In career year, Emerling preps for stretch run at championship

Posted on August 11, 2021August 11, 2021 by Davey Segal

It has already been a career year for Patrick Emerling, as he has set high marks in top fives (six), wins (two) and is on pace for personal bests in average finish and top 10s.

Emerling also sits second in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings, 12 points behind three-time and defending champion Justin Bonsignore. But coming off a 2020 campaign that saw him go winless for the third consecutive season and only score one top-10 finish, Emerling said he and his No. 07 Emerling Motorsports team really haven’t changed much behind the scenes.

‘We’re just kind of focusing in on doing our own thing,” he said. “I’m showing up with fast race cars. Last year, I thought we showed up with some fast cars but we had a lot of weird, stupid, really odd things go bad. This year, we’ve just been able to capitalize on a couple of fast cars and run pretty strong.”

Emerling, admittedly an optimist, was a bit surprised at his change in luck after last year’s rough slate. His one top-10 finish came in the season finale at Thompson, and he didn’t compete in the penultimate event at Stafford Motor Speedway. But boy, has his fortune turned around in 2021.

The Orchard Park, New York, native has rolled into Victory Lane at both Stafford and New York International Raceway Park this season, his first win at either venue. He has only finished outside the top 10 once, hasn’t failed to complete a lap and always seems to be up front contending for the win as the race winds down.

“We’ve had some solid runs, a couple that were just okay, one in particular that wasn’t that good,” Emerling said. “We kind of had a tough weekend at Loudon and that kind of set us back a little bit. But we’re sitting second points by a pretty good margin. We definitely can’t complain there.”

But he knows Bonsignore and the Kenneth Massa Motorsports team, who rarely have an off weekend, won’t back down. Forty-four points clear of Jon McKennedy in third place, Emerling said it’s likely a two-horse race for the title with five races remaining.

“Justin and the whole No. 51 team, they’re on their game,” he said. “They’re the type of group to show up with a car that’s not the fastest car, but they get a top five out of there. They’re extremely good and really on point.

“He would need a tough weekend for us to catch up or vice versa. But we just have to keep positioning ourselves to be running up front and try to capitalize on it.”

Finishing second at Riverhead Raceway this season, third at Owego Speedway, winning at Stafford and finishing seventh there last weekend, Emerling thinks the final five events shape up in his favor. Especially given the relatively even playing field the tour will be on.

“We have Beech Ridge, which is a track that’s neutral,” Emerling said. “It’s not Thompson or Stafford or a track that everyone grew up on. We ended up with a third at Oswego and I’m really looking forward to Richmond and what the rest of the season holds for us, too.”

Emerling will look to earn his third victory of the season and close the gap to Bonsignore on Aug. 21 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in the Rumble at the Ridge 200 at 7:30 pm ET. The event will be streamed live on NBC Sports’ TrackPass.

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Press Release

MIAMI — Motorsport Games Inc. (NASDAQ: MSGM) (“Motorsport Games”), a leading racing game developer, publisher and esports ecosystem provider of official motorsport racing series throughout the world, announced Wednesday the release date of NASCAR 21: Ignition. The newest installment in the officially licensed NASCAR gaming franchise will launch Oct. 28, with preorders starting on Aug. 12, for Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One and PC through the Steam store. A first look at the NASCAR 21: Ignition trailer can be seen here.

Games will have a free upgrade path for the Sony PlayStation 5 and Microsoft Xbox Series X/S post-launch, with free downloadable upgrades available for other users as well. Digital gamers who preorder NASCAR 21: Ignition Standard or Champions Edition will be given early access to the game two days in advance and a “Traxion.gg” paint scheme. Players who purchase the Champions Edition will also receive exclusive availability to unlock Bill Elliott as a playable character, his paint schemes, in-game career boost and the season pass, which will include all three DLC packs. The season pass will release additional paint schemes and three other NASCAR legend drivers.

“Motorsport Games is thrilled to offer our most true-to-life simulation of NASCAR to date with NASCAR 21: Ignition,” said Dmitry Kozko, CEO of Motorsport Games. “We’ve designed this game with our fans and players in mind, bringing them features, modes and options they have long clamored for. NASCAR 21: Ignition captures the atmosphere, pageantry and fierce competition of the NASCAR Cup Series, while offering authenticity, competition and accessibility through the game’s core foundations.”

