Chet Christner
 

Is he returning to announce the USAC races on Flo in 2024?

A Facebook friend just posted he's not because of too much traveling. A big loss to the USAC races on Flo if this is true. :(

Chet Christner
 

No inside info but if the above is true, Chet's replacement has travelled with him all this year.

Someone who knows the infield of every USAC track very well.

PS. We'll enjoy having Drake in Australia with us this summer.

Re: Chet Christner
 

Great News!

cant stand Chet

Re: Chet Christner
 

Sad news, Chets one of the best

Re: Chet Christner
 

Chet is great, usually.

If Chet is not returning, USAC had better open up their pocketbooks, for once, and get a deserving talented individual, such as Chet, to take the USAC Racing Organization to the next level, as the culture is ever changing.

It is my understanding Chet is paid by Flo, not USAC. The rest of the broadcast crew are provided by USAC

Re: Chet Christner
 

Originally Posted by brown11b:
It is my understanding Chet is paid by Flo, not USAC. The rest of the broadcast crew are provided by USAC

So the camera guy(s), FLO video production Van, non working wireless mics, etc. are all USAC employees and equipment?

That is correct. Chet works for Flo

Re: Chet Christner
 

Chet to High Limit since Blake Anderson is not moving over from his All-Star announcing role?

Chet himself said he would not be returning to announce USAC races any longer. I heard this on the Hoogies Garage podcast. I’d add a link if I knew how. I personally thought he was a great announcer.

Re: Chet Christner
 

Originally Posted by RACrappieman:
Chet himself said he would not be returning to announce USAC races any longer. I heard this on the Hoogies Garage podcast. I’d add a link if I knew how. I personally thought he was a great announcer.

https://mostlymotorsports.podbean.co...ten-bob-baker/

Re: Chet Christner
 

Originally Posted by RACrappieman:
Chet himself said he would not be returning to announce USAC races any longer. I heard this on the Hoogies Garage podcast. I’d add a link if I knew how. I personally thought he was a great announcer.

Being an announcer is pretty thankless. I did it locally out in California a long time ago. Like with anything public, there will be haters and those that like you. Personally, I thought that Chet did a good job. Frankly, I thought Tony did last year, too. I think that Drake does a good job adding color and info from the track, and not sure that he is ready for the head job yet, but I do think that he will be. It will be interesting to see who takes the mike next year.

Re: Chet Christner
 

Bring back Rob Klepper

Originally Posted by Chief Wahoo:
Bring back Rob Klepper

Don't think that will happen,WRG,Extreme Midgets?

I'll be in a minority here but I was Ok with Tony LaPorta.

https://twitter.com/ChetChristner/st...X8XtGWXjQ&s=19

Watch ‘em now!

Originally Posted by wildman92:
Watch ‘em now!

Shut yo mouth Mayor!

It’s a HUGE loss if it is indeed true Chet is leaving. The only way USAC could even think about filling those shoes would be to hire Dillon Welch, but I’m pretty sure he’s not going to be leaving his weekend gig anytime soon. Dillon was great with High Limit

Originally Posted by Rpracing1:
Shut yo mouth Mayor!

No more complimentary cheeseburgers for you.

Re: Chet Christner
 

Originally Posted by Dirtfan:
Don't think that will happen,WRG,Extreme Midgets?

Every party has a pooper, that’s why we invited you. :D

Originally Posted by Rpracing1:
Shut yo mouth Mayor!

I think the tickets you inquired about just went down the 🚽

Re: Chet Christner
 

Announcers come in a lot of flavors. IMHO it is far more difficult than building the winning engine or car. Announcers have almost no time to prepare. They work to remember drivers names and how they like them spoken. But they no zero time to prepare for all the things that happen in nanoseconds. Traveling the USAC trail is a family killer. Most people simply could never do it period.

Re: Chet Christner
 

Originally Posted by Chief Wahoo:
Bring back Rob Klepper

Rob was good. I don't think at this point, he wants that grueling of a schedule. I also never minded Tony. Streaming you hear so much from them, that the lines they use can get old. That is because they are playing to the live crowd. (as they should). Really can't think of a USAC announcer in the last 30 years that was bad. They will find someone.

Re: Chet Christner
 

Originally Posted by cmakin:
Being an announcer is pretty thankless. I did it locally out in California a long time ago. Like with anything public, there will be haters and those that like you. Personally, I thought that Chet did a good job. Frankly, I thought Tony did last year, too. I think that Drake does a good job adding color and info from the track, and not sure that he is ready for the head job yet, but I do think that he will be. It will be interesting to see who takes the mike next year.

