Barney Hall, NASCAR Announcer Dies

© John David Mercer, USA TODAY Sports

Legendary NASCAR announcer Barney Hall dies at 83 - Barney Hall, the Motor Racing Network anchor whose smooth voice brought NASCAR to life over radio waves for decades, died Tuesday from complications following a recent medical procedure. He was 83.

Hall called his first Daytona 500 on the radio in 1960 and had been a key part of MRN's broadcasts since 1970.

Though the network's tagline -- "You're listening to MRN -- the Voice of NASCAR" -- wasn't Hall's alone, it certainly described him. He exuded a sense of calm in a chaotic sport, making listeners feel as if he was sitting beside them on the front porch while describing races from his perch in radio booths across the country.

Hall was a giant among the media; along with Ken Squier, his name is one of two on the NASCAR Hall of Fame's highest honor for media -- the Squier-Hall Award. He and Squier were also the first two recipients.

Hall of Fame executive director Winston Kelley called Hall "one of the greatest broadcasters ever of any sport."

"Barney’s accomplishments and contributions to NASCAR are immeasurable and without parallel," Kelley said. "... Whether you met him or not, you felt like you knew him. His easy, conversational delivery made you feel like you were listening to one of your closest friends or relatives tell you a story – the story of the very NASCAR race he was describing.

"He could paint a picture that would make Picasso or Rembrandt proud and tell a story that would awe Hemingway or Twain."

MRN president David Hyatt said Hall was "perhaps the most trusted reporter of his day." He also mentored many of the current radio and TV broadcasters who work in the racing industry.

"Barney Hall was the true voice of NASCAR and although his own voice has gone silent, his presence will live on in the many current motor sports broadcasters who learned at the knee of such a great storyteller," Hyatt said.

Hall called his final race in July 2014 at Daytona International Speedway, though he appeared as a special contributor to broadcasts in the time since. He is survived by longtime companion Karen Carrier.