Best announcer!

[SIZE=“4”]Yep, you nailed it Bob.

That shot of Gordon was right after the Gate opened in the 60’s.

Larry Mac and I remained good friends through-out the years.

Linda and I went up to see him and Edwina the day he was released from
Mease - Morton Plant Hospital in Dunedin after his last surgery.

I’m so glad we did as he was gone a short time later. Funny thing is,
I yet can’t delete his email addy from my address book.

They were both great behind the mic as far as I am concerned.

However Gordon was also good on the promotion part which
I’m sure came from his Wrestling side.

RIP Gordon & Larry.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Jim Fenton;48749][SIZE=“4”]Funny thing is,
I yet can’t delete his email addy from my address book.
[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

You know, I am the same. I’ve started to delete it a few times and then just leave it there.

I also still have Larry’s e-mail in my address book. He and I wrote each other some towards the end after he had been off from Citrus for awhile. He was a very nice man and a great announcer and his stories have definitely been missed. You could always count on getting it Sunday after the races no matter what. I think only one time did Larry send it to me on a Monday and he said he had relatives in town and had gone out with them which I told him was allowed. But I do miss him and his stories for Citrus.

Yep, Jon was that guy alright. I had the pleasure of racing with him in the Legends series, he’s a real character and we’re still in touch from time to time. He got away from announcing and went back to school to get his RN. I believe he’s just about got that wrapped up now. Another guy that I had the pleasure of racing with (in the modifieds at Volusia) who went on to get involved in announcing (he was also our PR guy with the FLARE Legends tour) is Tommy Gray. Tom’s still at it today, he does announcing at Daytona and you can hear him on WNDB radio whenever they have stuff going on at the speedway. Tommy’s got more irons in the fire than anyone I have ever met, he’s also a talented artist (has some work on display at Daytona USA) and he’s done the coast to coast bicycle tour like 3 times now. Got to meet him for dinner back in May when the tour came through my neck of the woods, Prescott, Cottonwood, Sedona, Flagstaff… Oh yeah, I used to race with Gene Crane too WAY back in the day, limited lates at Volusia, talk about a CHARACTER!! Brings back quite a few memories there, I can remember him running an entire SEASON with NO brakes in that old Chevelle of his, they went out like the first race of the season and he never bothered to FIX them! He was announcing at Auburndale when we ran the Legends there and he did some TV too. Damn, I do miss those guys, sure had some good times back then…

Gene and I have been friends for a long time, he announced at USA International with the Hooter’s series. He is a good guy and a good announcer and I do miss seeing him. Haven’t heard from him in awhile though.
Also another announcer I like is Larry Jewett. He does a great job also when he announces and writes pretty good too.

How many announcers do write the story for the night’s racing??

Dave Westerman does, Larry MacMillan did, Larry Jewett does, but how many more can you name?? B.J. did it for awhile but has gone to writing only now but how many announcers do you know who also write. Oh, can’t forget Rick Anges either. He announces and also writes (love ya Rick).

But just think about it, how many do write and announce???

@ Pgs

Bill “behind the mic” Green writes our stories… they can be read at our website, in the newspapers locally and have seen them in Late Model Digest…thanks to Linda who sends out everything she can everywhere she can to get our track noticed. good job done by all at PGS!
carol aka oz

Gil Peck used to write and announce at Bronson, Scott McCallister wrote and announced for the SARA series. Marty Little of course wrote for Hialeah and the Florida Pro Series in the day and currently pens for TBARA. Jon Harney also was very good on the keyboard along with announcing, I got to see Jon the last time I announced at North Florida with the UDLMCS.

Racer X

Anyone know the name of the guy who wrote the race reports in the programs at Sunshine the last 4 or 5 years they were open ?
Nobody knew who it was because he used an alias.
Rumor has it he was a veteran racer at the track and actually had to
write race reports on himself when he won, and on the guy who crashed him to win when he lost.
Always politically correct though and never gave away his hidden identity
until the last night’s program when the track closed.

:grinser010: :question:

Announcers

Certainly Jack Miller, Dave Westerman, Bob Keith, Chip Green and Bill Chesser are at or near the top of my list. And the guy who actually turned over the mic to me at Hialeah in Sept. 1992 is Lee Gregory. Now how’s this for a multi talent? Lee announced at the old Palm Beach Fairgrounds when they had an open air booth and also shot photos from up there with a telephoto lens!

I’ll echo Dave’s comments about Bob Keith at old Orlando Raceway. He was electric to listen to. Deep voice, knew everyone and kept the banter and race commentary going non stop. Not sure but Chesser may still be active at the little fairgrounds track in Blythe, CA. He and his wife moved to Phoenix in about 1990 and Bill announced at a handful of tracks in AZ and CA. Chip still active in AACA events but no racing work while Dave has found a new home at Auburndale. We just lost Jack who was out of this world at his favored sprint car events, especially Knoxville, and I’ll assume that Bob Keith passed many years ago.

No doubt about it that a good announcer can make or break a night at the races.

Marty

I still do some work in NSSN and with TBARA but have not called a race in a year, my last gig a one night stand as a fill in at Hendry County.

Never did get to hear you announce Marty but love your writing. You did all the writing for Columbia and Bert thru phone and now I get your stories for TBARA. I am sure you miss the golden days of Hialeah and they miss you. Hopefully will see you around again one of these days somewhere.

If anyone from the Pittsburgh area one of the best annoucers was Bill Steinbach who annouced at Heidelberg & Lernerville.IMHO

Joe Linebarrier is unmatched in my book.

Lotta great announcing names there. Some names that I can remember: Dickie Edwards and Jack Miller over at the 'Gate; Bob Schmidt and Larry MacMillan over at Sunshine; Chip Green from south Florida (Hialeah and Palm Beach); Roby Helm from DeSoto and the 'Gate. I can’t really say that any of a one of 'em was really a favorite, as I liked 'em all. I can remember Chip’s “Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee’re RACING!” as the green dropped on the field off of four at Hialeah. Jack’s “holy COW!” over the echo underneath the covered stands at the 'Gate. Got to know Bob pretty good when I was a kid working on Dad’s car in the pits at Sunshine, as he’d roam the pit area selling programs before heat races started.

I guess Rex’s question of “what makes a favorite?” is one that I can remember - the voice, the entertainment value, the knowledge. These guys all had all of those qualities.

Gordon Solie, he was one of the best if not the best. And he was the most well known announcer in the state of Florida in the 1960’s.:ernaehrung004:

There was a guy who announced at Putnam County when I raced there in the early and mid Eighties that I thought was very good. I think his name was Len-something, maybe Barker?

i never heard but one that i did not like

but gordon solie was born to run that mouth – and all the other ones that knew some thing about racing . and knew the drivers and a lot about racing were all good just like the ones that took the pictures - oscar norton - bobby 5x5 day and the other 20 that i can’t think of your names thanks for memories:engel016: