Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

I dunno. I just go to watch the races.

At some tracks I would enjoy it if the sound system didn't work at all. Some announcers think they need to be yammering on every second of the event.

I don't have many complaints about tracks PA systems, but I have to question why they must constantly punish us with their bad taste in music, and this goes for the racing seriies especially.  I can't hit the mute button fast enough.  I came to watch racing and hear screaming v8s

Same as others have posted.....Best night is when the PA is broke and we don't have to listen to endless commercials, incessant rambling and Toby Keith for the 400th time.

Two requests/suggestions: 1. Turn down the volume when the cars aren't on the track. 2. Give us (and yourselves) a break once in a while during down time. I'd like to visit with the people next to me without having to scream at the top of my lungs.

Good ideas!

Promoters think we are too stupid to politely converse amongst ourselves. Its a weird monster truck mentality that I have never understood. Knoxville is one of the worst. I alway pick a spot in between two speakers to get even the smallest amount of relief.

This is a common theme I hear a lot from fans. But i heard an interview with Blake Anderson (nice guy, good announcer but never ever stops talking) and he mentioned the guy who mentored him told him to never ever stop talking once you've started. He definitely took that advice to heart but you have to wonder where that idea rose and is it the right advice? 

Agree that Knoxville is really bad. I also try to sit between speakers if I can. Unfortunatly, for the Nationals, our really good seats are directly in line with a speaker. I've got some severe tinnitis, so I wear foam ear plugs and ear muffs to try to limit the noise.  So pretty much from the time we get to our seats until we walk out of the stands we can't do much visiting. It really takes away from the enjoyment to have to sit for 4 or so hours with very little conversation.

I was a live sound engineer for nearly 20 years. Most tracks don't understand simple gain structure, for years the video broadcasts were pretty horrible, but it has gotten much better.

Member of this message board since 1997

I actually go back and listen to myself a lot. It is the only way to learn what you sound like to fans. The younger announcers I have mentored get the same instruction from me. 

As far as PA systems go, there are a million factors that go into that. Some are outdated, some are poorly designed and some just don't have the knowledge to make them work great. I'm lucky that where I work has some pretty great stuff. 

Even if it's a good pa system. Quit trying to talk over a pack of 410's racing down the front straightaway. The cars quite down then you can highlight what a driver did. Some insist on yelling, cork it, because 99% of the time, people can't make out what your saying anyhow. 

I totally understand what you are saying here. When I started doing this you announced the lineup and when they went green, the mics went off. Looking back, that was soooooooooo much easier. 

Today, the fans in the stands are one audience -- and then you have the online viewers and listeners (in most cases) so announcers have to talk during the races. 

I miss the old time announcers from the 70's and 80's.  They were story tellers, not screamers with too many useless facts and sponsors.  Grew up with Chick Hearn (lakers) and Vin Scully (Dodgers) and they excelled at this.  I remember Bruce Flanders at Ascot.

My favoirte announcers the Trophy Cup team at Tulare, especially Bobby Gerould.  They really know the teams and back stories.

Also detest the down time.  If you are in a long delay, track prep, even intermission, have interviews with the drivers, teams, crew chiefs, track promoter, etc.  Once you walk into a facility, make sure there is something going on.   Do bicycle races or give aways etc, kinda like a minor league baseball game.

BUT SLOW down, not a fan of the gimmicky stuff, like 4 wide, u want the best.  Or your lunch money.

I do like chase raudman, just wished he had a different mentor.  I do like Laport.

Basically, less yelling and more story telling.    Kinda like movies today, that have too much action at the start of a movie, enjoy the old days to have a story being told.

Pete, you keep telling us about all this stuff, but who's going to pay for it?  Upgraded PA systems, better lighting, sound engineers, announcer training, video productions like the big 4 sports...you offering up the cash?  That's what it's going to take.  Weekly tracks have a hard enough time keeping the gates open, let alone trying to pay for all of that.  You're not actually wrong, but talking like this is something every track and series should have right now isn't realistic.

Signature here.

Very interesting comment.  Now, it has been many decades since I announced, and no, I did not have any professional training, but I was mentored by two local TV personalities.  And yes, I did record myself and listened back.  VERY uncomfortable to do but it was worth it.  I always tried to relay driver information to the audience.  I was also told to mention every drivers' sponsors at least once during the night.  That could be challenging, but I did find a way.  It was also useful to really listen to other announcers at other tracks and pick up what they were doing that seemed right, and emulate that.  Oh, and hear what they were doing wrong and avoid that. . . .of course, back in the 70s, we didn't have a lot of "bump" music to mix in.  I find now that many announcers, and not just for racing, act more like DJs and less like announcers. . . .

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