Start Your Engines: How short track racing helped his family get through the COVID-19 Pandemic with Robbie Harvey aka "The Race Announcer"

Join Christian Jones and Regan Bell with their guest Robbie Harvey as they chat about the adrenaline-inducing racing world and its gradual evolution through the years. Robbie was covering sporting events for Blab TV when broadcasting the Snowball Derby first crossed his mind. He had only announced for basketball, baseball, football, and even hockey games until that point, but never cars chasing each other in circles. But even when Robbie knew as much about racing as the average Joe, his play-by-play of the Derby was good enough even to grab the attention of long-time Five Flags Speedway promoter Tim Bryant. So now, his distinctive style of announcing has been iconized by many short-track racing fans in America. But then, what truly solidified his love for racing was how it helped his family get through some of the most challenging times of their lives. Today, Robbie shares this story, along with his many endearing experiences with racing, so stay tuned and enjoy the episode!

About Robbie Harvey:

Robbie Harvey was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida. On the Gulf Coast, Robbie was involved in many entertainment projects during his career. So far, he has served as the announcer for Pensacola State College Basketball, USA Boxing, and now Five Flags Speedway.

Robbie has also worked for Blab TV and WSRE. And, as a former DJ, he has won an Addy Award, six Telly Awards, and was nominated twice for the Suncoast Emmy Awards. In addition, Robbie created the viral NAS Pensacola Heart and viral images from Hurricane Michael in Panama City. Recently, he has also gone viral on TikTok under “The Race Announcer” for his inspiring short-form videos.

For Extended Show Notes Visit www.fantasticpeoplepod.com Outline of the Episode:

• [03:45] Robbie’s life growing up in Pensacola, Florida
• [06:11] His dreams of being an announcer, a media director, and a meteorologist
• [07:40] The challenges of announcing for different sports at various events and venues
• [09:16] His first experience with racing, both NASCAR and short-track
• [12:04] What it means for him to be able to introduce racing to his kids
• [14:30] “iRacing” and how sports have transitioned into the virtual space
• [18:05] Why anyone should give racing a try, whether short-track or NASCAR
• [20:20] How everyone is treated like a regular person in the racing community
• [22:45] Racing as an outlet from regular life and the importance of having one
• [24:49] His COVID experience and the problem with lockdowns regarding mental health
• [26:46] How the racing space has changed due to the ongoing pandemic
• [30:27] Robbie’s thoughts on racing, the community, and the stigma surrounding them
• [34:07] What Robbie Harvey thinks the future of racing will look like
• [38:01] His experience with TikTok and how he got viral

Resources

Website: https://theraceannouncer.com/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theraceannouncer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/robbieharvey

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theraceannouncer/

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