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

I'm not 100% sure what everyone is complaining about.  I was there for Bokhoven's first year, (no one liked him either, they wanted Tim Trier and Jack Herwhe back).  then Justin Zoch (people complained about him too, but then were devastated when he left to pursue other things), and even Blake Anderson (very good announcer, he'd just never been a full-time sprint car announcer before).

You and Kris will do fine, but everyone expecting it to be "perfect" your first and second night out are crazy (not to mention the PA troubles where it went down and no sound was coming out of the booth).

From my seat (row 32 in Section H), we can't hear anyone anyway except when under caution or no cars on the track (the new speakers are better, but someone needs to come down into the crowd during the races to figure out the volume and angle the speakers need to be on, my guess is they checked it without any cars on the track and it was excellent compared to the old system, so they assumed it was great.  Speakers need to be adjusted to get the sound to the higher up seats without blowing out the eardrums of those in rows 1-10 is the first thing I'd work on. 

Looking forward to hearing you and Kris for years to come (unless Kris gets a job offer in radio in a bigger market, as he sounds like he belongs in one (per my wife:  "Who was the infield announcer on the radio?  I thought I had it on the wrong station and it was a NASCAR race until I heard him say the driver's name.").

It's easy to complain behind a faceless online forum...

Give the guy a break, like someone said, he just started announcing and with Tony leaving the booth, who has years of experience obviously it's not going to be the same. If you already know what is going on during the race why complain about someone repeating what you just saw. 

KEEP UP the good work Kyle. 

Instead of complaining enjoy the fact that you got to see 90 sprints race for only $15 with out having to watch taxi cabs bang doors. 

These next couple of Saturdays should be a treat!....9 more days until 360 Nats! 

Keep It Real

I respect what Kyle and Johnny do. It is def not easy. This may sound cheesy but try watching a video of a race and call the action. Even knowing every driver it is tough to do and not sound like a broken record.

These guys will get better, give them a chance. I think Kyle has had maybe two nights.

Glad to hear Johnny will be annoucing at the Nats though!

My guess is that the new guys will learn a lot and be much better at what they do 3 weeks from now.   

MIght  learn even more when the late models guys come to town.  (not that the DLM guys that join them in the booth will be any better, but definately a different style)  

This will all be fine if Gibson is up there with them for the Nationals. Just let him lead and have the others do the track promotion stuff.

I really appreciate your post.  I have sent Brian Stickel a couple emails expressing my concerns, in a positive way, this year and he immediately replied to my post in another positive way.  It is evident that you guys are listening to us fans and trying to make it better.  I don't mind dropping a line a letting you my concerns as we are all trying to make the product better.  Thanks for replying.  I will be in touch.  

My wife told me if I went to one more Sprint Car race 
she would leave me.................I'm sure gonna miss 
that ol' gal. 

Announcing isn't easy and I'm sure these guys will do a fine job for years to come. I think most of it stems from people that have been around knoxville for awhile. To many of us Tony Bokhoven is as synonymous to Knoxville as Johnny Gibson is to WoO. It would be next to impossible for someone to jump as the full time announcer on the WoO series right now and live up to the way Johnny Gibson calls the races. I think that's most of the problem. Every announcer has to develop their own style and their own signature terms And that takes time and familiarity. I miss Bokhoven greatly and it's not because the new guys can't announce, it's because I'm 24 years old and have been going to Knoxville and the Nationals since I was 3 and all I ever remember is Tony Bokhoven calling the races. So when I hear the races being called by someone else it just doesn't seem right. I'm sure over time if they stick with it, these announcers will become as familiar to the newest generation of sprint car fans as Bokhoven has been to us at Knoxville. 

Even though there has been problems and I'm sure there will continue to be as they are learning, there are not many tracks as beautiful as Knoxville and have the weekly car counts as they do. So in the end that's all that matters. 

Kirk was one of the announcers at Knoxville in 1975-76. He worked with Chris Economaki and Ken Sargent during the Nationals. His eyes wouldn't allow him to do it now. FYI...Bryan Hulbert will be on RacinBoys broadcasts and the PA during the ASCS 360 Nationals.

