Performance Racing Network

The Performance Racing Network (PRN) is a radio syndication network controlled by Speedway Motorsports founded in 1981. PRN airs NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series events held at Speedway Motorsports and Penske Corporation-owned tracks.

Performance Racing Network
TypeDivision of Speedway Motorsports
IndustryRadio Network
Founded1981 (1981)
HeadquartersCharlotte Motor Speedway Concord, North Carolina
Key people
Doug Rice
ProductsNASCAR racing and radio programming
Number of employees
Roughly 70
Websitewww.goprn.com

PRN first began airing the NASCAR events at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Coca-Cola 600, the fall race, but not the All-Star race). After SMI acquired additional tracks, the network began airing the events at Atlanta, Bristol, Kentucky, Las Vegas, New Hampshire, Sonoma and Texas as well. Since 2004, PRN also airs the NASCAR weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, through a joint production with the IMS Radio Network.

Other NASCAR events (those operated by ISC, Dover Motorsports and the Mattioli family), are broadcast by ISC-owned Motor Racing Network. On most occasions, PRN and MRN share the same radio affiliates, in order to broadcast a complete NASCAR schedule. The only exception is if one station in the same market is a full-time Shell INDYCAR radio affiliate, where the INDYCAR Radio affiliate has first right of refusal, and the Indianapolis races may belong to the IMS station if they oblige.

All PRN shows with the exception of the pre and post race shows originate from Performance Racing Network's studios at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

All PRN race broadcasts are available via Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Fast Talk is also carried on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio on Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time. Fast Talk, The O'Reilly Pit Reporters and Garage Pass can all be heard online at goprn.com.

Programming

PRN's schedule includes the following:

  • Fast Talk: Doug Rice hosts the show with a rotating host, usually a driver. The driver co-hosts include Kyle Petty,[1] Jeff Hammond and Hermie Sadler. The rotating host format was adopted after the death of Benny Parsons, who had hosted the show during the first 14 seasons. It is a call-in show that airs Mondays at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time. Fast Talk is heard on 220 stations, fifty-two weeks a year. Fast Talk is also live video streamed and can be viewed at goprn.com.
  • Garage Pass: Mark Garrow[1] and Steve Richards (substitute) anchor this four-minute NASCAR news program. Garage Pass is heard on 450 stations across the USA. The program was created by Garrow in 1986 under the name "Winston Cup USA" and ran on a handful of stations for one year. In 1987, Garrow partnered with Capitol Sports Network in Raleigh, North Carolina to network and sell the program. The name was changed to "Winston Cup Today" and grew to approximately 480 stations at its peak. Richards produced the program, served as substitute host and covered the majority of the scheduled NASCAR events. Midway into the 1999 season the show was ended by Capitol Broadcasting when NASCAR demanded rights fees for the use of audio originating from the racetrack. In 2000, Garrow partnered with Performance Racing Network as the show was resurrected and renamed "Garagepass" as the rights fee issue was settled. 2011 marked the 25th year Mark Garrow has produced a daily NASCAR news program. Steve Richards, who began his radio career in 1977, has been covering the sport on a full-time basis for about 15 years, and before that on a part-time basis from 1985. He also covered Duke, NC State and University of North Carolina basketball and football from 1986 until the mid-nineties for WRAL-FM and the North Carolina News Network. Richards produced and anchored the scoreboard shows on the Duke and NC State football networks.
  • O'Reilly Auto Parts Pit Reporters: Brett McMillan hosts a panel-driven show with journalists discussing the issues of the week in NASCAR Racing, primarily in the Sprint Cup. Other forms of racing are occasionally talked about if the news is important enough.
  • ZMax Racing Country: A weekly, two-hour country music-oriented program hosted by WKKT morning disc jockey Paul Schadt along with Cathy Martindale, with news from both country music and NASCAR. Top country artists and NASCAR drivers are featured in interviews as are a rundown of the week's popular country songs. This is a 52-week program (no off-season breaks). The program dates back to 1989 and was formerly known as NASCAR Country before losing the rights to the NASCAR name circa 2000. Its slogan is the two fastest hours on the radio. The program comes in two versions: one for current country music radio stations and one for classic country radio stations.

Jim Noble also co-hosts a daily call-in show on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio channel 90 called Tradin' Paint with longtime gasman for Dale Earnhardt, Chocolate Myers, Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern time. Brad Gillie co-hosts a late night call-in show on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio called Late-Shift Monday and Tuesday nights from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Eastern time. He now does the show with Kenny Wallace. Gillie also is a frequent co-host of Press-Pass every Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. Pat Patterson hosts a weekend morning call-in show called The Frontstretch from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. during the season and 9:00 to noon in the offseason.

Announcers
Elliott Sadler and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in an interview on Performance Racing Network

Booth announcers
  • Doug Rice (lead announcer, co-host of Fast Talk)
  • Mark Garrow (announcer for Cup Series Races, host of Garage Pass)
  • Wendy Venturini (social media reporter from the booth)

Turn announcers
  • Rob Albright (lead turn announcer)
  • Pat Patterson (Host of The Frontstretch on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio)

Pit reporters
  • Brett McMillan (Host of O'Reilly Auto Parts Pit Reporters)
  • Steve Richards
  • Jim Noble (Co-host of Tradin' Paint on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio)
  • Brad Gillie (Co-host of Late Shift on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio) (Also fill-in booth and turn announcer)
  • Hermie Sadler (fill-in reporter)
  • Doug Turnbull (fill-in pit reporter and turn announcer)
  • Heather DeBeaux (fill-in reporter)

References
  1. Wineka, Mark (February 16, 2011). "NASCAR announcer calls Salisbury home". Salisbury Post. Concord, North Carolina: Boone Newspapers. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
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