NASCAR 21: Ignition will be developed and published by Motorsport Games. The simulation will be powered by Unreal Engine and Studio 397’s highly acclaimed rFactor physics engine, giving users a more authentic driving experience, immersive gameplay, dynamic AI and stunning visuals. The game will come complete with official drivers, teams and tracks from the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series, including broadcast quality pre-race build-up and post-race replays. All broadcast voice-over work will be provided by MRN Radio, the Voice of NASCAR. Drivers will be face-scanned into the game to provide their realistic representations, with heightened attention to detail regarding tracks, grandstands and pit experiences.

With NASCAR 21: Ignition, Motorsport Games will provide fans with a bevy of new features and updates long anticipated by its player base. Players will have the ability to dive straight into the action with Race Now, competing as their favorite official driver from the Cup Series, or starting in the engaging career mode as they build their reputation in the sport and battle their way toward the championship. Career mode provides each user with driver-focused progression, with clear goals and structures on the road to glory. Online races will be supported for up to 40 players — a full NASCAR race grid — allowing friends and other players to battle from around the world.

“Our partners at Motorsports Games have dedicated an incredible amount of talent and resources towards completely redeveloping the game and delivering a product that our fans will be excited to play,” said Nick Rend, managing director of gaming and esports at NASCAR. “NASCAR 21: Ignition utilizes Epic’s Unreal Engine to bring the most realistic NASCAR race experience directly into the home of our fans, while introducing NASCAR-style racing to a broad audience of gamers.”

Motorsport Games developed a brand new Paint Booth, offering unparalleled levels of customization to create NASCAR paint schemes, complete with an iconic race number. NASCAR 21: Ignition will feature a fully curated soundtrack with artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Imagine Dragons, Aerosmith and Luke Combs.

More information about NASCAR 21: Ignition will be revealed in the run up to the release on Oct. 28. Please visit www.nascarignition.com and follow on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Title:	NASCAR 21: Ignition
Release Date:	Standard Edition: October 28, 2021; Champions Edition: October 28, 2021 (both editions will have 2 days early access if preordered)
Formats:	PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows PC (Steam)
Multiplayer:	Online: 2-40 players
Languages:	English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese (text and voice for all)
Genre:	Racing
Publisher:	Motorsport Games
Developer:	Motorsport Games
Rating:	E for Everyone. Mild Lyrics. Alcohol References

Posted on August 11, 2021August 11, 2021 by Chase Wilhelm

NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series drivers are set to take on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course in a doubleheader with the NTT IndyCar Series. The Xfinity race will be on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN while Sunday’s Cup race will be at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.

To get ready for this weekend’s festivities, we complied a turn-by-turn analysis of the Cup Series’ first go-around on the famed road course, breaking down a lap with NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Justin Haley.

Turn 1-2

Drivers will be carrying a head of steam the opposite direction down the frontstretch, launching into Turn 1 which comes just before the exit of oval Turn 4. They will be heavy on the brakes to make the sharp right-hand turn, the first of a couple heavy braking zones on the road course. The drivers are then greeted with a left-hand Turn 2.

Turn 3

As drivers move through Turn 2, they will start to carry a little bit of momentum as they roll through a slight right-hand Turn 3, gently rolling into the throttle before heading through another series of sharp corners.

Turn 4

Drivers will roll into the right-hander of Turn 4, easing into the corner as they set themselves up for a good angle into a pair of quick left- and right-hand curves.

Turn 5-6

This pair of turns offers a quick chicane before launching onto the next straightaway. While this isn’t the heaviest of braking zones, drivers will need to use all of the race track off Turn 4 to set themselves up to make this chicane as straight as possible.

Turn 7

Drivers will launch out of Turn 6 and fly down the backstretch of the road course, which is nearly as long as the frontstretch. It will be a drag race into this turn down the straightaway, setting up for the best passing zone on the course. They will be heavy on the brakes going into this sharp left-hand corner, which is equivalent to the heavy braking zone into Turn 1.

Turn 8-9

Coming off of Turn 7, drivers will slowly ease into the throttle for another quick right- and left-hand chicane, feathering the gas pedal to gain momentum while also making sure they don’t overdrive the corners.

Turn 10

While drivers won’t be carrying a ton of momentum coming out of Turn 9, the right-hander of Turn 10 will still require some braking. Once through the corner, drivers will be quick to the throttle to launch into Turn 11.

