Rick Benjamin
Encyclopedia
Rick Benjamin is Speed Channel
's voice of the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series
, and has been the voice of Champ Car
racing for HDNet
from 2004 until then end of the final season of Champ Car in 2007
Benjamin was a local news reporter from 1976 until 1996, being a television anchorman and managing editor for markets as diverse as Knoxville, TN, (where his youngest son's birth was announced on-air) Quad-Cities, IA, San Antonio, TX, Toledo, OH, Roanoke, VA, and was the news director for Waterbury, CT's WATR.
Benjamin also did work for Mizlou Television Network
for their NASCAR
coverage, and for SportsChannel in 1990 when they aired Busch Grand National races, using the pseudonym Ron Williams.
When The Nashville Network
bought 50% of Ken Squier
and Fred Rheinstein's World Sports Enterprises, and shifted production of TNN's popular RaceDay from Patterson International to the network's own in-house operation, located inside the industrial park of Lowe's Motor Speedway
, Benjamin was named anchor of the network's RaceDay in 1995, anchoring the show until MTV shut down the entire CBS Charlotte operation in November 2000.
Benjamin is responsible for the "rebranding" of CART into Champ Cars, as during the CART-IRL dispute, Benjamin began using the term "Champ Car," an old term used in USAC during the Marlboro Championship Trail, to refer to the CART formula in 1997, on RaceDay after the rival Indy Racing League switched to a normally aspirated formula. The show used the term, which CART began using in 1998 after Federal Express took over sponsorship of the series from PPG Industries, and the new "Champ Car" term was a reference to the FedEx Championship Series. Since 2004, he has been the lead announcer for the series, which has gone out on Spike TV, CBS, NBC, Speed Channel & in 2007 returning to the networks of ESPN & ABC for the first time since 2001.
Benjamin was one of the very first on-air personalities at Speed when it was launched as SpeedVision in 1996. He is a former SpeedNews anchor.
Benjamin is also frequently a backup news anchor at Charlotte radio station WBT, where he has some duties with the Carolina Panthers pre and post game shows, and has used his experience in the news media to form Visioncast, where his group teaches drivers, crewmen, and corporate representatives to face the media.
Benjamin also co-hosts Tradin' Paint with Danny "Chocolate" Myers
on Sirius Satellite Radio
's NASCAR
channel 128.
Benjamin also appeared in the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, starring Will Ferrell.
SPEED Channel
Speed , is a cable and satellite television network broadcast to various parts of North America, but primarily the United States...
's voice of the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series
USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series
CARS Pro Cup Series is a stock car auto racing series in the United States. It is sanctioned by the Championship Auto Racing Series. The series races throughout the United States primarily on short tracks.-History:The sanctioning body was formed by Hooters owner Robert Brooks...
, and has been the voice of Champ Car
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
racing for HDNet
HDNet
HDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
from 2004 until then end of the final season of Champ Car in 2007
Benjamin was a local news reporter from 1976 until 1996, being a television anchorman and managing editor for markets as diverse as Knoxville, TN, (where his youngest son's birth was announced on-air) Quad-Cities, IA, San Antonio, TX, Toledo, OH, Roanoke, VA, and was the news director for Waterbury, CT's WATR.
Benjamin also did work for Mizlou Television Network
Mizlou Television Network
The Mizlou Television Network was an early syndicator of sports television in the United States. It was founded in 1961 by brothers Claude and Vic Piano. Its first telecast was of the 1968 Peach Bowl football game....
for their NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
coverage, and for SportsChannel in 1990 when they aired Busch Grand National races, using the pseudonym Ron Williams.
When The Nashville Network
Spike TV
Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
bought 50% of Ken Squier
Ken Squier
Ken Squier is an American sportscaster and motorsports editor from Waterbury, Vermont. From 1979-1997, he was the lap-by-lap commentator for NASCAR on CBS, and was also a lap-by-lap commentator for TBS from the time they had rights to NASCAR until 2000. Squier was the first announcer to give...
and Fred Rheinstein's World Sports Enterprises, and shifted production of TNN's popular RaceDay from Patterson International to the network's own in-house operation, located inside the industrial park of Lowe's Motor Speedway
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
, Benjamin was named anchor of the network's RaceDay in 1995, anchoring the show until MTV shut down the entire CBS Charlotte operation in November 2000.
Benjamin is responsible for the "rebranding" of CART into Champ Cars, as during the CART-IRL dispute, Benjamin began using the term "Champ Car," an old term used in USAC during the Marlboro Championship Trail, to refer to the CART formula in 1997, on RaceDay after the rival Indy Racing League switched to a normally aspirated formula. The show used the term, which CART began using in 1998 after Federal Express took over sponsorship of the series from PPG Industries, and the new "Champ Car" term was a reference to the FedEx Championship Series. Since 2004, he has been the lead announcer for the series, which has gone out on Spike TV, CBS, NBC, Speed Channel & in 2007 returning to the networks of ESPN & ABC for the first time since 2001.
Benjamin was one of the very first on-air personalities at Speed when it was launched as SpeedVision in 1996. He is a former SpeedNews anchor.
Benjamin is also frequently a backup news anchor at Charlotte radio station WBT, where he has some duties with the Carolina Panthers pre and post game shows, and has used his experience in the news media to form Visioncast, where his group teaches drivers, crewmen, and corporate representatives to face the media.
Benjamin also co-hosts Tradin' Paint with Danny "Chocolate" Myers
Danny "Chocolate" Myers
Danny "Chocolate" Myers is an American stock car racing personality. A long-time staffer for Richard Childress Racing, he was the fueler on six of the team's NASCAR championships and is the current curator of the team's museum. He is a radio host on Sirius Satellite Radio...
on Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
's NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
channel 128.
Benjamin also appeared in the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, starring Will Ferrell.