar")
- Kim Hart
- Alex Hayden
- Dan Hubbard (turn announcer, primarily at West Coast races)
- Glenn Jarrett
- Winston Kelley (pit reporter; also serves as the executive director of the NASCAR Hall Of Fame).
- Buddy Long
- Dave Moody (lead turn announcer, 2001-present)
- Joe Moore (lead anchor, 2001-present)
- Jim Phillips (former pit reporter, now host of NASCAR USA)
- Steve Post (pit reporter)
- Kyle Rickey
- Preston Root
- Jeff Striegle (turn announcer)
- Jason Toy
- Danielle Frye (Spot reporting for Nascar USA/fill-in pit reporter.)
[edit] Former Announcers
- Rick Benjamin - Now with Speed Channel.
- Allen Bestwick - Now host for ESPN/ABC's coverage of NASCAR; previously race announcer then pit reporter for TNT and NBC Sports as well as ESPN/ABC.
- Mark Garrow - Now co-anchor of Prefomance Racing Network.
- Mike Joy - Now lead voice for FOX Sports' NASCAR coverage.
- Mike Massaro - Now a pit reporter for ESPN/ABC's coverage of NASCAR, and occasional reporter on SportsCenter.
- Marty Snider - Now a pit reporter for TNT's coverage of NASCAR.
- Ken Squier - Longtime voice of CBS Sports' Daytona 500 coverage.
[edit] Other programming produced by the Motor Racing Network
- Coors Light Pole Updates (short reports broadcast during Sprint Cup Qualifying; full event broadcast available on a handful of affiliates, Sirius Satellite Radio and through NASCAR.com's "Track Pass" subscription service.)
- NASCAR Today (twice daily three-minute reports, one around noon and one late afternoon/early evening)
- NASCAR USA (Sunday morning country music program) Hosted by former pit reporter Jim Phillips.
- NASCAR Performance Live (call-in talk show featuring pit reporters and crew chiefs)
- NASCAR Live (Tuesday evening call-in talk show) hosted by Eli Gold.
- Ned Jarrett's "World of Racing" (two-minute weekday morning commentary by two-time NASCAR Champion and former MRN pit reporter Ned Jarrett)
- Monday Morning Race Refresher (two-minute update from the weekend's race aired during the Monday morning drive)
- The Race Report (a weekly one-hour show discussing what NASCAR drivers do to prepare for races and projections for the next race. They also produce two updates for weekday broadcasts updating the condition of injured drivers, what new regulations may be occuring, reviews of the previous weeks races, and what stars do during the week)
[edit] External links
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