Which commentators made motorsport for you?
Discussion
Rude-boy said:
Because, even in 'our world' so many people live in a bubble of F1, WEC, BTCC, WSB/BSB, Moto GP and the rest just goes along nicely.
There are a number of notable exceptions from the list, but then this is 2018, not 1990 when there would have been a number of names mentioned that i doubt many on here have even heard of - Peter Scott-Russell anyone?
PS-R ? Oh , rather .....There are a number of notable exceptions from the list, but then this is 2018, not 1990 when there would have been a number of names mentioned that i doubt many on here have even heard of - Peter Scott-Russell anyone?
And one of my favourite current guys is the chap who is on mic duties at York Raceway- informed, enthusiastic and often very, very funny
coppice said:
PS-R ? Oh , rather .....
And one of my favourite current guys is the chap who is on mic duties at York Raceway- informed, enthusiastic and often very, very funny
Overheard on the PA during the late 70's/early 80's as the latest Japanese hot shoe in F3 piles into the back of another car and launches himself - "Eyes right Neville, there's a Nip in the air!"And one of my favourite current guys is the chap who is on mic duties at York Raceway- informed, enthusiastic and often very, very funny
Ian Titchmarsh for me, hearing his voice is part of UK motorsport and can he heard over a pa nearly every weekend of the season in the UK. He was also part of the early radio le mans team along with John Hindhough and Paul Trusswell two others I rate highly for being the two constant voices of sports car racing in my lifetime.
I loved James Hunt and really liked Martin Brundle, and yeah, thanks for the reminder of the Radio Le mans guys who I thought always did a really good job.
But I couldn't/can't understand the love for Murray Walker. He was a useless commentator, couldn't read a situation to save his life. I can watch the old clips on youtube and find it's lovely to hear James Hunt's voice, but Murray just makes me cringe. I agree he had the voice, but he was just so inept.
I reckon if he were still with us, James Hunt could walk into a top tv commentating job today, but Murray is from a past era, an era in which he felt he couldn't say it like it is (even though James Hunt never had a problem).
But I couldn't/can't understand the love for Murray Walker. He was a useless commentator, couldn't read a situation to save his life. I can watch the old clips on youtube and find it's lovely to hear James Hunt's voice, but Murray just makes me cringe. I agree he had the voice, but he was just so inept.
I reckon if he were still with us, James Hunt could walk into a top tv commentating job today, but Murray is from a past era, an era in which he felt he couldn't say it like it is (even though James Hunt never had a problem).
Me, cos I'm great! 
In all seriousness, Murray Walker is my hero and probably the reason many of today's commentators decided to give the game a try. I also enjoyed listening to Cox and Watson on touring cars, and Moody and Ryder on bikes - I liked Barry Nutley's passionate commentaries too.
David Addison is excellent with an enormous knowledge, relaxed delivery and great sense of humour - his love for a good pun always amuses.
I've been privileged enough to work with both Marcus Pye and Brian Jones in recent years - Marcus's knowledge of historic racing is unrivalled and makes any event fascinating, while Mr Jones is just magnificent with some terrific humour.
I have worked with Jonny Palmer a few times as well and he is very good indeed, as are Titchmarsh and Mark Werrell.
In Rallycross Arthur Debenham is unrivalled and I also liked Bill Mantovani's commentaries from the 1980s.
On short ovals the great Bev Greenhalf was fantastic and immensely passionate on F1 Stock Cars, and I also recall the Brummie tones of Jerry Cookson (now heavily involved in the UK drag racing scene) and also Malcolm Walker at my local venues.
In all seriousness, Murray Walker is my hero and probably the reason many of today's commentators decided to give the game a try. I also enjoyed listening to Cox and Watson on touring cars, and Moody and Ryder on bikes - I liked Barry Nutley's passionate commentaries too.
David Addison is excellent with an enormous knowledge, relaxed delivery and great sense of humour - his love for a good pun always amuses.
I've been privileged enough to work with both Marcus Pye and Brian Jones in recent years - Marcus's knowledge of historic racing is unrivalled and makes any event fascinating, while Mr Jones is just magnificent with some terrific humour.
I have worked with Jonny Palmer a few times as well and he is very good indeed, as are Titchmarsh and Mark Werrell.
In Rallycross Arthur Debenham is unrivalled and I also liked Bill Mantovani's commentaries from the 1980s.
On short ovals the great Bev Greenhalf was fantastic and immensely passionate on F1 Stock Cars, and I also recall the Brummie tones of Jerry Cookson (now heavily involved in the UK drag racing scene) and also Malcolm Walker at my local venues.
DaveGoddard said:
Me, cos I'm great!
In all seriousness, Murray Walker is my hero and probably the reason many of today's commentators decided to give the game a try. I also enjoyed listening to Cox and Watson on touring cars, and Moody and Ryder on bikes - I liked Barry Nutley's passionate commentaries too.
David Addison is excellent with an enormous knowledge, relaxed delivery and great sense of humour - his love for a good pun always amuses.
I've been privileged enough to work with both Marcus Pye and Brian Jones in recent years - Marcus's knowledge of historic racing is unrivalled and makes any event fascinating, while Mr Jones is just magnificent with some terrific humour.
.
Me - cos I'm better than Dave In all seriousness, Murray Walker is my hero and probably the reason many of today's commentators decided to give the game a try. I also enjoyed listening to Cox and Watson on touring cars, and Moody and Ryder on bikes - I liked Barry Nutley's passionate commentaries too.
David Addison is excellent with an enormous knowledge, relaxed delivery and great sense of humour - his love for a good pun always amuses.
