Motor Racing Network Earns NMPA Honors

Motor Racing Network – “The Voice of NASCAR” – was honored by the National Motorsports Press Association last night with seven awards for radio excellence in 2014, including first place in the Live Event Broadcast category for the second year in a row.

Barney Hall, the legendary voice who has been part of the MRN family since the network’s debut in 1970, was named Broadcaster of the Year and Darrell Smith was honored as Producer of the Year.

MRN’s coverage of the dramatic, season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway – with Kevin Harvick edging Ryan Newman for the Sprint Cup Series championship -- took top honors in the Live Event Broadcast category.  It was produced by Brian Nelson, and MRN President and Executive Producer David Hyatt accepted the award.

“The 2014 season will be remembered as one of the most thrilling, dramatic years in NASCAR history,” Hyatt said.  “Our team performed exceptionally well in delivering that excitement to our listeners and NASCAR fans across the country.  We humbly accept these accolades from the NMPA.”

In addition to being named Producer of the Year, Smith won two other first-place awards.  He produced a feature on Hall’s retirement from full-time race coverage in July, and was also cited for his work on MRN’s “Talespin,” which features Hall as a master storyteller, spinning some of the sport’s most interesting yarns from years past.  Smith won with a feature titled “Creative Engineering in NASCAR,” which was produced in collaboration with Alex Hayden, Hall’s co-host.  These awards were in Event-oriented Feature Radio and Topic-oriented Feature Radio, respectively.

“Talespin” is available for download at www.MRN.com and also at itunes.

Smith and Hall also teamed up to win second place in Topic-oriented Feature Radio with MRN’s pre-season special “1979 Daytona 500: NASCAR Storms America.”

Nelson won second place in Spot News for producing a story which outlined NASCAR’s new qualifying procedures that were put in place for the 2014 season.

“Race teams use success at the end of one year to build momentum for the next season,” Hyatt said.  “We are no different.  All of us at the Motor Racing Network are honored for the achievements of 2014 and eager to get 2015 rolling.”

MRN Turn Announcer Mike Bagley and Pit Reporter Pete Pistone won third-place honors in Event-oriented Feature Radio as co-hosts of SiriusXM’s “Morning Drive.” 

Turn Announcer Dave Moody also won three awards for his work outside the network; second place in Spot News for coverage of the Tony Stewart sprint car accident, fifth place in Race Coverage for Brendan Gaughan’s XFINITY Series win at Road America -- both posted online at GodfatherMotorsports.com -- and third place in Broadcast Spot News for a feature titled “Remembering Lynda Petty” that aired on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s SiriusXM Speedway.

Motor Racing Network’s 2015 event broadcast schedule will begin this Friday with exclusive radio coverage of the sixth annual NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony from Charlotte, N.C.  Air time will be 8 p.m. (EST), with live streaming at MRN.com.

Coverage of Budweiser Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway will follow, beginning Feb. 13 and culminating with the 57^th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 22.  Joe Moore and Jeff Striegle will anchor Motor Racing Network’s broadcast of “The Great American Race” starting at 12 p.m., also with live streaming at MRN.com.