Turn 11

Drivers will float out of Turn 10 and into a sweeping right-hand Turn 11. This will give them a great opportunity to gain speed as they race onto the short chute of the oval.

Turn 12-13

With the speed carried through the short chute, Turn 12 is another heavy braking zone as drivers will need to give themselves a good angle into the sharp right-hand corner. Drivers won’t be using a ton of throttle out of the corner as they have to prepare for a sharper left-hander of Turn 13, completing the final chicane of the road course that is located inside oval Turn 1.

Turn 14

This is the final corner of the road course, a sweeping right-hand turn that sets up for a long launch back down the front straightaway and back toward the yard of bricks.

Posted on August 11, 2021August 11, 2021 by Staff Report

See where your favorite driver will pit in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (1 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on August 11, 2021April 14, 2023 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR and the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) today announced the launch of a new science and STEM learning curriculum for K-8 science teachers across the United States. The racing-themed science lessons will be available free of charge to educators nationwide on NSTA.org.

The collaboration between NASCAR and NSTA, the global leader in promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning, is designed to arm educators with fun and engaging content and activities for teaching science and STEM. NASCAR and NSTA worked together to create a series of unique science lesson plans including lessons on aerodynamics, friction and motion, light, sound, and more.

“We are thrilled to partner with NSTA, a passionate community of science educators and professionals devoted to teaching and offering science resources to kids across the country,” said Pete Jung, Chief Marketing Officer, NASCAR. “This collaboration provides NASCAR an incredible opportunity to make an impact in science education while introducing new generations to the sport.”

Teachers will be able to access 18 racing-themed lesson plans and a STEM at the Track resource guide featuring an additional three activities through a landing page available on NSTA’s website. Educators will also learn about the newly available NASCAR curriculum through an ad that will run in Science Scope, NSTA’s award-winning, peer-reviewed practitioner journal for middle level and junior high school science teachers.

For the second consecutive year, NASCAR will support the annual National Conference on Science Education, taking place in Chicago in 2022.

“It’s very important to get students excited about the everyday science around them and the partnership between NSTA and NASCAR will provide educators with tools they can use to link important science concepts, such as force and motion and energy, to key elements of a sport so many students enjoy,” said Erika Shugart, NSTA Executive Director. “We are very excited about this collaboration and urge all teachers to check out the free quality lessons and activities we have ready for them as they go back to school this fall.”

Through its relationship with NSTA, NASCAR will work to bring elementary and middle school students to race events via free and discounted tickets and special family events hosted at NASCAR racetracks.

Posted on August 11, 2021August 11, 2021 by Zack Albert

How intertwined is Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Austin Cindric’s motorsports career? Start with his earliest memories, captured in photos, as a preschooler perched atop Helio Castroneves’ winning Indy 500 car nearly 20 years ago at the track’s famous yard of bricks. Add his connection to Sam Hornish Jr., who had long driving tenures in both NASCAR and IndyCar and won the Indy 500 in 2006. Cindric emulated Hornish by using his No. 77 in his earliest racing efforts.

“All those guys were my heroes,” Cindric says, adding Ryan Briscoe and Gil de Ferran to that starry driver list. A family move to North Carolina in his childhood gradually exposed him to how the world of stock-car racing works, and his eventual path to a career in NASCAR’s top levels was cast.

“Obviously I’ve understood a lot more from there and really, really grew to love NASCAR as well,” Cindric says. “Always paid attention as a kid but never really dove straight into it just because I’d been a big IndyCar fan, but it’s definitely a fun side of the sport, a different culture.”

Cindric’s twin racing interests converge this weekend in Indianapolis, where he’ll be again running double duty in Saturday’s Xfinity Series Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard (4 p.m. ET, NBCSN, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and Sunday’s Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard (1 p.m. ET, NBC, IMS, SiriusXM). Team Penske confirmed Monday morning that Sunday’s event will mark Cindric’s final Cup Series start of the season before his transition to full-time Cup duty next year in the No. 2 Ford.

That send-off comes at a fitting venue, given his family’s history there. His father, Tim, who serves as Team Penske president, has been a part of eight Indianapolis 500 wins with the organization at the Speedway. Cindric also bears a connection to another longtime team owner in Jim Trueman, his grandfather on his mother’s side. Trueman fielded the winning entry at Indy in 1986 for Bobby Rahal, who dedicated the victory to his car owner in an emotional Victory Lane; Trueman died 11 days later after a bout with cancer. His paternal grandfather was also a fixture in Gasoline Alley, working as an engine builder back in the era of wooden garages at Indy.

