Who for Mwah, will Always be The voice of the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway…
Won’t go into the whole Wooly Irony thingy’,
other than it’s ironic that when I last mentioned Bob Jenkins name on No
Fenders, Sadly it would be the very same day he died from Brain Cancer at Age
73. Thus it naturally seemed appropriate to wait until the just concluded
IndyCar NASCAR Double Header weekend at Bob’s favourite Haunt to mention this
news.
As Robin Miller,
who we all know if fighting his own fight with Cancer and Leukemia, gave a
wonderful tribute to Bob during Saturday morning’s IndyCar Pre-race show on NBC
Sports…
For Mwah, bob as the lead Announcer with BP’,
aka Benny Parsons and Ned Jarrett alongside made watching NASCAR quite
palatable, which being an Open Wheel Racing Fan speaks volumes, as they were my
favourite Roundy round TV Broadcast Crew! Since Bob never pontificated Thar Duh
Greatest Drivers in the World like Mike Joy does. And he certainly never
stooped to the Hijinx of ‘Ol DW’s boogity-boogity-Boogity…
As I’ll let IndyCar Curmudgeon ‘Ol r’, aka Robin
Miller recount Jenkins career path to Speedway Stardom instead.
https://racer.com/2021/02/22/miller-saluting-a-humble-speedway-icon/
As I truly didn’t appreciate Bob’s immense Broadcasting
Talents until he became the Anchor of the Versus/NBC Sports Network IndyCar TV
Broadcasts between 2009-2012, when he retired at season’s end to take care of
his wife of 44 years Pam, who ultimately Died from Brain Cancer herself in October,
2012. As what are the Odds of both of them dying from Brain Cancer?
As it’s somewhat funny to note that I scribbled
some words here on No Fenders eleven Gory years ago Defending bob, since
apparently somebody had Attacked him verbally, for which I still Don’t know
what their ridiculous complaint towards Jenkins was.
Since the more times I heard bob on Don Kay’s ‘lil
Autosport Radio show over the years, the more Bob became a truly Humble, Caring
and Passionate Fan of Auto Racing to Mwah, not to mention just being a Stand Up
guy!
http://www.nofenders.net/2010/03/so-what-about-bob.html
And now that it will b 20 years ago this
September when I made my Debutante Trek to Mother Speedway Thanks solely to
Tacoma Bureau Chief Mary Ellen, her wonderful Hoond Sarah and ‘Ol blue’, her
Ford Econoline Campervan, having driven Coast to Coast for that year’s United
States Grand Prix. I can no longer recall if the Great Tom Carnegie was talking
over the IMS Public Address system that long ago Fall weekend?
Since now in my memory, I’ve only heard Dave Calabro
as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s PA “voice” in person, for which Calabro is
instantly recognizable to Mwah, and does a great job, but he just doesn’t Ooze
Passion for the Speedway the way Jenkins does!
Since for Me Bob Jenkins is the voice I always
wanted to Hear the Most over Mother Speedway’s loudspeakers, since he epitomized
the Brickyard for Mwah! As what did ‘lil Al (Unser) once famously say? You just
don’t know what Indy Means!” For which I’d say Jenkins surely did!
Salute Bob!
As here’s the great
video montage put together for Bob’s retirement from the (Versus) NBC Sports TV Booth in order to take care of his Ill wife
Pam, with Professor B’, aka Jon Beekhuis Heaping rightfully glowing Praise upon
his colleague…