I wouldn't mind seeing Drake get the nod if he so desires. He may not have snappy redundant phrases but he knows the sport. He knows the venues, the teams, the cars, and is getting the hang of the microphone. It would be quite a challenge for sure, but what an opportunity for a youngster, maybe. I was fortunate to chat with Drake at Path Valley Speedway during an April USAC swing and I was pretty impressed with how he conducted himself during the hectic flo set up, he seemed to have it together more than some others. BTW I like Chet and got used to Tony.

Chet tweeted he chose not to come back.

Re: Chet Christner
 

High Limit

Re: Chet Christner
 

Originally Posted by Charles Nungester:
High Limit

Wishing, guessing, or you got facts?

Originally Posted by Charles Nungester:
High Limit

Kind of the logical choice

Re: Chet Christner
 

[QUOTE=Dirtfan;570454]Don't think that will happen,WRG,Extreme Midgets?

I'll be in a minority here but I was Ok with Tony LaPorta.

I’d like to join your minority.He did well considering his limited knowledge of the series and its tracks. I got the chance to speak with Tony a few different times as that season progressed. I kept telling him to keep his head up. You could tell things were tough. The way he was eviscerated on this board had to be demoralizing. Even if he were offered this gig, why would he come back?
I have to wonder why there is a revolving door with announcers of Usac, yet I believe Johnny at WoO has been around a long time, as well Blake at the All Stars until this years sale of it. Hmmm. Someone wrote the grueling tour for Usac is a family killer. Isn’t any job that a person accepts that requires a ton of travel?? Heck the WoO series really doesn’t even have a home base like Usac does, where an awful lot of its season is spent in Indiana. Thank you to Chet for doing his job well while he was on tour and best wishes. I’m also hoping that Usac has a plan to generate some level of excitement at PRI similar to what we’ve endured the last few weeks over winged racing.

Re: Chet Christner
 

Originally Posted by Chief Wahoo:
Wishing, guessing, or you got facts?

None of the above, I asked a Magic 8 Ball.

Re: Chet Christner
 

Originally Posted by Charles Nungester:
None of the above, I asked a Magic 8 Ball.

Well it should have told you to “ Ask again later “ or “ Cannot predict now “. :D

[quote=yeleyfan76;570480]

Originally Posted by Dirtfan:
Don't think that will happen,WRG,Extreme Midgets?

I'll be in a minority here but I was Ok with Tony LaPorta.

I’d like to join your minority.He did well considering his limited knowledge of the series and its tracks. I got the chance to speak with Tony a few different times as that season progressed. I kept telling him to keep his head up. You could tell things were tough. The way he was eviscerated on this board had to be demoralizing. Even if he were offered this gig, why would he come back?
I have to wonder why there is a revolving door with announcers of Usac, yet I believe Johnny at WoO has been around a long time, as well Blake at the All Stars until this years sale of it. Hmmm. Someone wrote the grueling tour for Usac is a family killer. Isn’t any job that a person accepts that requires a ton of travel?? Heck the WoO series really doesn’t even have a home base like Usac does, where an awful lot of its season is spent in Indiana. Thank you to Chet for doing his job well while he was on tour and best wishes. I’m also hoping that Usac has a plan to generate some level of excitement at PRI similar to what we’ve endured the last few weeks over winged racing.

I first met John Gibson back in 1990 or 91 at a Wednesday night All Star race at Atomic (K-C back then). He’s originally from Pennsylvania, and at the time he was a courier for a bank around Pittsburgh. We got to talking and he said he was just a fan and said he would be able to get home by two or three in the AM and be able to go to work the next morning. Wasn’t long after that and he got hired by the WoO program seller, 1st name was Bill but his last escapes me. Bill sold programs at the main gate and hired Johnny to work the stands. Maybe a year or 2 later Bill left to take another racing affiliated job and John got hired to be the program seller replacing Bill. Used to see him quite a bit back then. About a month before the 1996 Kings Royal (Won by Johnny Herrera) when TNT was televising the race they hired John on to be the spotter for the TV
Announcers as John knew all the cars and drivers. He asked me if I could help him out and take his place selling programs that night. I said sure. I was prepared to walk the stands selling the program, but John said no… all you have to do is sit at the table at the main gate selling the programs and take care of the kids. I asked the kids?….. John said yeah you give them change and the programs and they work the stands and when they sell those they come back for more programs and you collect their money and make sure they have enough change….. I said “ who are the kids!” John said “they’re Haud’s niece and nephew!”That was 1996 and wasn’t long after that when John got promoted to being the official WoO announcer. He’s been with the WoO ever since…..John Gibson is a great announcer and a class act!!

