Bob Jenkins: A Generational Voice

If you were to piece together the best of NASCAR broadcasting, you can nail down who you'd want for play-by-play. Back then, you had Ken Squier for CBS and TBS. There was Mike Joy at TNN and CBS before doing his current run at Fox. And then you had Bob Jenkins, who just passed away from a fight with cancer. If there was ever a time to be in the right spot at the right time, he was that and put together a very long tenure at ESPN.

It's hard to think that ESPN cared more about non-NBA and non-NFL stuff. NASCAR was one of their early broadcasting packages and the Cup series was around in 1981 up through to 2000. Home to many notable races including the first Brickyard race in 1994. Many classic Atlanta races such as the final race of the 1992 season. Final races ever at Riverside and North Wilkesboro. Jenkins was there. Whether it was with Larry Nubar the first seven years or the combo of Benny Parsons and Ned Jarrett, you had excitement coming from this crew.

This was one of ESPN's first deals with anything that wasn't college sports. Auto racing was something they invested in and the sport ballooned to high popularity as it got more mainstream. NASCAR became more than just a Southern sport. The network would get to expand throughout the 80s with the NBA, NHL, NFL, and much more like Tennis and even wrestling. Jenkins also was a part of calling the Indianapolis 500 for many years, something I did not know of.  He was an Indiana native. To be around that for 60 years as a fan and later on to call races, that's a life well spent.

Jenkins would still work with ESPN a little bit after the Cup series moved following the 2000 seasons. He would go to NBC Sports as well where he ended his run in 2012 to take care of his wife who would pass from cancer that same year. Today's batch of broadcasters do not get the same kind of love that he had. You'll never see a guy like him again. One of the true treasures of auto racing and broadcasting.