Forum: Oklahomatidbits.com General Forum (go)
Moderators:  /  David Smith Jr

is ben sick or did he quit announcing this year

Wow! I agree with Kenny, Dave and AMP.

When I first heard the new announcer, I turned to Dave and said "I like this guy". You can hear and understand him on the PA system, he tries to make the races seem like the old days by adding a little enthusiasm to the call of the race. The couple of time I've heard him, he was able to get the line-ups out before the start of the race.

Now to agree with Kenny. The man needs to do some preparation. Mispronouncing a driver's name on more than one night is inexcusable. Go to the pits and simply ask the drivers how they pronounce their name if the announcer isn't sure.

AMP is right on the money with the index card system. Works great.

Ben Buckland needs to stay at the Blazers and Yard Dawgz games. He has always been too over the top for me and that goes back 25 years when he used to work with Jack Claxton. His "my side/your side" drives me crazy.

Jack Claxton is/was one of the finest track announcers you'll ever hear. Randy Ward couldn't hold Jack's microphone (so to speak). The best I've ever heard is Windy McDonald at Manzanita.

This is a recording made from the FM Broadcast of the live race calls from Round #5 of the 2005 AMP Outlaw Winter Nationals held in Purcell, Oklahoma ..

http://www.archive.org/details/ampracing5

Dr. Jack Rhodes is the live color announcer in this recording.

These races were part of the traveling points series and not a weekly program held at the same location and having the same participants each week.

Again, with hosting races in five different cities and three states, many competitors haver never raced in the series, been to the venue, and may arrive late, have incomplete on illigible entry forms, and due to those problems, the announcer may struggle with pronounciations and lack of data coming from the race management software. Here several racers were written in to the line ups later follwing the close of registration and may of not made it to the announcers sheet due to time restraints. Arriving on time and completing easy to read entry forms is the first step in providing trackside announcers with proper ammunition to perform their job. .

Use of the FM Transmitter is the hot set up at most of the tracks we use, as they are lacking on PA system power to talk over modern race engines. Most are lacking, especially the ability to talk to both the Pit Area and the Grandstands at the same time. Also, at the Road Races with 600 plus entries, teams are pitted in remote locations far away from the PA loudspeakers.

Many racefans, teams and riders/drivers carry small portable earphone FM receivers now so they can tune into the FM broadcast and hear the announcements, calls and the announcer at many tracks.

You may notice how clear the broadcast is from the live microphone that handles the PA as well. Sounds totally different over the FM broadcast than out of the echo chamber PA loudspeaker system at most facilities.

Few Videos from last winters Indoor AMP Outlaw Winter Nationals held at the OK Corral at Harrah, Oklahoma.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEPLRknfqO0

OUTLAW KARTS HEAT RACE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB710ce0xDE

OPEN A QUAD HEAT RACE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhOnBLKKRgg

A FEATURE BLASTER

AMP - Thanks for the bio, explanation, etc., but the point is none of us should have to email anyone with this sort of stuff. An announcer, especially a new one, has the responsibility of getting it right by seeking out track personnel, drivers, car owners, etc. If he agreed to be the announcer at a new track he had to know that he was walking into a long list of names and other information that would be completely foreign to him. For most people, especially those being paid for the job, that would only accelerate the urgency to build the files you referenced and gather as many facts and figures as possible before showing up the first time. To do otherwise is just winging it.

And I do understand that there are late entries and that it takes longer to learn four classes than two. But my guess is that Alan Olivia is rarely a late entry and he's the defending track champion and current points leader! There is still ample time before and after races to get into the pits. Nobody expects anyone to learn it all in the first season or even two. You can chip away at it, and if you get with the right three or four people, those that have been observing racing for a long time around here, you could pick up a lot of what you need without talking with every driver at the track.

I've probably said way too much on the topic, in fact I know I have. I am just old enough to appreciate the track in Oklahoma City. There is a ton of history at that place and even though my forays from Kansas were few during my childhood, everbody knew about dirt track racing at the Oklahoma Fairgrounds. As much as we like to snipe at it from time to time, it's still one of the best local racing shows going. I would think it would rate as a privilege to call the races at a place like that, so much so that a guy would over-prepare out of respect to the history and a knowledgeable fan base.

"I'd pay $15 to watch a sprint car sit still."

Appears you will have yet another new announcer to deal with.

I understand Jack resigned from his position as announcer at State Fair Speedway effective Wednesday.

I'm available Friday nights!!!!!! I KNOW the correct pronnunciation of Olivia, (as proven at his trip to our track), my local racing knowledge isn't perfect, (for instance I do NOT know how many championships Tony Anderson has), however I do know who tony is; and am familiar with most of the SFS drivers. Announcing is difficult, and many times its is the Garbage in Garbage out problem someone else spoke of, but as others pointed out, some time spent in preparation is neccessary.

Having said all that, I make mistakes, mispronounce names, struggle through new sponsors, and sometimes just genreally screw up. I'm sure some people would like to replace me with someone better. But for now I do my best and try

to be informative AS WELL as entertaining. Hey what do you know announcers are human!!

