Barney Hall (June 24, 1932January 26, 2016) was an American

sports commentator In Broadcasting of sports events, sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as a sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real time (media), real-time live commentary of a game or event, traditionally delivered in the present t ...

for

Motor Racing Network Motor Racing Network (MRN) is an American radio network that syndicates broadcasts of auto racing events, particularly NASCAR. MRN was founded in 1970 by NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. and broadcaster Ken Squier, and is a wholly owned subsidiary ...

, formerly calling

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

races. Hall broadcast races for over 50 years. Hall is considered one of the best NASCAR commentators of all-time. MRN director David Hyatt stated, "Motor Racing Network is 'The Voice of NASCAR' and Barney Hall is the voice of MRN."

Career

Hall was born at

Elkin, North Carolina Elkin is a town in Surry County, North Carolina, Surry and Wilkes County, North Carolina, Wilkes counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina, along the Yadkin River. Elkin shares its name with the surrounding township of Elkin Township, Surry Co ...

in 1932. After serving four years in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

, Hall's career started in the 1950s working for local radio stations in Elkin, particularly as disk jockey at WIFM-FM for 13 years. In 1960, Hall became the first person to work on the public address system at

Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway (formerly known as the Bristol International Raceway from 1978 to 1996 and as the Bristol International Speedway from 1961 to 1978) is a oval Oval track racing#Short track, short track in Bristol, Tennessee. The track ha ...

, which was stated as "dumb luck". When

started in 1970, Hall became a turn announcer, before becoming a booth announcer. Hall commentated on all but three

Daytona 500 The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of three ...

s in his career. On July 5, 2014, Hall announced that the

Coke Zero 400 The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race at Daytona International Speedway. First held in 1959, the event consists of 160 laps, , and is the second of two major stock car events held at Daytona on the Cup Series ...

at Daytona would be his final broadcast. In 2007, he was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Hall of Fame. On May 23, 2012, the

NASCAR Hall of Fame The NASCAR Hall of Fame, is a Hall of Fame and Museum located in Charlotte, North Carolina that honors NASCAR and its history. Inductees to the Hall of Fame are drivers who have shown expert skill at NASCAR driving, all-time great crew chiefs ...

announced the creation of the Squier-Hall Award for Media Excellence, named for Hall and former MRN reporter Ken Squier. On January 26, 2016, MRN president David Hyatt announced that Hall had died at the age of 83 after complications from surgery. He was survived by his wife of 35 years, Karen Carrier.

References

{{Authority control 1932 births 2016 deaths American color commentators Motorsport announcers People from Elkin, North Carolina United States Navy sailors