A little slice of what it's like on the announce deck.....
Two pro cars (or bikes) are about to make their burnouts and pull up to the line. Could be qualifying, could be eliminations. OK, Mr. Announcer, take it away.
1. Identify both drivers and what lane their in, especially for new fans who aren't familiar with cars and drivers yet.
2. Mention the sponsors for each driver. Primary, maybe associate?
3. If it's the first run of qualifying, mention how they have qualified previously this season. What's their best (or worst) qualifying performance? DNQs? No. 1's? Top-half?
4. Explain the Quick 12 qualifying process which is different from the traditional method previously used to set the fields in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Bikes.
5. As each qualifying session begins, recap where the drivers are in the field (if they are indeed in the field), anything significant about a previous pass either good or bad, and if it's the final session, can they be bumped out? And if they've already been bumped out in this session, what do they need to run to get back in? And if one driver is on the bump and the other is outside the field, could we see these two drivers swap positions on this pass?
6. After a strong pass, was that low e.t. or top speed of the session? The weekend? Track record? National record?
7. Anything interesting that has happened to the team leading into this event? New car? New crew chief? New engine combination? New sponsor? A problem or mishap on the way to the race or back at the shop? Birthday, anniversary, winning lottery ticket, new baby?
8. Where are these drivers in the points? Any performance milestones they have set recently or in the past? Any they could potentially set? Have they won any championships, and if so, how many? How many years have they been out there racing? Where do they live? Family? Occupation outside of drag racing? Age?
9. Provide info on the class. How is the class determined? How much do these vehicles weigh and what kind of powerplants do they run, again, for new fans who want to know what they're looking at and to help them gain a greater appreciation for the sport. Bikes? Buells, Harleys or Suzukis? Top Alchohol Dragsters? Blown alcohol or injected nitro? Pro Mods? Nitrous, blown or turbo?
11. Offer some personal observations based on conversations you've had with the drivers or crew chiefs, "inside information", anecdotes, humorous comments, an ironic twist of fate. For example, "The first career national event win for (fill in the blank) came here in 1995 and his last national event win came here last season."
12. What about the run itself: Routine stage or did one driver take a little too much time? (See Reichert vs Kanick in Charlotte) Who got a better reaction time? 60-foot time? Speed at the 1/8th? And don't focus too closely on the computer screen to pick up those numbers since a driver could get loose, tag the wall, or cross the centerline while you're gazing at the Compulink. Every announcer has been victimizied by that at one time or another.
13. Did either driver smoke the tires, have to pedal, move out of the groove, drop any cylinders, run into tire shake, haze the tires at the top end, have a big boomer, head gasket pushed out, late chutes and into the sand, etc?
14. Significant elapsed time or speed? Career best for either driver? Holeshot? Explain what a holeshot is for new fans--one of the biggest mysteries new fans of drag racing ponder. "The quicker car LOST? How can THAT be???"
Wait, there's more......
Now, while you're processing all of that with pair after pair of cars coming to the line, remember to watch the computer screen, check to see if the info on display is accurate. (There were some statistical and biographical updates needed in Gainesville that tripped the announcers up before the info was corrected).
Pay attention to the event coordinator on the announce deck gesturing for you to go to the big screen for a replay, commercials, or to throw to Team Geico. Remember if there's an oildown, announce that it's time for a "Grime Boss Cleanup". If there's a replay, remember to call it the "NHRA Mobile-Vision Screen" and explain what's being shown. Direct the fans as to what side of the screen they should be watching and what to look for. From the top end camera, the left lane is on the RIGHT side of the screen and vice-versa.
Now, without all the time in the world to do all that, make sure you're concise, speak in terms that are not too technical for new fans but not too basic for veteran fans. No "Ahhhh's or Ummmmm's", stumbles or stammers, backing up to correct yourself every other sentence, and make sure to pronounce the drivers' names correctly. If you make a mistake, go back and smoothly correct the miscue quickly as not to fall behind the action on the track. Sound enthusiastic and dialed in, but don't constantly scream or oversell what's happening. Keep your emotion real and don't be afraid to react honestly. But don't be unfairly critical of mistakes the racers make, assess blame for human error, or offer a controversial opinon on something you can't substantiate as fact.
So, here's the test. If you have an ESPN telecast on your DVR, grab something that looks like a microphone, commit everything written above to memory, replay the event on your TV with the sound turned all the way down, and imagine you're the national event announcer with thousands of fans listening to every word you say. Be smooth, have a well-modulated, professional voice, don't just sit there staring at the screen, and see how well you do. If you nail it first time out, you could be the next Bob Frey!
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But seriously, kudos to you guys who do this, you gotta have balls of steel.