The Cindric family with Sam Hornish Jr. at Indy in 2006 | IMS photo

No surprise then that until his NASCAR schedule became more extensive, the younger Cindric regularly attended the Indianapolis 500, missing on only rare occasions.

“I’ve been going on for quite a few years strong, so it’s a pretty special place to me, but really special to my family, really on both sides,” Cindric says, “so definitely some significance and it’s a fun place to go race at, and obviously somewhere that would be pretty cool to win.”

With such an Indy-centric family pedigree, Cindric’s route to a future in IndyCar would have seemed to be a near lock. But the 22-year-old driver’s career arc took a multi-directional path, giving him a background that’s among the sport’s most versatile. Cindric’s list of competition stops includes IMSA sports-car racing, the ARCA Menards Series, Camping World Trucks, US Formula 2000, Legends Cars, a dash of RallyCross and even a pair of starts in the Bathurst 12 Hour in Australia. Much of that time of late was spent in Ford’s development program. “It’s kind of a springboard to me into where I’m at today,” Cindric says.

Where he is now is a reliable Xfinity Series contender who has already experienced some prime Cup Series seasoning at a mix of track types. Sunday’s start will mark Cindric’s third on a road-course layout, but he’s also turned Cup Series laps at two intermediates (Atlanta, Kansas), a superspeedway (Daytona) and a short track (Richmond).

His Cup perspective has already evolved; initially tabbed for the No. 21 seat with the Penske-affiliated Wood Brothers team, Cindric is now set for Penske’s No. 2 ride after Brad Keselowski’s departure at season’s end. Though preparations remain in full swing for 2022, Cindric is concentrating his efforts on his Xfinity Series title defense. He leads the standings by a sizable 80-point margin over veteran AJ Allmendinger, and his four wins and 16 top-10 finishes lead all series regulars.

“Yeah, my job and my focus right now is to give ourselves and my team on the 22 car the best shot to win the Xfinity Series championship,” Cindric said. “So we’ve got to make it the final four. That’s the biggest box check, the closest thing we have to focus on right now in the month of August is wrapping up the regular season championship. That’s critically important, that’s a lot of playoff points, so that’s kind of the first box we need to finish checking off. We’ve done a great job so far this year but there’s a lot of racing left to go.”

RELATED: Xfinity Series standings

That 13-race stretch to close the Xfinity Series season sets sail this weekend at Indy, a track held in high esteem by Cindric but next-level loved by his team owner. Roger Penske’s entries have claimed a record 18 Indianapolis 500 victories, and the motorsports and business mogul added a new chapter to his lifelong adoration of the track by agreeing to buy the Speedway and the IndyCar Series in November 2019.

Little wonder that Cindric’s future Cup Series teammate Ryan Blaney quipped when asked if Penske had placed any added pressure on his drivers to perform: “It doesn’t need to be said.” Unspoken or not, that’s the motivation for Penske’s charges in all three series, including the IndyCar race that’s sharing the bill in a crossover weekend between the two sanctioning bodies.

“I mean there’s no denying there’s some extra significance for winning at Indy for Roger, probably now more than ever in the history of his race team that that has some significance,” Cindric says. “So proud to be able to carry that flag, proud to be able to have a shot to do that. … So nothing would be cooler than seeing all three races swept by Team Penske race cars. We’ve got a shot to do it, and I guess (Chip) Ganassi would be the only other team with that option so it’d be pretty cool to see it all happen, but I think Ryan said it best. It doesn’t need to be said, but it’s important to go out and win at Indy.”

Posted on August 10, 2021August 11, 2021 by Staff Report

It appears it’s not water under the bridge between Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson following Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International.

Bell and Larson tangled in the final stage when Larson attempted to make a pass for second place on Bell going into Turn 1 when the two cars made contact, sending Bell’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota spinning off of the racing surface. Larson went on to win his fifth race of the 2021 season, while Bell recovered for a seventh-place result.

BACKSEAT DRIVERS: Who’s to blame for Bell-Larson incident?

Bell voiced his displeasure with Larson after the race on Sunday: “I haven’t seen it so I don’t know if I crowded him (Larson) at all, but he shouldn’t have been in there in the first place. He didn’t really have a run coming off of (turn) seven. We were all packed up.”

