Motor Racing Network

Motor Racing Network
Division of International Speedway Corporation
Industry Radio Network
Founded 1970 (1970)
Headquarters Concord, North Carolina[1]
Key people
 Bill France, Sr. (founder)
Ken Squier (network founder)
David Hyatt (president)
Products NASCAR racing and radio programming
Number of employees
 Roughly 70
Website www.mrn.com

The Motor Racing Network (MRN) is the principal radio broadcasting operation of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), promoting themselves as the "Voice of NASCAR". MRN was founded in 1970 by William H.G. “Big Bill” France (the founder of NASCAR) and broadcaster Ken Squier. Its first broadcast was the 1970 Daytona 500.

MRN broadcasts coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Xfinity Series races at tracks owned by International Speedway Corporation as well as Dover International Speedway and Pocono Raceway. It also has exclusive coverage of the entire NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule. Other NSCS and NXS races are held at tracks owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Both SMI and IMS have their own radio networks (Performance Racing Network and the IndyCar Radio Network), unrelated except for the appearance of Doug Rice on IndyCar Radio during coverage of the Brickyard 400. The Sprint Showdown qualifying race and NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race are also broadcast on MRN, despite being held at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the headquarters of SMI.

Broadcasts of Sprint Cup and Formula One races receive MRN's highest ratings and hence the greatest station clearance (number of stations carrying the broadcasts). Audiences for the Xfinity and Camping World Truck series are considerably smaller, and hence lower station clearance. Some MRN affiliates broadcast all three series, but the lower series may be preempted by other events.

In addition to NASCAR races, MRN had exclusive coverage of the Tudor United SportsCar Championship (IMSA now does the radio broadcasts) and FIA Formula One World Championship, including the United States Grand Prix, which returned in the 2012 season at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas and offers other race related programs.

Programs

While MRN's primary role is doing radio broadcasts of NASCAR races, they also produce daily radio programs that are carried by some of their affiliates. They also stream the programs on their website.

Three MRN announcers also host daily call-in shows on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio channel 90 year round. Mike Bagley and Pete Pistone co-host The Morning Drive Monday through Friday from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. Eastern time. Dave Moody hosts Sirius XM Speedway from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Moody was also the first NASCAR personality to host a show on satellite radio back in 2003 on Sirius Satellite Radio despite the fact NASCAR races and other NASCAR-related shows were exclusively on XM Satellite Radio. This changed on January 1, 2007 when MRN's Barney Hall announced the launch of Sirius XM NASCAR Radio on Sirius XM.

Announcers

Current

2013 Motor Racing Network announcers (from left to right) Buddy Long, Kurt Becker, Alex Hayden, Mike Bagley and Kyle Rickey riding in a golf cart at Road America.

Booth announcers

Cup
Standalone/fill-in as needed

Turn announcers

Cup

Dave Moody primarily works turns 1 and 2 at most tracks (i.e. Daytona and Talladega), the backstretch at the short tracks (Martinsville and the September Richmond race (Mike Bagley works the April race)), turn 1 at Pocono and the esses at Watkins Glen. When the Truck and Cup Series share a weekend at an SMI venue (except for the All-Star Race), Dave Moody works the booth for the Truck race. The only time on the schedule this occurs is in September at New Hampshire.

Mike Bagley primarily works turns 3 and 4 at most tracks, the backstretch at Dover, turn 2 at Pocono, the backstretch turn complex at Watkins Glen and the backstretch at Daytona and Talladega.

Both men also work these same positions for the Xfinity and Truck Series when they share the same track and weekend with the Sprint Cup Series as well as standalone Xfinity and Truck races (usually road course races that aren't shared with the Sprint Cup Series (like Road America)).

Standalone/fill-in as needed

Pit reporters

Cup
Standalone/fill-in as needed

Former

MRN's Ned Jarrett interviewing Bill Elliott after a victory
Ned Jarrett during his days as an MRN pit reporter

References

  1. ↑ Elkins, Ken (April 15, 2013). "Motor Racing Network building in Concord sells for $2.75M". Charlotte Business Journal (American City Business Journals). Retrieved September 3, 2015.

External links

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