DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Barney Hall, the voice of NASCAR as the lead announcer for Motor Racing Network, was scheduled to call his final event Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.
Hall has been calling races for more than 50 years, and he will transition into a different role with MRN.
NASCAR President Mike Helton announced before Saturday night’s pre-race driver meeting that Daytona would be the final race in the booth for the 82-year-old. The drivers and crew chiefs gave him a standing ovation after Helton noted his dedication to NASCAR.
The race was postponed by rain from Saturday night until Sunday.
“He was the first person in this industry who taught me about NASCAR, listening to him through the radio,” Helton said. “For years and years, he has spoke to millions of fans — made millions of individuals into fans of our sport. Thank you for all you’ve done for us personally, but in particular, for all of you’ve done to build the character of NASCAR.”
Hall, along with Ken Squier, is part of NASCAR’s Squier-Hall Award, which was created in 2012 to honor the contributions of media to the success of the sport.
In his new role for MRN, Hall will do features about race tracks, races and drivers.
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