Best Commentary Moments

Since the Walker/Hunt thread popped up, it got me thinking about commentary in motor racing at large. Do we have any favourites here? Perhaps videos could be posted down below of your favourite bits of commentary?

For me, there used to be a video circling the lesser seen parts of the internet of the 2001 125cc Valencian GP with Toby Moody and Jules Ryder in the box (already my favourite pairing in any motor sport). The last lap is by a clear margin the most passionate, evocative piece of commentating I've ever heard in any motor sport. I didn't know somebody could shout "Youichi Ui...!!" so loudly...and for some time I've been unable to find that video. If anyone can also remember that and perhaps find it, it would be doing the world a service.

I'll leave you with the post-race words of Toby Moody after that aforementioned battle: if that doesn't stir your soul, you have no soul.

Bob Varsha (And I am certain we will all know where this is from)...

"You can't do that on the outside of paraltada but Mansell just did!"

And this one...

"That was just GLORIOUS!"

Toby Moody great, can’t stand “Wyder” and his speech impediment.

Plenty of memorable Murray moments - when you replay in your mind a bit from an old race it has his commentary on it, whereas a more recent one just has natural sound rather than Croft.

AND LOOK AT THAT! COLLOSSALY, IT’S MANSELL

one that also sticks in my head is from Spain 1991 where Murray turned into a dalek mid sentence when he said

NIGEL MANSELL IS INCHING UP ON GERHARD BERGER THE LEAD-AHH
 

Murray Walker fantasising about being in a campervan with Bev Turner

You heard the announcement from the public address system. There’s not a sound. Men are taking off their hats. People are weeping. There are over 300,000 fans here not moving. Disbelieving.

 

Some men try to conquer life in a number of ways. These days of our outer space attempts some men try to conquer the universe. Race drivers are courageous men who try to conquer life and death and they calculate their risks. And with talking with them over the years I think we know their inner thoughts in regards to racing. They take it as part of living.

 

A race driver who leaves this earth mentally when he straps himself into the cockpit to try what for him is the biggest conquest he can make (are) aware of the odds and Eddie Sachs played the odds. He was serious and frivolous. He was fun. He was a wonderful gentleman. He took much needling and he gave much needling. Just as the astronauts do perhaps.

 

These boys on the race track ask no quarter and they give none. If they succeed they’re a hero and if they fail, they tried. And it was Eddie’s desire and will to try with everything he had, which he always did. So the only healthy way perhaps we can approach the tragedy of the loss of a friend like Eddie Sachs is to know that he would have wanted us to face it as he did. As as it has happened, not as we wish it would have happened. It is God’s will I’m sure and we must accept that.

 

We are all speeding toward death at the rate of 60 minutes every hour, the only difference is we don’t know how to speed faster and Eddie Sachs did. So since death has a thousand or more doors, Eddie Sachs exits this earth in a race car. Knowing Eddie I assume that’s the way he would have wanted it.

 

Byron said “who the God’s love die young.”  Eddie was 37. To his widow Nancy we extend our extreme sympathy and regret. And to his two children. This boy won the pole here in 1961 and 1962. He was a proud race driver. Well, as we do at Indianapolis and in racing, as the World Champion Jimmy Clark I’m sure would agree as he’s raced all over the world, the race continues. Unfortunately today without Eddie Sachs. And we’ll be restarting it in just a few moments.

 

 

-Sid Collins, 1964 Indianapolis 500

(editorial note: Dave MacDonald was still alive at this time.  He would not survive the day.)

James Hunt versus Jean-Pierre Jarier at Austria in 1983:

Shows a big weakness by Tambay if both Arnoux and Piquet can pass Tambay and Jarrier and Tambay even cant pass Jarrier. Funny and striking comment by Hunt tho.

- Michigan 2000 for me, although 1999 got exciting too when Papis ran out of fuel

Toby Moody and co at RIo 500cc GP in 1999, and also the 250cc GP at Donington and Australia that year.

Ben Edwards going high pitched when Maldonado and Hamilton collided in 2012 in Valencia(?)

