There was a time when NASCAR made appearances on TV only rarely. Then only highlights were seen, not entire races. It was left to one man to carry an entire sport. The voice of Barney Hall could be heard across the South on a Sunday afternoon as people returned home from church and gathered around a radio to hear the exploits of men with names like Buddy Baker, David Pearson and Richard Petty on a racetrack somewhere. It was during this era that Barney Hall became the voice of NASCAR. He never competed on a racetrack, never hoisted a trophy in Victory Lane, yet was just as important to NASCAR as any of its legendary drivers. That voice fell silent Tuesday night as Barney Hall passed away at age 83 after complications from a recent medical procedure.
During this early era as people worked in garages, drove in their own cars, or sat on couches and heard that voice emanating from a speaker they could easily imagine the excitement as men wheeled their mighty stock cars around places such as Darlington, Charlotte or Daytona thanks to his descriptions. His voice never wavered, rarely became lost, yet always gave people colorful images in their minds that conveyed that excitement.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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