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Irwindale Announcer To Be Honored At Long Beach
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Thursday morning, April 14, at 11 a.m., Bruce Flanders, along with the legendary Team Penske will be inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame and his plaque (bearing the image of a microphone) will join an honor roll of 26 entities that have been named to the honor since it was dedicated in 2006.
Among the already honored are legendary drivers the like Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, Brian Redman, Mario and Michael Andretti, Al Unser, Jr., Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan, Robby Gordon, and Scott Pruett; racing teams like Target Chip Ganassi, Galles Racing, and Newman/Haas Racing, and team owners Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe. Race founder Chris Pook was honored in 2007.
Known far and wide as "The Voice of the Grand Prix,” Flanders has served at that position since 1978, coming aboard when the race was still run down Ocean avenue and his announce booth was a ultra claustrophobic converted freight container perched precariously trackside on some spindly scaffolding about 30 or so feet off the ground.
This 2016 event will make this one Flanders’ 39th consecutive Long Beach race doing what he does best for a whole weekend worth of racing action. A consummate information-giver, Flanders also has a fun side with his annual "Ugly Hawaiian Shirt Contest" that he stages for the fans. The contest has become a regular Long Beach Grand Prix tradition and the cause of a massive bump in business for thrift shops in the three counties surrounding Long Beach during the days leading up to the event.
The versatile Flanders has been the regular Saturday night voice for NASCAR short track events at Irwindale Speedway since it opened in 1999 and has announced major motorsports events across this country as well as in Europe. His buttery baritone voice has been featured in hundreds of radio ads for a variety of products, many of which are totally unrelated to motorsports.
"We're very proud to have an icon like Bruce working for us," said Irwindale Event Center's Bob Klein. "He's a true pro, nothing ever bothers him ... I think if our PA system ever broke down, Bruce would just open a window and speak loud enough for everyone in the crowd to hear his call of the race.”
Fittingly, Flanders' unique Walk of Fame medallion will feature a microphone, while the Team Penske plaque will have one of that teams' winning race cars emblazoned on it.
The public-invited event will take place on South Pine Avenue in front of the Convention Center.
Among the already honored are legendary drivers the like Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, Brian Redman, Mario and Michael Andretti, Al Unser, Jr., Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan, Robby Gordon, and Scott Pruett; racing teams like Target Chip Ganassi, Galles Racing, and Newman/Haas Racing, and team owners Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe. Race founder Chris Pook was honored in 2007.
Known far and wide as "The Voice of the Grand Prix,” Flanders has served at that position since 1978, coming aboard when the race was still run down Ocean avenue and his announce booth was a ultra claustrophobic converted freight container perched precariously trackside on some spindly scaffolding about 30 or so feet off the ground.
This 2016 event will make this one Flanders’ 39th consecutive Long Beach race doing what he does best for a whole weekend worth of racing action. A consummate information-giver, Flanders also has a fun side with his annual "Ugly Hawaiian Shirt Contest" that he stages for the fans. The contest has become a regular Long Beach Grand Prix tradition and the cause of a massive bump in business for thrift shops in the three counties surrounding Long Beach during the days leading up to the event.
The versatile Flanders has been the regular Saturday night voice for NASCAR short track events at Irwindale Speedway since it opened in 1999 and has announced major motorsports events across this country as well as in Europe. His buttery baritone voice has been featured in hundreds of radio ads for a variety of products, many of which are totally unrelated to motorsports.
"We're very proud to have an icon like Bruce working for us," said Irwindale Event Center's Bob Klein. "He's a true pro, nothing ever bothers him ... I think if our PA system ever broke down, Bruce would just open a window and speak loud enough for everyone in the crowd to hear his call of the race.”
Fittingly, Flanders' unique Walk of Fame medallion will feature a microphone, while the Team Penske plaque will have one of that teams' winning race cars emblazoned on it.
The public-invited event will take place on South Pine Avenue in front of the Convention Center.