As for Ben, we love him (mostly from our experience at OKC Blazers hockey), but age hasn't been kind to Ben, and maybe it is time to hang up the mic.

Well Once Again You Assholes Run Off Somebody Else.LOL

The Deeper The Better. GO DEEP!

Interesting. While I think the guy had a little bit of work to do I think he could have been a good announcer given a little bit of time. I hope this post wasn't the cause of his resignation.

I like dirt!

Dogwater -- I agree and I think more than one of us made that point throughout the thread. We acknowledged the talent -- just sought more preparation. Certainly not enough biting criticism to force a resignation.

"I'd pay $15 to watch a sprint car sit still."

lol. Kenny you gauge it well. it's not like the guy sucked. I thought the opening post of this thread was pretty harsh---especially on the girl that sang the National Anthem. I doubt it's easy to get in front of very large groups of people and sing. And due to the amount of water Lanny puts on the track they have to navigate the Everglades just to do it.lol. But as far as the announcer goes I think everyone agreed.........just more preperation would fix the few errors.

And geez it's not like we are experts about it or anything..........although AMP seems to know an awful lot about all of it. lol.

How much would could a wouldchuck chuck if a 
wouldchuck could chuck would

Actually Jack had worked with Lanny and Beverly previously at the Devils Bowl, and I feel partly responsible for him getting the position at SFS as I knew Randy was leaving to take the Television Sports commentator job. I told Jack, who was in the process of moving to Oklahoma City from Galveston, Texas about the opening. Sorry it did not work out for him and others that were dissapointed with his coverage of the races. He and Jack Miller, who coverd the Chili Bowl for many years, walked the same paths coming up through the AMA ranks in past history. Miller was once this districts AMA Official Ref among other hats he wore.

Only reason I know a about the production side of races and race promotion is because I have been producing, announcing and working races in four states since 1973, and I have worked on and off at race tracks since 1967 when I started at the John Zink 1/2 mile at Zink Ranch in Skiatook, Oklahoma.

Brief bio on me for those interested:

I designed, built and raced Pro-Stock motorcycles in the early 1970's when the class was first formed. Later I raced Funny Bike on a Kawasaki I built that burned Nitro Methane fuel. Those were some fun times.

Few years ago I drove the Custom Chrome private coach transport for the Rogers-Lake team of AMA Grand National #53 Gary Rogers logging over 64.000 miles during the race season on both the AMA GNC tour which starts in Georgia then down to Daytona, uip to Vernon New York. The team also participated in the FUSA points championships which took us out to the west coast at Del Mar and Sacramento for the two Formula USA mile races held there, plus 16 ofher stops in Illinois, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennesee, and a few others along the trail. I learn new things everyday about announcing, motorsports, marketing and advertising.

I believe that when you stop learning, you stop living.

For grins Google This: "AMP Outlaw Winter Nationals"

I shoot photos for www.funinoklahoma.com Look on the Thumbs Up section.

The Indoor Series is covered in the News Section:

www.funinoklahoma.com/News/news_page_6.htm

I sometimes write articles about events that occur at races, or results from races published in Cycle News and other Powersports publications. I just dabble in motorsports journalism.

Here are a couple of articles I wrote that was publised in Cycle News

www.cyclenews.com/events/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=1119

www.cyclenews.com/events/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=902

Cycle News article covering AMP VDTRA National Races held at State Fair Speedway September 2005

This is an article I wrote covering the results of one of the Indoor races we produce.

www.geocities.com/oreillydirttrack/resultsnov.html

Here is a link to a recent article I wrote on Dane Westby, who won five sprint races, defeated last seasons points champion and set a new lap record at Halllett in the process, during the last round of hte CMRA '07 Points Championship chase held at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit. .

www.tulsasportbikeriders.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13030

I also have announced or still announce for Port City Raceway; The Central Motorcycle Road Racing Association, five years with Yahoo Racing, Xtreme World Productions, and with the AMP Outlaw Winter Nationals Series.

Here is a You Tube Promo we made for the AMP Outlaw Winter Nationals Series

www.youtube.com/?v=0KqVk3Q1Gek

I will be traveling to the beautiful 15 million dollar Motorsport Ranch located south east of Ft Worth, Texas to announce round 5 of the 10 race CMRA 2007 Points Championships June 8-10. We typically have over 500 entries at this location, and upwards of 600 entries at Texas World Speeday.

I will try to post a few short track races I have done color for and interviews of a few racers from the past couple of years for those interested in listening.

Got to get back to the studio to record some ads for sponsors and advertisers for the upcoming road races in Texas.

Some links to The Motorsport Ranch & CMRA - Plus Port City Raceway

http://www.motorsportranch.com/

www.cmraracing.com

www.portcityracin.com

Here are a few of the race events I produce over the past years.

www.geocities.com/oreillydirttrack

www.geocities.com/arenaclash.com

www.geocities.com/memphisraces

DAMN OLD AMP IS GOING TO BEAT HIS BACK BLACK AND BLUE CONGRATULATING HIS SELF. JMO

He's done it before.

