All press is good press. You’ve heard me say it a million times. Well I made the Hartford Courant this week. I got a mention about my stupidity on the mic in Shawn Courchesne’s motorsports blog.
You can read the whole thing if you want…it’s actually pretty good, although I don’t really care too much about the NASCRAP commentary, he’s got some good points. I have to say I agree with him most of all about this paragraph in particular.
“And speaking of the abbreviated ISMA SuperModified race, cut short by three laps because of the late hour, you have to love the ISMA announcer screaming to fans not to leave their seats because they were about to see a 3-lap shootout at the same time that the flagman was waving the checkered over the field after 47 laps.”
He’s right. I guess I missed that part. So much so in fact that I even announced we were stopping because, like Stafford, we were nearly to our fuel window, (I really hate saying that when it comes to supermodified racing-fuel window…uhggg….), so they called for the checkers. I assumed and it was incorrect. Trust me, our race director, (who, even though he’s one of my best friends shall remain nameless because I’m not allowed to say his name in any shape or form in relation to this weekend), threw back the door to the booth, almost whacked Matt Buckler off his chair, and yelled CURFEW, CURFEW, NOT FUEL. Damn, and here I thought I was the one that did the screaming….at least according to Shawn.
He’s right though. The more I listen to video when you can hear my voice above the roar of the big blocks or even the scream of the small blocks out west, I wish that much more that I had a set of pipes like Ben Dodge, Ken Takeuchi, John Spence, Gary Cressey, Russ Dowd, Gary Lindhal, Tom Carnegie, or even…I’m gonna say it….Roy Sova,(hey, I like Roy’s race calls, he just doesn’t like me). Facts are facts. As a tenor, I just don’t have the lower range that those guys have. So whenever I open my mouth, it’s a lot higher pitched and as my excitement grows, the tone goes even higher. I personally think it’s very grating and annoying.
Hmmm….where was I going with this? Oh yeah, being excited. I found this interview from Tom Carnegie about being excited and getting the fans into it. Now I’m certainly no Tom Carnegie but I would like to think that I use my passion for these cars to do what he explains in this clip-tom-carnegie.
I know, I know, it’s not the same. Tom’s voice rocks. Mine sounds like a school girl telling her best friend about her first kiss at the Sadie Hawkins dance. But I think you get the point. It’s hard NOT to contain it. It’s no easy thing trying to call a race and not get your tongue tied around the proverbial bung hole. To keep the fans into it, not balance saying too much and talking all the time with trying to keep them informed and entertained. The greats can do it. I’m not there yet, I’m tryin and I’m learning from guys like those I mentioned above and more like Pete Falcone, Joe Moratta, Matt Buckler and the likes. I’ll keep trying to reach all the fans and please them and make them want to come back. I wish my old friend Mick Schuler was here. He’d have some things to say and always was there when I needed some prodding and encouragement and he certainly was one of the best on the mic.
In the end, I’m glad Shawn brought this to my attention. I’m certainly not the writer he is, (he’s was recognized as a finalist in the annual Associated Press Sports Editor’s national awards judging) and he may even be a better announcer than me, but constructive criticism is good as I’m always looking to improve ‘THE SHOW’ and my race call. I certainly welcome any suggestions any of you have to make it more exciting for not only people like our fans who are regulars but also those that may have never seen a supermod show before. As always, I love your comments so leave ‘em!
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About Bobby G
