Dick Berggren
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Dr. Dick Berggren (born May 27, 1942) is a motorsports announcer and magazine editor from Manchester, Connecticut in the United States. Born in Westerly, Rhode Island, he now lives in Ipswich, Massachusetts with his wife Kathy.
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[edit] Academia
Berggren described himself as "the worst student" in high school.[1] No college accepted him, so he accepted a job as an office boy at United Aircraft.[1] He later was accepted at Quinnipiac College.[1] Berggren transferred to Southern Connecticut State University where his girlfriend Kathy was attending.[1] He graduated with an bachelor's degree in 1965.[1] Berggren earned his doctorate in psychology from Tufts University in 1970 with his dissertation on sleep deprivation.[2] He was a psychology professor at Emmanuel College in Boston for nine years.[2]
One day the only vehicle available in his driveway was his truck which was still attached to his race trailer. He drove the truck to the college and parked it in the faculty parking lot. The racecar was covered in mud, but his name and sponsor decals were visible. Berggren was called to the University President's office and told to remove it immediately. "I knew right then and there that my academic career and my racing didn't go together anymore," says Berggren. "At the time, my racing was going incredibly well and I needed to do it while I was still young. I felt I could always go back to academia."[3]
[edit] Driver
Berggren began racing in 1967 and won 26 events before his driving career ended in 1981. He had raced SuperModifieds, stock cars, and sprint cars.[4] He stopped racing after his racecar climbed a dirt bank at Boone Speedway, causing over 200 people to scatter to avoid being hit.[1]
[edit] Editor
Dr. Berggren started out writing for local newspapers. He started working at Stock Car Racing magazine while teaching at Emmanuel College and racing on the weekends.[1] He later became the magazine's editor. After working at the magazine for 22 years, he left the magazine in 1999 to start Speedway Illustrated.[1] He remains the executive editor of Speedway Illustrated. The National Motorsport Press Association named Berggren the 1999 Writer of the Year.[4] Both magazines cater to short track racing fans.
[edit] Announcer
Berggren started out announcing at Arundel Speedway in Maine. He has announced in many genres of motorsports over the course of his career. He announced the 1979 Daytona 500 for the Motor Racing Network radio network.[5] He began his television announcer career at NASCAR races in 1981 as a pit road reporter for ESPN.[4] He has announced for NASCAR races at CBS, TBS, and TNN. He has worked the pits for the Busch Series (now the Nationwide Series), and Craftsman Truck Series, as well as the World of Outlaws sprint cars.[6] He also hosts the SPEED Channel show NASCAR Performance.[6]
Currently, he is the lead pit reporter for NASCAR on FOX. He covers events in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series from Daytona to Dover.
[edit] Acting
He appeared as himself in the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
[edit] Awards
Dr. Berggren was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2002. He is scheduled to be inducted in the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame in 2008. Berggren received the 2007 Bobby Isaac Memorial Award for his outstanding contributions to short track racing.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Marianne Lippard (Spring 2007). One part scholar. One part speed demon.. Southern Connecticut State University. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
- ^ a b Michael Hiestand (2006-04-28). Berggren's career well-thought out. USA Today. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
- ^ Life in the Fast Lane. Tufts University. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
- ^ a b c Dick Berggren, NASCAR on FOX pit reporter; February 13, 2007; FOX Sports; Retrieved January 23, 2008
- ^ Al Pearce (March 23, 2003). No. 1: An ending for the ages. Daily Press. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ a b Dick Berggren Biography, NASCAR Performance. SPEED Channel. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
- ^ Berggren to receive Bobby Isaac Memorial Award. motorsport.com (2007-08-28). Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