Hell he needs to make a stop at SFS one Friday night and let us all meet the greatest (ATTA BOY/PAT ON THE BACK) PR/Announcer to ever grace a mic or that has put on a motorsports event. Get out of Tulsa and come down and introduce yourself and grace us all with your presence, better yet put your application in for the new announcers job at SFS while down here , THEY HAVE AN OPENING NOW and probably would take your application with all that experience and knowledge you possess about all kinds of dirt racing you could educate us all on how it really is and give us all insight and knowledge that we lack here in OKC. Too Funny

I'll take the job, but remember the crazy barn expects me back at 10:45 pm. I'll do it for free just to get out of this padded room.

As I stated before, "I continue to learn each and every day". Never said I know everything about motorsports, I actually know very little about many aspects of the industry such as marketing, advertising and getting fans in the stands. or I would be much more sucessfull than I am.

Not quite sure about your definition of Ovar Track Racing, but I do know that Dirt Track racing that I know of is mostly done on Oval tracks.

As with any discussion or study one needs to know the definitions of all the words used to follow along. Also a brief background on the subject is needed to bring those in the duscussion up to speed iin an attempt to get everyone on the "Same Page" so to speak.

Bit of History

With the AMA GNC (Grand National Champion) at one time the title was held in great regard, as the Champion had to excel in both Road Racing, Mile Dirt Oval, 1/2 Mile Dirt Oval, Short Track - Less than a 1/2 Mile Dirt Oval and TT Scrambles which included both a left and right hand turn and at some racetracks a jump.

The Grand National Champion was by far one of if not the most talented racer in the World. World's Greatest Racer, perhaps and they for sure had much more talent than a racer that only exceled in one form of motorsports. Not taking anything away from those that are the best in their form of racing, those folks have proven that they are the top of the field. Hoaever, there is more than one form, and to master Five disiplines in one series still stands out in my mind as being qualified to be crowned Grand National Champion.

Last I checked the Indoor at Harrah is a Dirt Oval, the Track at Port City is a Dirt Oval and the track a Caney Speedway is a Dirt Oval, the track at Port City Raceway is a dirt oval, and the Track at State Fair Speedway where we also produce events is also a Dirt Oval.

The name Oklahoma Tid Bits lends itself to be about racing in Oklahoma, and if it is only about racing that is done on a Dirt Oval so be it. I don't recall reading where this forum was only about discussion of racing at SFS or only about Auto Racing. Perhaps I missed that entry.

I have been to SFS on many occasions and have met and worked with track management and track personnel there a half dozen times. We have had race bikes on display in front of the Grandstands, and passed out coupon on upcoming races there a few times on Fridays. The folks attending the races all seem very friendly and were nice to our staff.

I was not attempting to self promote, just giving the readers of this forum a background on my self and showing others about other forms of Dirt Oval Racing that we and a few hundred other folks have a lot of fun doing. We are by no means a big fancy organization with lots of banners, signs, hay bale covers and bells and whistles, we are just a plain old fashioned start em with a green flag and go racing type deal. No fancy buildings, no climate controlled atmosphere, just line em up and may the best one win. And be sure to bring you own chairs and Heaters for the Indoors!

I appoligise if posting a list of the racers having Fun in Oklahoma, and attempting to illustrate all the Fun that we have at our events offended a few people here. Thought since we also produce events on the Dirt Oval Race Tracks around Oklahoma that some race fans from Oklahoma may be interested in what other forms of Dirt Oval Racing happens around the state and during the winter months.

As with most Threads and Forums there will always be Off Topic statements that take the conversation in another direction. That is part of the beauty of a public forum. If it were just a monolog dictated by the web site owner, there would be no room for expanding the ideas of the discussion. In most cases that equates to lack of readership. It is always interesting to me to watch posts regarding accomplishments, or ones about others having fun and being rewarded for their work.

Many people on these forums seem to want to attack people personally and don't seem to see the overall picture. By posting anything on the Internet, one exposes themselves to public criticism, and to personal attacks. I for one have been online for many years so it no longer bothers me, but I am concerned that the threads seem to many times to deteriorate into a bashing session. With that said, I believe you may be missing the point of the definition of Forum.

3. any public place in which discussions take place, speeches are made etc
Example: In modern times the television studio is as much a forum for public opinion as the market-places of ancient Rome used to be.

Or online in public forums in today's definition.

Flame On - I can take it. LOL

WOW

Dam Brian he quoted you and sounds as if ya got under ol AMP, Bob, BOertle or whatever he calls himself , Ya got under his skin a little , dam he is one long winded typist is all I can say. Must have a lot of time on his hands, LOL, Chill out guy and take a powder, from your once again long winded response above ,Sounds like ya need it.

Oh by the way Brian , Lanny just might hire you , but don't let him cheat ya , ask for 2 Pancho dogs (not 1) and a Large fry with a Extra Lg. Cold Bud to wash it all down with.