Dunn Not Returning to NHRA Broadcast in 2016

[stitcherbob]

Due to a misprint on the contract here is your new NHRA broadcast team

hey, it's a binding contract.....

 

[Murrieta Mad Man]

What about the Do or Dunn line?

 

[Rajunz]

glad he is gone

Why Guy? It really doesn't matter. Just curious if you can give an intelligent, unbiased answer?

 

[mikebcurve]

The person who makes the most sense to replace him is Bruno Massel.

 

[Jeff]

Dunn is a great talent, I will miss him. I will give them a chance to try and develop someone better (Bruno?), but I sure hope they don't lose his phone number.

If they replicated the current team, people would moan. Give them a chance .... If I never made a drastic change in my set ups, I would not be where I am today, but that doesn't mean I haven't had to occasionally take a step back.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

VERY sorry to hear this. Dunn is the best in the booth. Can't wait to see who the new crew is. Best of luck to Mike in whatever comes next for him.

 

[NitroRichFire]

Who ever made this decision will regret it later, what were they thinking?

 

[vegasnitro]

I agree with Jeff White. People would complain if they kept the same broadcasters, other people would complain if they didn't get new ones.

It seems obvious they are going to try to take the broadcast in a new direction. Mike Dunn is very good, and I am sorry he is out, but I will not yet chastise NHRA until we find out who is in the booth and see the first few broadcasts next year. Change is not always a bad thing.

 

[cantdrive55]

Not sure why anyone is speculating about Marty Reid returning. ESPN fired him in 2013 after he called Ryan Blaney the winner of NASCAR Kentucky 300 1 lap early. I don't know what he's been doing since, but it's not anything that I can find. Dunn, Reiff, Gerold, and Page all had ESPN contracts, Page was more behind the scenes/production. Gerry probably knew what was coming, and bowed out gracefully. Kudos by the way, Gerry has always been class personified. Dunn and Reiff sadly turned into canon fodder. It doesn't mean they did anything wrong. It's just that Fox Sports probably wanted their people, whomever that turns out to be. It really doesn't matter if NHRA is handling production or not. It would look really bad for NHRA to butt heads with Fox Sports over the commentary crew before they've even started.

Just please say NO to JOE (Buck)

I think you can breathe easy, there's no way on god's green earth Joe Buck is lowering himself to call NHRA races.

 

[JB3]

But given that NHRA was paying ESPN to have their product shown, I'd be willing to bet that the NHRA was making decisions on who was on the broadcast team.

But that is not how the FS1 deal is going to work.

 

[JF]

Watch what you wish for. Although Mike wasn't always the best. He may be better then the next. As most things now days come down to Money, That may have had a factor in his/their decision. You generally don't just "get" out of contracts, You get bought out. Maybe the price was too high.

I don't think Mike will return to driving (He Hasn't in 14 years) although he might a NFC.
Whoever is next will have LARGE shoes or fireboots to fill.

 

[troy boy]

No Steve Evans, no Big Mac, no Bob Fry, no Mike Dunn. Guys like this don't fall off trees. They have years in the sport to be able to give the great insight needed to appeal to the new and old viewer.
Another bad move by the new bean counter NHRA pres.
Hopefully they can get some one with drag racing experience and not a golf, tennis analyst they had laying around.

 

[JF]

Stop blaming NHRA, NHRA does't employ these guys. ESPN does or did, and now I guess Fox. I pretty sure from working with a lot of networks NHRA has very little say in who they get. They most likely get the right to refusal and that's about it. and an invoice to come later.

I hate NHRA but, In this case, I don't think they are the villain.

 

[handsome]

while Bruno is a good host, I doubt he knows the complete workings of a modern day fuel car.. we know he can't explain how or what a driver feel inside one. Also Dunn was "in the know" with all the drivers and crew chiefs so if there was something that needed looking into, they pretty much welcomed him in as a friend to the pit areas... you can't put a price on experience and knowledge ...

 

[mick]

Been replaced by two hot blondes in short skirts......

or a short firesuit .......maybe lorie johns will resurface.

IMO mike dunn is the glue that holds these broadcasts together.....someone else said it already, he knows everything and everyone
and can verbalize his accurate knowledge, thoughts, and analysis in a split second. for us diehards he will be missed.

 

[Leebone]

No more throttle blips and now no more Dunn. Also, it's the same ol' same ol' teams winning the championships every year. Getting very corporate and boring. I'm going back to watching grass roots racing at Quaker City in Ohio.

 

[you]

I always thought Brandon Bernstein was well spoken, but don't know if he's still managing a team or what.

 

[turbo ken]

Mike Dunn is the only commentator who's worked on the cars, and been in FC/TF fires, and boomers. Unless they got someone else in mind with similar experience.

 

[Nunz]

I've said it before, if he didnt have a ride, Tommy Johnson Jr. would be great.

 

[Speed1288]

I saw a comment on facebook from Mark Rebilas that said we'd be happy with who the replacement is going to be.