Our favorite auto racing broadcasters

No surprise here, but my favorite broadcaster of all time is Paul Page.  His voice is synonymous with Indy car racing, just like Murray Walker's voice is synonymous with Formula 1.  



Here he is interviewing Jim Clark in the 60s.  And as Coxon would point out, this provides definitive evidence that Page actually had hair at one time

My favorite video clip of Paul is the one below from 1979 (timecode 2:56), where he explains the launch of CART as an organization.  
He does it so effortlessly and with an underlying enthusiasm.  A complete professional. Of course, Paul's Delta Force Indy intro narrations are the stuff of legend.  Still gives me goosebumps every time I watch them.





So who are your favorite auto racing broadcasters?

Rai (Radio Televisione Italiana) is for me, and the all italian people is the only one broadcast for F1 and Moto races, but i remember ESPN racing world for NASCAR and Indy broadcast in italy, was very beautiful for me around 2000' years, very immersive atmosphere.
Until when I could follow the NASCAR in Italy, I was very happy!


the RAI television was inside me and my daddy since Villeneuve era.

IndyCar: for me it will always be Paul Page, Sam Posey, and Bobby Unser.

NASCAR: Bob Jenkins, Benny Parsons, Ned Jarret, and Buddy Baker

Thunder, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday: Dave Despain, Gary Lee, and Larry Rice.

Formula 1: Murray of course, but I never actually got to hear him call a race. So mine would be Bob Varsha, David Hobbs, and even Steve Matchett

Sports Cars: Varsha, Hobbs, Dorsey, even Calvin Fish.

Special Mention Bob Jenkins and Larry Nuber could call just about any race together and it would be good, might not be Great, but it would be good.

There are a couple of guys over at a station called Historic Simcasting Org or something. Acerclinth, Ibanez and White they are called.

Lately, they did some broadcasts of 71 F1 races and 71 Can-Am races. Those guys simple rock when on air... Some of the best I ever heard. Equalled only by Radio Le Mans maybe.

Timo

Peeps, who happen to be old enough and know the german language might have fond memories of old DTM and STW days with Rainer Braun and Burkard Bechtel. Knowledgable, on top of things happening (none of those peeps getting worked up about a replay), passionate and fair, and both with a voice you'd like to listen to (as much as I value John Hindaugh, but his voice can become a little annoying over time), and always good for a memorable line without sounding to intentional. Though they became a bit monsters of the past working as announcers for historic events in recent years. Christian Menzel as colour commentator is always a joy to listen to, In MotoGP, Dirk Raudies did an excellent job, too.
And then, theres the iconic Austrian, Heinz Prüller. Legend. In his own way

first ofcourse

Murray and James !
and James alone is always fun
there tonns of it



2nd Heinz Pruller from germany
very good in explaining with humor , its very odd for a german    

François Remmen wrote:

[...]2nd Heinz Pruller from germany
very good in explaining with humor , its very odd for a german    

Prüller is Austrian. I insist on the difference.

Austrians insist even more!

Swiss too

Kinda #epicfail considering you correctly called him Austrian in the previous post!

Heinz Prüller is a legend(his Grand Prix Story books are great, better than his commentary imo xD), probably also due his commentary, that reminds you of the "Murrayisms" of Murray Walker. Either because they're random, wrong or unintentionally funny:




At one stage in the video above(1:36):

Prüller (to Alexander Wurz): "Tell something about the tyres. About 900° C? In optimal conditions?"
Wurz (didn't quite understand the question): "Sorry, come again?"
Prüller: "Tyres. Surface temperature around 900° C?"
Wurz: "Ah no, that's the brakes."



D'oh!

I grew up listening to Heinz Prueller. I could barely understand anything, but that's how I've actually learnt German language. "The Uncle Heinz" is the same kind of a legend as Murray Walker, at least in my eyes. The same generation, the same enthusiasm, the same grass roots origin, the same "Murrayisms/Pruellerisms" which would be totally embarassing if anybody else said it, but these two guys were actually loved for it

But if there's something that stands out, it's Ben Edwards and Jeremy Shaw commenting CART on Eurosport in late 90s. I loved them. And the series, too. That, in my book, is the definition of the golden years of motorsport.

David Jundt wrote:

Swiss too

Kinda #epicfail considering you correctly called him Austrian in the previous post!

Heinz Prüller is a legend(his Grand Prix Story books are great, better than his commentary imo xD), probably also due his commentary, that reminds you of the "Murrayisms" of Murray Walker. Either because they're random, wrong or unintentionally funny:




At one stage in the video above(1:36):

Prüller (to Alexander Wurz): "Tell something about the tyres. About 900° C? In optimal conditions?"
Wurz (didn't quite understand the question): "Sorry, come again?"
Prüller: "Tyres. Surface temperature around 900° C?"
Wurz: "Ah no, that's the brakes."



D'oh!

A little bit off topic, as its not really racing related, but my fave piece of sports broadcast ever is Men's downhill at the Winter Olympics 2006, as broadcasted by the ORF. The scene: Austrian Michael Walchhofer is in the lead, and both guys in the booth are certain he won gold.The last competitor, frenchman Antoine Dénériaz never won something big, and its unlikely to change today. And then, this happens...



Legendary!

One can translate it, but it just won't catch the utter beauty the austrian language can offer, the pictorality of many expressions. Armin Assinger on the left makes good use of it...

I just love how they completely forget hochdeutsch and start yelling in özterrrijjschzz as the frenchman starts breaking sectors  

I wouldn't expect hochdeutsch in austrian TV, anyways...