2009 Vs. announcers

[usgrandprix]

Bob Jenkins, Robbie Buhl, and Jon Beekhuis in the booth.

Jack Arute, Robbie Floyd, and Lindy Thackston in the pits.

I still hope Cheever does Indy again.

http://www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=12995

[FIAT1]

Goodyear is gone. Superb!!! Good to see Jon back where he should be.

[DBell]

Goodyear is gone. Superb!!! Good to see Jon back where he should be.


I agree except I think Goodyear will be a part of the ABC team. So he still lingers. :D

[Dr. Krogshöj]

Seems like an improvement, with the exception of Jack Aroute returning. Vince Welch or Bill Stephens would be better. What about Robbie Buhl? Never heard him in a broadcast.

[usgrandprix]

What about Robbie Buhl? Never heard him in a broadcast.

He's ok. He did IPS last year and he talks a lot about what the teams and drivers are experiencing, which you'd think would be cool, but he's a bit more prone to hyperbole than boiling down the tech side. He is enthusiastic and manages to get some good bits out.

He is very connected to the series, so I wonder if he'll use that or favor some/have grudges. It will be funny the first time he sees some inside knowledge/fuel patterns/or the like and he excuses himself from the booth to make a call down to his team...

[SarahFan]

No Goodyear is without a doubt a step in the right direction

[Easy Drifter]

Like James Hunt used to slip out of the F1 booth for a joint? :eek:

[garyshell]

No Goodyear is without a doubt a step in the right direction


Finally a point on which we both 100%, unequivocally, whole heartedly, without a shadow of a doubt agree!!!

<big ol' grin>

Gary

[SarahFan]

Finally a point on which we both 100%, unequivocally, whole heartedly, without a shadow of a doubt agree!!!

<big ol' grin>

Gary

I think we both agree that PT racing in the IRL is a whole heck of alot better than him not racing in the IRL

right?

[garyshell]

I think we both agree that PT racing in the IRL is a whole heck of alot better than him not racing in the IRL

right?


Oh come on now Ken, we can't go on agreeing like this. People will talk. Tamburello won't have a reason to chastise us. The seas will part...

Gary

[SarahFan]

and I would bet we both agree the new pit reporter is easy on the eyes


http://pbuser01.freesitedesigner.com/1/4/5/71/images/folder_7475/img27104463dce026a050.jpg

[garyshell]

and I would bet we both agree the new pit reporter is easy on the eyes


http://pbuser01.freesitedesigner.com/1/4/5/71/images/folder_7475/img27104463dce026a050.jpg

Provided she is the one on the left.

Gary

[SarahFan]

first post has alink to indycar.com...

front page has a story complete with Versus Logo


you can go to the pitreporters (lindythacker.com) website and it's updated listing her as the new versus reporter.... complete with IRL schedule etc...


Versus.com

^Versus website?.... nothing since august besides the indycar link i requested a couple a months ago

[SarahFan]

Provided she is the one on the left.

Gary

she is....

here's a bit more

http://lindythackston.com/sample.html

[nigelred5]

VERY glad to see Jon in the booth gain.

Sounds like she is pretty intelligent and a pretty well acomplished reporter. I like the sound of her racing reports.

[Birdman5700]

Isn't Robbie Buhl still part owner of Dreyer & Reinblod Racing? Isn't that a conflict of intrest?

And anyone know the size of the D&RR sponrship deal with Dad's Root Beer? and who the driver will be.

On there website they say

Dad’s Root Beer is pleased to announce that we will once again partner with Dryer and Reinbold Racing for the 2009 Season But that is from 9/15/08 and that is the most up to date post.

http://www.dadsrootbeer.com/memories/

[16&amp;Gtown]

I respect everything Bob Jenkins has done for the sport, and I think he is an awesome PA announcer. But he is horrible on television, its like listening to Ben Stein call a race. I was really hoping to see Paul Page in that seat...

[garyshell]

I respect everything Bob Jenkins has done for the sport, and I think he is an awesome PA announcer. But he is horrible on television, its like listening to Ben Stein call a race. I was really hoping to see Paul Page in that seat...


For some of us, me among them, listening to Paul Page is like listening to that "Sham-Wow" guy. I much prefer Jenkins over Page, but would REALLY like Dave Despain, Bob Varsha or Parker Johnstone.