RBN The RacinBoys Broadcasting Network
http://www.racinboys.com/
 




 

Myself (and others) hold the belief that Tim Trier and Jack Herwehe set the gold standard for announcing at Knoxville, not Bokhoven.  If you started going to the races in '93, you weren't listening to Bokhoven!  If he's just the first one you remember, fair enough.  Trier announced into the early 90s, and Herwehe the mid to late 90s.  Dennis Wilson had a stint in there in the 90s as well as Dave Rieff and Jeff Broeg.... then Bokhoven started announcing.  Bokhoven has a certain flair for the dramatic... which is part of why some people like him as well as they do... and others, not so much.  Of the post-Trier & Herwehe announcers, I personally liked Rieff and Zoch the best.  Both were very knowledgable and easy to listen to... which is pretty much all I ask for.  Judging solely from the PR work he did for WoO and then Meyers, I think Luetters has potential... and props to him for coming on here to pull no punches and tell it like it is. 

I cringed when I read this because social media will be social media. No one will ever please everyone, and one voice on a messageboard goes way further than anywhere in the stands. At a live event, if one person is disappointed out of the 1-2-3 thousand in the stands, you did a hell of a job. On messageboards where there are so many lurkers and non-posters, one voice goes a whole lot further and people love to bash in order to stir things up. Face it, not too may actual people behind the mic, or in any other capacity actually running the show post at places like this for just that reason. There is literally nothing to gain. For Kyle to step out and put his neck out there shows he cares. If he didn't, he'd have just taken the criticism and let it lie. For that, I commend you Kyle. Hang in there sir. Do your prep, be prepared and don't be afraid to have fun.

Ron Lingron Announcer, Petaluma Speedway 

Hang in there young man. You obvioiusly know the sport so relax and be at ease with your delivery. It takes a few shows to get your announcing tempo but once you develop a style your listeners will hang on every word. You will soon discover or maybe you are already aware but grandstand racing fans are avid followers but for the most part they are thirsting for more knowledge about the cars, drivers, engines, stooges, frames, sponsors, families, superstitions and history of racing. It becomes your responsibility to convey this information and once you accomplish this you will have your listeners soundly behind you. Also remember you are serving your apprenticeship at the MOTHER of all sprint car tracks and the fans that gather every Saturday night are a bit jaded, but if you learn to relax and enjoy working the microphone and continually feed them information you will have them eating out of your hand. Do not let these message board critics get to you just continue to do your best at annoucing.

Trier and Herwehe were the Gold Standard of modern day big event announcers.  If anyone has audio recordings of that combo or even Jack at the early Chili Bowl's.....please make them available to Kyle and anyone else that is even considering taking up the challenge.    

Announcing ANYTHING at Knoxville has got to be a very tough job.  Such big shoes to fill and few are able to do so.   I have to imagine that the job (especially time trials) is tougher than it used to be due to standardization of equipment.  

I haven't been to Knoxville yet this year, rained out twice so I can't comment other than I think it took a set for Mr. Luetters to come on here. Since the Nationals are coming up I wish they'd bring back something that Jack Miller used to do. On qualifying nights he used to have announcers from other tracks in the booth calling the heat races.

Just my 2 cents thrown in here. These guys will make it, just give'em some time. People keep bringing up Bokhoven, he was was OK, Trier and Herweh got us through some rough times and and good times too! But none of them was a Jack Miller. And Jack wasn't no Doc Lemon. I think your first voice must be the one that all the others get compared to. But we always seem to make it. And like was mentioned earlier, until they get a decent PA system, don't make much difference who is behind the mic. 

When Blake Anderson started I wasn't impressed, then I saw him call a Modified race from the stands with no cheat sheet or anyone telling him who the drivers were. I changed my mind quick and realized how good he was if he knew the drivers. So lets give these guys a chance. 

Jack Miller may be the all time dean of Knoxville announcers with Kirk from Racin Boys a close second. I remember Skip Nelson was good. I think Dave Van Patten may have announced some also at times. In those days the announcers really introduced you to the drivers though their story telling during the night.

I have respect for the new guy announcing, who posted, very very classy. Just be yourself and add your own color to the mix. Best of luck.

I remember Doc "here comes your leader, here comes your leader" Lemmon.

See more racing videos at
http://www.youtube.com/user/dagunner

If I'm not mistaken, doesn't Bruce Ellis make the trek out to Knoxville each year? 

Have Kyle Luetters in the booth with Johnny and Bruce for four straight nights & learn from the best. 

Best of luck Kyle! 

Hopefully the music won't be louder that the motors as it was last Friday at the Grove.  You may prefer shouting.  I prefer announcing.  No big deal.  The ear plugs are ready just in case.

I have heard Bruce Ellis on the mic in Knoxville......he would be good for Kyle to pay attention to.   Sometimes learning what NOT to do is just as important as learning from the best.