Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network - Personalities

Personalities

The play-by-play announcer of the race is known as "The Voice of The 500". Sid Collins was the first voice from 1952 to 1976. Collins committed suicide on May 2, 1977, after being diagnosed with ALS. Paul Page, whom Collins mentored, took over from 1977 to 1987. Lou Palmer, formerly a pit reporter, then served the shortest tenure to date as "Voice," (1988–1989). Bob Jenkins replaced Palmer, and called the event from 1990 to 1998. Jenkins, a veteran of television and radio, has since said that no event left him so physically exhausted. Mike King is the present "Voice," having served in that position since 1999.

In addition to King, there are many other announcers on an Indy 500 broadcast. Working the booth alongside King are IRL driver Davey Hamilton (when he is not in the race himself), former Indy racer John Andretti, former comedian Dave Wilson, longtime Speedway historian Donald Davidson, and longtime motorsports journalist Chris Economaki, who gives pre-race, mid-race and post-race essays. The booth the five men work in is located on the 9th floor of the Pagoda, which sits next to Victory Lane.

Since King and his colleagues cannot see all the way around the track, each turn is assigned its own announcer. Jerry Baker has been located at Turn 1 for over 30 years though he joined Mike King in the broadcast booth in 2010. Bob Jenkins calls action from Turn 2, Mark Jaynes calls Turn 3, and Chris Denari works Turn 4. Working the pit lane are Dave Argabright, Jake Query, Kevin Lee and Kevin Olson. For the rest of the Indy Racing League schedule, Jaynes becomes the backstretch announcer with Query, Lee and Olson as the pit reporters. In the middle of the 2006 season, Patrick Stephan took over Nicole Manske's spot when she moved to Speed Channel. In 2007 Query, of WIBC Radio, assumed pit responsibilities at Indianapolis as well as the road and street course races and the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. In 2009 Query reported from turns on road and street races, with Stephan reporting from pit road. The IRL's road racing events usually bring back some of the Indy-only announcers as well as one or two that are not heard for the rest of the series.

From 1994–1999, Mike Joy anchored the 400 broadcasts. Joy resigned weeks before the 2000 race for the birth of his daughter Katilyn Jarrett Joy. Taking his place was Mike King from 2000–2003. In 2004 King was joined by Doug Rice as co-anchors. In 2007, Bob Jenkins returned to the booth to replace King and co-anchor the 400 with Rice.