Gary

[drewdawg727]

No Goodyear is without a doubt a step in the right direction


Can you tell me why? He always had a positive attitude and a great insight to a lot that was going on. Why is everyone so against him?

[NickFalzone]

I don't mind Goodyear, it was Reid that bothered me more. I thought Jenkins and Goodyear were a decent combination. I'm so-so on Page. I think the VS team is overall solid, but we'll see.

[coogmaster]

My hope is that our new pit reporters show at least a shred of racing intelligence. Good looks are great, but we all know that it is pointless to have an attractive pit reporter if he/she knows little of what he/she is talking about (Brie Anne Pedigo and Jamie Little come to mind..)

Does anyone know what experience Robbie Floyd and Lindy Thackston have in auto racing, if any?

And by the way, I'll take Jenkins in the booth over anyone because - 1) He's been around IndyCar racing for a longer period of time than most 2) Despite his somewhat monotone voice, he still has the ability to showcase his racing intelligence and paint a good picture of what's going on, something Marty Reid lacked.

One more thing, will this lineup be consistent with the ABC televised races, like Indy, or will it revert back to Marty and Scott for those races? (God help us...)

Oh, and I've been away for a while, so just out of curiosity, where is Waldo?

[Mark in Oshawa]

Because listening to him is the audio equivalent of watching paint dry.
He's a really nice guy and very knowledgeable, but doesn't really bring it across to the audience.

Bang on the money. I love the guy, watched him him rebuild his career up here in the Porsche Turbo Cup series we had in the 80's and how he moved on along to eventually be a pretty steady driver in Indy Cars. That said...he just doesn't have the gravitas and way that translates well on TV.

That said, putting Jenkins on the air is too much more of the same ole boring crap we have been stuck with. Rick Benjamin is the same style...competant but dull.

We should have seen them look for a new face that can do the job. I would have loved to have seen a Tommy Kendall inthe booth other than Jon Beekhuis. Beek's is good...but TK was the bomb.

As for pit lane..Lindy is good. I have heard her on the ALMS radio broadcasts but can we please the avoid the cliche of the hottie in nomex? We lost Jamie Little so we needed a replacement? A little sexist is it not? Oh well..I like a little sexism when the woman knows her stuff and Lindy seems to be knowledgable.

Just one real complaint. WHY JACK ARUTE? WHY??????

No one has been around racing longer and said more dumb things on air than this guy. He is alright on his radio show and he seems to know his stuff until it is race day and then he dumbs everything down and sounds like a doofus.

Enough already...bring in people who are hungry and can translate what is going on without making my dumb meter redline.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Oh yes...one more thing. You put Paul Page on there and you lose me for sure. I was a fan of Page in his younger days but about 2 years into the IRL it became clear to me that he was just a shill. Don't ask me why I knew this or what he said, it was more just a visceral feeling that this guy was clueless and would say what he was supposed to say according to the powers that be. I just never got the feeling as a host/play by play man he was very good at anything but selling his series and ignoring reality.

Maybe I am wrong..maybe it is personal, but Paul Page's best before date was around 1997.

[call_me_andrew]

I'm glad to hear Terry Linger will be producing the races.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Linger is the bright side in all of this change.

[994ever]

Oh yes...one more thing. You put Paul Page on there and you lose me for sure. I was a fan of Page in his younger days but about 2 years into the IRL it became clear to me that he was just a shill. Don't ask me why I knew this or what he said, it was more just a visceral feeling that this guy was clueless and would say what he was supposed to say according to the powers that be. I just never got the feeling as a host/play by play man he was very good at anything but selling his series and ignoring reality.

Maybe I am wrong..maybe it is personal, but Paul Page's best before date was around 1997.

I guess there's no accounting for perception. Paul Page to this day is the play by play guy for me who has most effectively conveyed a love of the sport and for its drivers.

You should read his blog (found the link somewhere, can't remember), he has one about Parker Johnstone that talks about Oct. 31, 1999 and what happened...read that and your feeling that he was just a stooge may change a bit.

For me the last race he and Parker did was a benchmark as to when I started to rapidly lose interest. Might be a coincidence or not.