On Tuesday evening, Larson made an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio to share his side of the story after reviewing the incident and went into detail on his point of view from the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

ICYMI: @KyleLarsonRacin joined @DGodfatherMoody on #SXMSpeedway and shared his perspective on the incident between him and @CBellRacing.#NASCAR | @TeamHendrick | @WGI pic.twitter.com/4HIhLZyog6

— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) August 10, 2021

“Initially I thought I was completely at the wrong,” Larson said. “But honestly, I think more after watching the replay, I think we both had a factor in what happened. I got in there, I didn’t dive-bomb like he said I did. I was a half-a-car-length back on him going down the frontstretch, looked to his inside the whole braking zone and was actually further forward than I actually really was. I locked the brakes up late in the braking zone when I realized he was going to turn in the corner, and really turned in like I wasn’t there.

“I’m not sure if his spotter just didn’t tell him or what happened there but, either way, I still feel bad about it. I don’t ever want to spin anybody out, especially Christopher Bell. I have a lot of respect for him on the race track and we’ve had amazing races together. Obviously, he’s upset, and I get it. But after watching more of the replays, I don’t think I was fully at the wrong.”

Larson, who apologized to Bell in his initial victory interview on-air, said he also tried to reach out to Bell to discuss the issue, but had no success.

“I reached out and tried, but I guess he’s not willing to talk to me, which is kind of whatever,” Larson said. “I think any adult in the field would at least have a conversation with you, but he doesn’t care to. So, we’ll move on from it and if he wants to get me back, that’s fine. Whatever. I’m not going to worry about it. If it makes him sleep better at night to ignore me and want to crash me or whatever, so be it.”

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Staff Report

NASCAR officials penalized two Cup Series teams and two Xfinity Series teams Tuesday for lug-nut violations during last weekend’s events at Watkins Glen International.

RELATED: Cup Series standings

Each of the two Cup Series teams was found with one unsecured lug nut in Sunday’s post-race check after the Go Bowling at The Glen, resulting in a $10,000 fine for each of the following teams/crew chiefs:

• No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (crew chief Ben Beshore; driver Kyle Busch)
• No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (crew chief Seth Barbour; driver Anthony Alfredo)

In the Xfinity Series, two teams were also found with a single unsecured lug nut after Saturday’s Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200, resulting in $5,000 fines for each crew chief. The offending teams were the race-winning No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (crew chief Chris Gayle; driver Ty Gibbs) and the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (crew chief Jeff Meendering; driver Brandon Jones).

Additionally, No. 36 DGM Racing crew member Joseph Keim, the team’s car chief, is suspended from the next NASCAR Xfinity Series event, this Saturday’s Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. The team was hit with a penalty per Sections 12.5.2.7.4.e: Loss or separation of an improperly installed rear axle from the vehicle. The No. 36 Chevrolet of driver Alex Labbe lost an axle during the race.

Posted on August 10, 2021August 10, 2021 by Chase Wilhelm

Austin Dillon sits just 15 points below the playoff cutline with three races remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season.

That should be enough to make a competitor sweat without turning a lap in the summer heat, but Dillon remains cool as the postseason heat ramps up.

“I’ve been pretty calm, really, about it,” Dillon said Tuesday morning. “I know the situation I’m in. It’s been unfortunate the amount of winners we’ve had this year. I feel like we’d be well in a safe place right now, but we’re not. It’s just the situation we’re in and we’re racing our teammate.”

There have been 13 different winners in 2021, but Dillon and his Richard Childress Racing teammate, Tyler Reddick, aren’t on that list. Reddick sits right above the No. 3 Chevrolet driver with a hold on the final playoff position, 15 markers above the cutline.

The final two races of the regular season at Michigan International Speedway and Daytona International Speedway bode well for Dillon to earn a pair of strong finishes to point his way into the postseason, or even sneak a victory. Dillon finished eighth in the second Michigan race last season and third in this year’s Daytona 500.

Sunday’s Cup Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (1 p.m. ET, NBC, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is a different story, though. While Dillon has improved his road racing prowess, a 17th-place average finish on the first five road courses this year could be a cause for concern in an effort to collect maximum points.

But Dillon is hoping to reap the fruits of his labor on the simulator.

“But I’m pretty confident after being on the sim at Indy,” Dillon said. “I usually don’t pick up the road courses on the sim very fast, but for some reason Indy came to me pretty quick, which is good I think for what we’re going into.”