I've been privileged enough to work with both Marcus Pye and Brian Jones in recent years - Marcus's knowledge of historic racing is unrivalled and makes any event fascinating, while Mr Jones is just magnificent with some terrific humour.
.
(I very much doubt I am better than Dave!) - I do PA at some hill climbs, and was lucky enough to be allowed to do the FIA Hill Climb Masters in 2015.
I have to say Murray, but a lot of that is nostalgia from growing up with F1 in the 1990s (that and he is by all accounts a lovely bloke, and I think that is an underrated quality a lot of the time). Objectively, when you watch stuff on youtube, he does make mistakes and miss quite a lot of things on screen - but he was probably pouring over the copius notes.
Of the 'modern lot' I agree entirely on Dave Addison - knowledgeable and always pitches it right - he knows when to go through the gears (vocally speaking) and when not to - and is a nice balance of technical and accessible and that is very hard to do. John Hindhaugh is excellent as well. Will never forget his spluttering indignation over Peugeot tactics in 2011 - oozes passion.
In terms of working with, Toby Moody is always an experience - keeping up with someone doing it full time keeps you on your toes (not that I work with him terrible often, its once a year at Shelsley generally). I also like Chris Drewitt - who is also part of Goodwood's set up - he does the raconteur aspect really well (vamping and chit chat is a big part of hill climb PA!) and knows his onions.
GravelBen said:
I do enjoy Colin Clark's meandering WRC commentary.
That git Jon Desborough on WRC live stages though... I have to watch it muted and listen to something else.
Desborough makes it fun though, you can have a bet with your mates how many minutes into the coverage he says "man from Dungannon" That git Jon Desborough on WRC live stages though... I have to watch it muted and listen to something else.
DelicaL400 said:
GravelBen said:
I do enjoy Colin Clark's meandering WRC commentary.
That git Jon Desborough on WRC live stages though... I have to watch it muted and listen to something else.
Desborough makes it fun though, you can have a bet with your mates how many minutes into the coverage he says "man from Dungannon" That git Jon Desborough on WRC live stages though... I have to watch it muted and listen to something else.
Vocal Minority said:
Me - cos I'm better than Dave
(I very much doubt I am better than Dave!) - I do PA at some hill climbs, and was lucky enough to be allowed to do the FIA Hill Climb Masters in 2015.
If you fancy expanding your repertoire a little and doing some stock cars, I may have some opportunities for you this year - drop me a message if you're interested.(I very much doubt I am better than Dave!) - I do PA at some hill climbs, and was lucky enough to be allowed to do the FIA Hill Climb Masters in 2015.
(edit) As for rallying, it's not an easy sport to voice especially retrospectively for TV coverage if you've not got a large amount of stats and figures, and if you rely too heavily on that you run the risk of making it too boring. For me, the best at rallying coverage was the late Barrie Gill, who was also an occasional F1 pit reporter in the early days of BBC coverage.
Edited by DaveGoddard on Saturday 27th January 18:20
John Price & Graham Beckwith on the PA at Santa Pod were a huge part of me falling in love with Drag Racing. Similarly Bob Frey at NHRA events with his encyclopedic knowledge combined with dry, self deprecating almost subversive sense of humour.
Edited by realjv on Saturday 27th January 22:26
I'm not going to list any that I've disliked over the years, but the ones that have added "value" (for me):-
Keith Heuwen & Julian Ryder during 1990's World Superbikes. There was a race at Hockenheim in 1996 (race 2??) where Frankie Chili on a Ducati went for an impossible pass at the Sachskurve from miles back from the guy in front. He nearly made it, but ended up in the gravel. Heuwen's commentary was, 'Ohhhh. Ohhhhhhhhhh. OHHHHHHHHHH'. It was perfect. Chili's move didn't need any words to describe it, as the attempt and result spoke for themselves.
Barry Nutley on British Superbikes. He always made every race "sound" exciting, with every move and overtake being "nip and tuck". I remember a letter (!!) being sent in to MCN many years ago that was scathing about Barry's commentating style, and a week later another letter was received and printed by MCN vociferously defending Barry in all his work in the BSB paddock; it was written by Chris Walker who was at the time challenging for that year's BSB title.
When I first watched MotoGP on Eurosport back in the late 1990's, Toby Moody and Dennis Noyes were like excited schoolkids whooping and a hollering at every opportunity. Brilliant. As was Randy Mamola's pit lane stuff.
Murray and James? Legendary. Just legendary.
Keith Heuwen & Julian Ryder during 1990's World Superbikes. There was a race at Hockenheim in 1996 (race 2??) where Frankie Chili on a Ducati went for an impossible pass at the Sachskurve from miles back from the guy in front. He nearly made it, but ended up in the gravel. Heuwen's commentary was, 'Ohhhh. Ohhhhhhhhhh. OHHHHHHHHHH'. It was perfect. Chili's move didn't need any words to describe it, as the attempt and result spoke for themselves.
Barry Nutley on British Superbikes. He always made every race "sound" exciting, with every move and overtake being "nip and tuck". I remember a letter (!!) being sent in to MCN many years ago that was scathing about Barry's commentating style, and a week later another letter was received and printed by MCN vociferously defending Barry in all his work in the BSB paddock; it was written by Chris Walker who was at the time challenging for that year's BSB title.
When I first watched MotoGP on Eurosport back in the late 1990's, Toby Moody and Dennis Noyes were like excited schoolkids whooping and a hollering at every opportunity. Brilliant. As was Randy Mamola's pit lane stuff.
Murray and James? Legendary. Just legendary.
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