Rick Allen (sportscaster)

Rick Allen Schwieger, known professionally as Rick Allen (born June 17, 1969), is a television personality, play-by-play announcer, and voice-over artist. He currently works for NBC Sports as the play-by-play announcer for NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series and Xfinity Series, and on an interim basis for the Verzion IndyCar Series. He previously had done play-by-play broadcasting for Fox Sports's coverage of NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series and voice-over work for Goodyear, Sears, Alltel, and Toyota among many others.[1]

Biography

Allen grew up in Grand Island, Nebraska, and was a walk on for the University of Nebraska Track and Field team, where he was a letter winner all four seasons, a three-time All-American in the sport, winning two Big Eight Conference decathlon titles (1991–92).[2][3][4] He received his bachelor's degree of communications from the university. After graduation, he worked as a public address announcer for the University of Nebraska athletic department, and later at local dirt oval racetracks including Eagle Raceway, where Fox Sports found him.[2]

From 2003 to mid-2014, Allen worked for Fox Sports, where his main duty was calling the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Racing Series on SPEED and later Fox Sports 1. He occasionally covered Nationwide Series (now Xfinity Series) events.[2][3][5][6]

On December 4, 2013, it was announced that Allen will become the lead announcer for NASCAR on NBC starting in 2015.[7] In early 2014, he began his NBC duties as host of their daily studio program NASCAR America, while still working for Fox.

During the Truck Series Eldora race on July 23, 2014, Allen announced that it would be his last race at Fox Sports, as he was now bound only to NBC.[8] As most of his work was with the Truck Series, he received a standing ovation at the Truck Series drivers' meeting before the race. Allen was set to be replaced by Steve Byrnes until Byrnes died from head and neck cancer. Mike Joy, Adam Alexander, Vince Welch, Ralph Sheheen and Brian Till for remainder of 2014 and all of 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Vince Welch became the full time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series announcer in 2016. It was announced that Allen will be joining the IndyCar Series on NBC broadcast team for select Verizon IndyCar Series events beginning at Phoenix, filling in for regular IndyCar play-by-play announcer Leigh Diffey because Diffey worked with NBC's F1 coverage.

Notable Calls

July 5, 2015 - Allen called the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Race on NBC for the first time in 8 years opening the race at the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona.

October 18, 2015 - In the Hollywood Casino 400, with 5 laps to go, the 22 car of Joey Logano spun the 20 car of Matt Kenseth for the lead, a must win race for Kenseth. Allen on the call:

Here comes the 22! He's closed the gap, all over the bumper now, as they've caught this slower traffic! AND AROUND GOES THE 20, SIDEWAYS IN FRONT OF THE 22! Kenseth slides! Caution comes out!

November 1, 2015 - 2 weeks after his spin with Joey Logano, Kenseth, who was already out of contention after an accident earlier in the race, caught Logano, who at the time was leading the race, and turned him going into turn 1 in the Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500. Allen called the race on NBCSN, in which he said:

And... Kenseth, cleared by Logano, MAYBE NO! KENSETH TAKES HIM OUT! LOGANO IN THE WALL! Caution comes out and the crowd roars!

November 20, 2016 - In the 2016 Ford EcoBoost 400, Allen called Jimmie Johnson's record-tying 7th Sprint Cup Championship:

Make room, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. There's another seven-time champ. Jimmie Johnson wins his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship!

References

  1. ↑ "Rick Allen • Television Personality & Voice Over Talent". Web.archive.org. 2013-12-13. Archived from the original on 2013-12-13. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  2. 1 2 3 Grell, Clarck (July 4, 2015). "Nebraska's Rick Allen begins his dream job calling Sprint Cup races for NBC". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  3. 1 2 Hambleton, Ken (February 16, 2014). "Former Husker takes on NASCAR announcing challenge". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  4. ↑ Ebersole, Amanda (September 2011). "Rick Allen: The Voice of NASCAR". Skirts and Scuffs. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "Daytona 500 on Fox Broadcast Guide" (PDF). Fox NASCAR. 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  6. ↑ "Rick Allen • Television Personality & Voice Over Talent". Web.archive.org. 2013-10-24. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  7. ↑ "NBC tabs Rick Allen as lead race announcer". NASCAR. December 4, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  8. ↑ Hyatt, Ryan (July 24, 2014). "Five things to ponder after NASCAR took to the dirt at Eldora". motorsport.com. Retrieved 15 March 2016.



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