While Sunday’s race hangs in the balance, there are two things on Dillon’s mind: a new season winner and starting position, given how much drivers will need to muscle their cars around Indy’s flat, 14-turn, 2.439-mile infield surface for position.

“Putting a lot of focus on the qualifying and making sure we start up front and give ourselves the best way to get points because we have a 15-point gap right now and if we can maintain or gain a little this weekend, I feel like the next two weeks are very good tracks for us,” Dillon said.“We’ll be in a pretty decent situation come Daytona if we’re in the same situation … if it is a points game. Obviously, I’d like to lock ourselves in with a win. Just don’t want any new winners, that would really put us out.”

Posted on August 10, 2021August 10, 2021 by Ken Martin

Editor’s note: Ken Martin was associate producer, booth stats, and research for ESPN for more than two decades, starting in 1982. He contributed to hundreds of broadcasts of the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck series. Since 2008 he has held the role of Director, Historical Content, for NASCAR Productions in Charlotte.

How do you measure the impact of one man’s life that has touched so many?

There are thousands of race fans who were thrilled by his voice. Bob Jenkins was always a welcome friend to everyone who gathered around the radio or television to hear his race call.

If Bob were present, it had to be a big event — the Indy 500 or the USAC Midgets at Terre Haute. Bob always brought his A-game, exciting the fans with his infectious enthusiasm.

Although his heart was always in Indianapolis, he spent nearly two decades calling NASCAR races on ESPN. Bob’s voice is eternally etched in the ears with his calls of some of stock-car racing’s most historic moments. Alan Kulwicki’s championship in 1992 at Atlanta Motor Speedway was a race for the ages, with a call that painted the perfect image of the event. Bob’s call of Jeff Gordon’s win in the inaugural Brickyard 400 will always ring in the sport’s history.

Bob partnered with several ESPN broadcasters, including Larry Nuber in his early days with NASCAR. Still, the magical matching of Bob, Ned Jarrett and Benny Parsons will never be forgotten. Bob set a perfect stage for Ned and Benny to perform at their best. Their chemistry was as natural as it sounded to the fans. With a simple nod or look they knew what was wanted to be said. Pure race fans, broadcasting to all in the television audience precisely what needed to be said.

Bob Jenkins (l) and Ken Martin. | Ken Martin photo collection

A great deal of the growth NASCAR experienced from 1981-2000 can be directly tied to the broadcasts featuring Bob, Ned and Benny, along with pit reporters Dr. Jerry Punch, John Kernan, and Bill Weber.

While Bob loved television, his passion was radio. He loved to listen to music, and his rise to national prominence first came with his beloved Indy 500 radio network. When he was chosen to be the voice of the 500, there was never a prouder day for him. His call of the Goodyear-Unser finish in 1992 will never be erased. Bob rose to the occasion so many times.

He was one of the most humble men I ever met. The impact he had on my life was immense. My first broadcast for ESPN came in 1982 at Richmond Raceway. Terry Lingner saw something in me that I did not see myself. He put me in the broadcast booth with Bob and Larry to do their history and stats, and there was immediate chemistry that cannot be explained. I worked with Bob for more than 300 broadcasts and had the thrill of a lifetime. Bob made my research come alive. I would hand Bob an index card, and before I could release it, he was saying it on the air.

I loved to write scripts in “Bob’s voice.” We worked on countless documentaries and features together. Bob gave every project instant credibility with his delivery and professionalism.

For more than two decades, Bob was part of Sport of Indiana, then Lingner Group Productions that gave birth to ESPN SpeedWeek, Thursday Night Thunder and so many other memorable motorsports productions. It was a gathering of talent and race fans that changed the course of racing history.

Bob deeply loved his wife, Pam. She held his heart like no other, and they spent 44 years together before Pam’s passing in 2012. Bob had retired from broadcasting to spend time with Pam, but that time was unfortunately cut short.

Bob remained a welcoming voice on the Public Address System at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. One driver described his voice as giving a “welcoming hug to the speedway.”

The honors bestowed upon Bob were many, including Indiana’s highest honor, “Sagamore of the Wabash.” He was a member of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame. He earned numerous awards for excellence in broadcasting and radio.

No matter the award or accolade, Bob remained humbled and somewhat amazed about his popularity and impact on his listeners.

Although his voice is now silenced, it will live on forever in the minds of everyone who had the privilege to hear him call a race.

I was most fortunate to call him my friend.