The Scene
THE SCENE
IVAN J. WAGAR
THE MOST FUN thing I've been involved with during the past couple of years has been working on the radio broadcasts of select American Motorcycle Association National championship road races. Quite a change from the worries of anti-motorcycle legislation, helmet standards, and some of the tedious aspects of motorcycle safety, the broadcasts have presented a refreshing break.
The radio broadcast of this year’s Daytona 200 mile race was carried nationally by 195 local stations, representing a listening audience of more than 1.2 million people, and reaching 37 states.
All of this, however, is from a fairly modest beginning which started two years ago when Bill France, owner of Daytona and Talladega speedways, decided that motorcycle racing should be on national radio. France also owns Motor Racing Network, which he developed to broadcast the big car races at his racing venues, events such as the Daytona 500. France saw the motorcycle broadcast as a contribution to the motorcycle sport and took a chance that someday stations would clamor and compete to pick up the program from Motor Racing Network.
For the first motorcycle race broadcast things were not too exciting from a station owner’s point of view. Despite the very best selling tactics, only about 100 stations were interested in carrying the race. Last year’s race only brought about 135 local stations seeking the 2-1/2 hour program. But with a high degree of concentration and general professionalism, the Motor Racing Network went on to cover road races at Talladega, Laguna Seca and Ontario.
Gradually, through their own surveys and some local advertising interest, the stations are beginning to come around. To the extent, in fact, that no less than 60 additional stations picked up Daytona this year. The 195 station figure is less than half the number grabbing for the Daytona 500 stock car race, but we are making progress.
The progress made thus far is due to the faith in motorcycling and its future by Bill France, and the promotional efforts of the man who heads Motor Racing Network, Roger Bear. They hired the best motor racing newscaster in the U.S., Ken Squier, who has contributed greatly to the success of the motorcycle racing broadcasts.
Ken Squier acts as anchor man on the motorcycle race broadcasts. It is his job to throw a “hot” (live) microphone to whichever man is near the action on the course at any given moment during the broadcast. Sometimes he catches us off guard, but that’s the risk he must take in getting the very best news, live and immediate for on-the-spot coverage of what really is going on in the race, right now.
In the tower with Ken Squier there is a “color” man, or expert adviser, to assist with technical details of the machines, background on the riders, and general in-depth commentary. For this past Daytona race we were fortunate to have a new AMA employee, and former professional broadcaster, Dave Despain. Dave, a former motorcycle competitor in the Midwest, did a great job of filling in with behind-the-scenes anecdotes during air time. Along with Dave, the AMA also was represented with corner men Larry Cagle and Mike Hinshaw. Two other professionals on this year’s team who have adjusted to motorcycle racing because they are stoked on bikes are Tracy Dent from station WDBO in Orlando, Fla., and Bob Callahan from WVOB in Bel Air, Md.
Both Dent and Callahan have taken to motorcycling like ducks to water. All too often we find that professionals at this or that tend to treat motorcycling as just another job, but not with these two guys. They really are on the job, asking questions about age, previous wins, information about the bikes, and anything that will help them to do a good job for motorcycling.
Rounding out the Daytona crew, we had West Coast Speedway and motocross announcer Larry Huffman doing his thing. It was Huffman who caught the live drama of the tragic Mark Brelsford/Larry Darr crash. Finally, in the pits and victory lane, was yours truly. Both of these spots are my favorites, because I know most of the riders, both domestic and foreign.
And speaking of foreign riders, this year’s Daytona race saw no less than 3 1 entries from outside the U.S. England alone was responsible for 11 riders for the 200, and Roger Bear now is looking at the possibility of the broadcast reaching England next year. As I said, we are making progress. In total, there were five charter airplanes from Europe. No less than 40 motorcycling journalists from various countries in Europe were at Daytona to report back to their publishers. Daytona has become THE BIG ONE.
The fact that the Daytona 200 National brought in some 62,000 paid
spectators this year is due, in most part, to the two previous radio broadcasts. Sure, there has been a total growth in motorcycling, the foreign participation and Saturday’s motocross has increased interest in Daytona, but the broadcast has made millions aware of the Real world of motorcycle racing. Lest you feel that I have gone completely overboard for racing and the broadcasts, I should explain that I have learned in all too many legislative hearings that elected officials believe in votes, and they only learn about voting power through exposure in the media.
An example of this sort of thinking comes to mind when I listened to an explanation of the Noise Control Act (1972), and the commentator explained that standards would be established for everything from washing machines to jet aircraft,, but went on to emphasize that Indianapolis cars would be exempted from noise standards. As it turns out, actually, some of the Environmental Protection Agency people realized that motor racing is the biggest spectator sport in the country. And that is one hell of a lot of votes. So they are going to cool it on motor racing legislation, both noise and pollution, for the time being.
When the day finally comes that any legislator turns on his radio on a Sunday afternoon and finds a radio broadcast of a motorcycle race somewhere in this country, he is going to realize that a lot of Americans like motorcycles. And, whether you ride trials, desert, motocross or simply enjoy a nice ride down the road, all motorcycle riders are going to benefit.
But the Motor Racing Network needs your help. If your local station is not carrying the Loudon on June 17th; Charity Newsies 1/2 mile at Columbus, Ohio, on June 24th; Laguna Seca Road Race on July 28th; Terra Haute on August 12th; Peoria TT on August 25th; or Talladega Road Races on September 2nd, ask them why not. The answer may be that they do not have enough local advertisers who want to sponsor a motorcycle broadcast. But I’ll bet that you and your friends can, through the dollars you spend, convince local business men that you would appreciate his help (it’s a tax write-off).
Even more important is the need to support the advertisers who foot the bill nationally. The Daytona broadcast had only three national sponsors: STP
Corp., Union Oil and CYCLE WORLD Magazine. All of these three firms believe in the future of motorcycling and decided to take advantage of it. If you believe that national coverage of our sport accomplishes something (I do), support the people that support you.
