CAIN: Doug Rice Taking Checkered Flag on Historic Broadcasting Career at Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS – Doug Rice may have spent nearly 40 years as a gifted orator, narrating NASCAR races through decades on the radio - but his presence in the racing industry has been full sensory; his impact on the sport a once-in-a-generation treasure for the rest of us.

This weekend’s South Point 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marks Rice’s last play-by-play broadcast as lead announcer for Performance Racing Network (PRN) – a grand finale of sorts capped with multiple exclamation points for a job well done and fully appreciated.

Throughout the season, “Doug’s Last Lap” as his farewell – don’t call it retirement - tour is named, has delivered endless handshakes, pats on the back, congratulatory wishes, and sentimental reflections. He has been showered with the kind of love and respect duly deserved for a career that really accelerated when the proud Appalachian State University graduate and former college deejay made his play-by-play debut in the booth for the 1993 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

It was the beginning of an era for NASCAR fans. And for Rice, 69, it launched the opportunity to spend a good portion of his lifetime doing what he loved. Imagine having such a long and accomplished career in a job that never felt like work.

Rice’s success and upward trajectory was a given from his first green flag. His smooth sound mixed with the right amount of emotion and reaction to the competitive situation he vividly painted in his listeners' minds. They could visualize with their ears in a perfect sensory twist.

It was his voice sharing the annual triumphs and tussles of Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in the mid-1990s. It was Rice who detailed Earnhardt’s championship-clinching races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and called Gordon’s first career win at Charlotte in 1994.

His voice led PRN listeners on dramatic outings at the Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway road course, calling Mark Martin victories early in the track history and narrating the historic final win of Tony Stewart’s career there decades later. He called Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson’s mastery on the Texas Motor Speedway high-banks and Jeff Burton’s complete dominance (in 2000, he led every one of 300 laps) at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

One of Rice’s most cherished assignments was working races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he got the chance to call some of the sport’s greatest triumphs at one of the sport’s greatest venues –something Rice has always revered. He is the only radio broadcaster to do the “Indy Double” calling both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

Those who have worked alongside Rice, have always appreciated the chance to absorb, learn and grow professionally and personally – an important and rare nuance. And this season has presented a time not only for Doug to share highlights and memories from his career but for him to hear the words of others - proud and honored to have worked alongside him.

In Rice’s case, the full-throttle admiration comes as much for his presence and friendship away from the track. The way he always tries to improve the life trajectory of those around him with his compassion and generosity of soul – and. … with humor and the occasional lyric from one of his favorite bands.

“Everyone knows Doug as a great broadcaster and storyteller," said PRN’s Brad Gillie.

“For more than three decades, Doug has put race fans right in the middle of on-track action with the exciting and eloquent way that his unique voice has delivered NASCAR through radio.

“More importantly, Doug is a true friend to everyone he meets. Every single person who has spent time on Doug’s path, has either been counseled, consoled, mentored, or been given an opportunity. In most cases, it’s all of that and more.

“Everything about him is genuine and we are all fortunate to have been touched by him. For me personally, Doug’s influence will be ever-present in the ideology and sound of PRN for as long as I get to sit in his chair."

PRN’s Alexis Erickson has worked alongside Rice for years and counts him not just as a mentor, but a treasured friend - that first phone call to share life’s good news.

“I cannot overstate what Doug has meant to me both personally and professionally,’’ Erickson said. “His legacy will be shaped not only by his excellence behind the microphone but by the countless number of people he has mentored, counseled, and befriended in the garage area and beyond.

“He has always cared more about helping the people around him reach their goals than he ever has about his own success. He is the epitome of a leader and I have no doubt that tenacity to help other people see great things in themselves will continue well into his retirement. I am so proud to have worked alongside him for so many years but even more proud to call him a friend.’’

This is the recurring theme in Rice’s impact on the industry – the overwhelming common refrain for those that have worked in his orbit. He is so universally well-regarded by people – even broadcasters from other radio networks will be traveling to Las Vegas on their off-week to join in the celebration of their friend and colleague this week.

Rice has always been so much more than calling the wave of a checkered flag.

Longtime PRN listeners will tell you about the pop culture references and the classic song lyrics he has been known to seamlessly drop during a broadcast. His vinyl record collection is legendary and it isn’t unusual to find Rice checking out a local record store or vibing at a concert in whatever town he’s working a race.

It may be harder to find a place for his expanding record collection with all the tribute hardware Rice has received from all the tracks and he has called races from. The record collection may be eclipsed and deservingly so.

The racers and team owners and crewmen Rice has covered over the years will tell you they not only respect him, but like him. Rice was a master of the interview, getting the news and stories, without ever having to resort to the “got you” style of journalism.

“Doug Rice has been a familiar voice on the radio for many years and his talent will be missed," said Trackhouse Racing NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain, who has enjoyed working in the booth alongside Rice and Garrow as an occasional analyst for NASCAR’s Xfinity Series races.

“I remember listening to him as a fan of NASCAR When I was a kid, and it has been an honor to work with him in the PRN broadcast booth. He helped me learn how to paint a picture for the listeners as a rookie in the booth. I wish him well in retirement and the next chapter of his life."

This weekend in Las Vegas, Rice’s wife of 45 years, Penny, will be at his side as he is honored and thanked. Repeatedly. The couple – who have a daughter Amy and grandson Holden - met at a pizza restaurant in Boone, North Carolina where Rice was working part-time - both he and Penny were college students at Appalachian State.

The college still means a lot to Rice – the start of his family and the sustainment of his extended family, the place he remains a committed mentor to aspiring broadcast journalists. Again, it is indicative of the way he has combined great talent with a generous heart

Rice is the first to call when a friend needs a pick-me-up. He instinctively knows how to rally a co-worker. And as successful as Rice has been behind the microphone, it is - ironically - not necessarily the words he says, but the feelings he invokes that define his legacy.

It's that kind of “extra” that has made Rice so extraordinary in his profession. And in life. As the legendary rock band The Doobie Brothers sang, “What the people need is a way to make ‘em smile. It ain't so hard to do if you know how."

Thank you, Doug. We are all smiling. Well done, my friend.

Photo Courtesy of the Performance Racing Network (PRN)