Legendary NASCAR broadcaster Barney Hall dies at 83

Barney Hall, the “Voice of NASCAR”, has died. He began calling the DAYTONA 500 on radio in 1960, missing only four broadcasts of that event in 57 years, and anchored race coverage for MRN from1970 through JULY 6, 2014, when he called ARIC ALMIROLA’s win in a rain-shortened DAYTONA 500.

Veteran motorsports broadcaster Barney Hall died late on Tuesday night, leaving the NASCAR community without one of its most cherished and legendary storytellers. “To racing fans, many of whom followed the sport mainly through radio broadcasts in the early days, Hall became the conduit of both vital information and tall tales, stories he would pick up in the garage area during race weekends”.

As Hall of Fame executive director, Winston Kelley said, “He could paint a picture that would make Picasso or Rembrandt proud and tell a story that would awe Hemingway or Twain”. The Elkin, N.C. native called dozens of Daytona 500s for Motor Racing Network, his voice echoing out of thousands of radios across the country. Even if you weren’t a fan of auto racing, chances are you heard Hall’s voice if you were turning the radio dial on a Sunday afternoon. “He was an inspiration, a teacher and, mostly, a friend”.

Hall graduated from track announcer and covering races for local stations to become the lead announcer for the Motor Racing Network when it began in 1970.

In 2012, not only did NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame announce that they would give a new award for media excellence to Hall (along with another longtime broadcaster, Ken Squier) – they also named the award after the pair.

“Barney was a consummate professional whose style and honesty made him one of the most revered voices of the sport and perhaps the most trusted reporter of his day”. Prior to stepping down, he told MRN.com that his favorite part of being at the racetrack was his interaction with the fans.

Hall was a fixture with Motor Racing Network (MRN) since its inception in 1970. He was just sitting there on the bench, and he said, ‘You don’t know where a man could get a good radio announcer, do you?’

Hall battled numerous illnesses in recent years but remained active in NASCAR broadcasting until recently. Barney was inducted into that organization’s Hall of Fame in 2007.