Re: Chet Christner
 

[quote=cowboyhar69;570484]

Originally Posted by yeleyfan76:

I first met John Gibson back in 1990 or 91 at a Wednesday night All Star race at Atomic (K-C back then). He’s originally from Pennsylvania, and at the time he was a courier for a bank around Pittsburgh. We got to talking and he said he was just a fan and said he would be able to get home by two or three in the AM and be able to go to work the next morning. Wasn’t long after that and he got hired by the WoO program seller, 1st name was Bill but his last escapes me. Bill sold programs at the main gate and hired Johnny to work the stands. Maybe a year or 2 later Bill left to take another racing affiliated job and John got hired to be the program seller replacing Bill. Used to see him quite a bit back then. About a month before the 1996 Kings Royal (Won by Johnny Herrera) when TNT was televising the race they hired John on to be the spotter for the TV
Announcers as John knew all the cars and drivers. He asked me if I could help him out and take his place selling programs that night. I said sure. I was prepared to walk the stands selling the program, but John said no… all you have to do is sit at the table at the main gate selling the programs and take care of the kids. I asked the kids?….. John said yeah you give them change and the programs and they work the stands and when they sell those they come back for more programs and you collect their money and make sure they have enough change….. I said “ who are the kids!” John said “they’re Haud’s niece and nephew!”That was 1996 and wasn’t long after that when John got promoted to being the official WoO announcer. He’s been with the WoO ever since…..John Gibson is a great announcer and a class act!!

That may have been Bill Woodside.

[quote=Vookie;570485]

Originally Posted by cowboyhar69:

That may have been Bill Woodside.

YES!! Bill Woodside. Thanks!

Re: Chet Christner
 

Thanks for that story, Tom! :6:

Tom, you’re right about Gibson, I’ve said a lot most of us who have tired of him suffer from over exposure, not his talent. I’m tired of hearing Stairway to Heaven, but it remains a great song. You know what might be more attractive to a perspective hire, is why not have a different announcer for each series? And then someone like Drake to do the color following all the race’s. Just a thought. The more I think about Chet leaving the more sad I am. We have 4 streams going in the garage at time’s. And besides USAC being the priority 98% of the time, Chet is really the only one I want to listen to and turn the volume up on even when there’s no race actually taking place at the moment. I sure wish I was 30 years younger and still doing my DJ gigs. I would’ve loved to take a swing at this.

Re: Chet Christner
 

Who is Tom?

Cowboyhar69

Re: Chet Christner
 

Originally Posted by Andrew S. Quinn:
Who is Tom?

Type-o! :17:

Correction: Thanks for that story, Tim! :6:

Re: Chet Christner
 

Originally Posted by HDbill:
Announcers come in a lot of flavors. IMHO it is far more difficult than building the winning engine or car. Announcers have almost no time to prepare. They work to remember drivers names and how they like them spoken. But they no zero time to prepare for all the things that happen in nanoseconds. Traveling the USAC trail is a family killer. Most people simply could never do it period.

This comment reminds me of an incident at Hangtown (now Placerville) Speedway back in 77. I was announcing during a "claimer" stock car race. Now, the flag stand at the track is at the bottom level of the grandstands. Back then it protruded a couple of feet out from the stands, with wooden protection. During the feature, two cars came together on the front stretch, with one getting deflected directly into the flag stand. I just stood there, mike in hand and watched as the flag man fell, face forward into a cloud of dirt, splintered wood and race car, waiving the red flag all of the way down. I was absolutely speechless. Talk about having zero time to prepare. . . I was convinced that I watched a man die. . . as the dust settled, there he was, standing on the track and still waving his red flag. His white pants and shirt were stained from the red clay from the track. A large piece of plywood was placed over the opening in the fence where the flag stand used to stand, and a hole was cut so that the flagman could continue, and that was the way the night's racing was finished. That is certainly something that I will never forget. Hell, I can't even remember what I said once I had gathered my senses. . .

Re: Chet Christner
 

Originally Posted by Stevensville Mike:
Type-o! :17:

Correction: Thanks for that story, Tim! :6:

There for a minute I thought he had changed his name.