Mark Webber sounding like the chicken from Moana when Hamilton went straight ahead in Baku 21

Murray Walker in Hungary 97, and also 'Oh God' when DC hit MS in Spa 98

I think Murray's famous "lump in my throat" from Suzuka 1996 is probably my favourite. Not just that comment but essentially the entire final lap building up to it, following Damon those last few corners before he crossed the line to become World Champion. It was really heartfelt, emotional and seemed genuine through-and-through. Very fitting to the occasion. 

OH GOD!

Just listened to the Imola 99 podcast on Bring Back V10s and it reminded me of this brilliant commentary from Murray 

The latest Bring Back V10s reminded me of Murray's commentary on Hakkinen's crash at Imola in 1999. Just this amazing whirlwind of excitement and disbelief at what he's seeing, like his brain can't quite process how Hakkinen has managed to bin an easy win, yet there it is, happening in front of him.

EDIT: Haha, snap.

Edited by Burai, 02 September 2022 - 08:58.

At Thruxton last year in the BTCC, David Addison exclaimed that if Butcher wanted to keep Sutton behind him, ‘he’s going to have to work harder than a fat lad’s arteries.’ A few races later he said someone was ‘unhappier than a penguin with a fish allergy.’

Through the nineties and two thousands, the circuit commentary team of David Addison, Ian Titchmarsh, plus Alan Hyde in the pits, provided a quality not approached before or since, and never equalled on British TV. They're still brilliant, though rarely together, and Titch may well be near the end of his career.

^ That’s my all time fave. ^

Commentator A: “And Prost’s on fire as he goes into the swimming pool.”

Commentator B: “That should put it out then.”

No prizes.

And away from F1 (at the same time risking a ban).

”And here comes Seve Ballesteros, feeling much better after his 69 yesterday.”

Nothing tops Formula Nippon commentary

https://youtu.be/ZSO8Hh9_hjM?t=186

Edited by Ruusperi, 02 September 2022 - 14:01.

I'm going to add a Toby Moody related moment again, except this time it was with Valentino in the box at the Sachsenring in 2009:

"Ehhh no, usually I don't watch...is..ehh...(in background) come si dice noioso?.....BORING!"

During the trophy ceremony at the Turkish GP circa 2010 or so...

Bob Varsha:  Saying something about the podium ceremony (and gets's stepped on by David Hobbs)

David Hobbs:  Ah, Yes...here we have Rifat Subijafoewvofvnowabu giving the 3rd place trophy to (and gets stepped on by Bob Varsha)

Bob Varsha:  Please send all complaints about the previous comment to David Hobbs Honda in Where ever, Ohio, and not to us here at the Speed Channel.

During the trophy ceremony at the Turkish GP circa 2010 or so...

 

 

Bob Varsha:  Saying something about the podium ceremony (and gets's stepped on by David Hobbs)

 

David Hobbs:  Ah, Yes...here we have Rifat Subijafoewvofvnowabu giving the 3rd place trophy to (and gets stepped on by Bob Varsha)

 

Bob Varsha:  Please send all complaints about the previous comment to David Hobbs Honda in Where ever, Ohio, and not to us here at the Speed Channel.

Can anybody find that bit during a CART race when nothing was happening and David Hobbs decided he'd dust off his fake Scottish accent and pretend Jackie Stewart had joined them in the studio?

There was a WTCC race when John Cleland said, ‘whoever designed that first corner needs to be taken into a dark room and beaten.’

I remember that. It was at Oschersleben

https://www.youtube....h?v=C58TYGrtQg4

https://www.youtube....h?v=BzvwDZjAFRA

https://www.youtube....h?v=mF50oFvs5Ew

https://www.youtube....h?v=sGq9WOxoqsQ

https://www.youtube....h?v=EQC06fWqEn4

"That didn't work Michael, that didn't work, you hit the wrong part of him my friend"

Martin Brundle's assessment of Michael Schumacher's unsuccessful attempt to take out Jacques Villeneuve in the 1997 European GP remains one of his sharpest observations.

I'm going to add a Toby Moody related moment again, except this time it was with Valentino in the box at the Sachsenring in 2009:

 

"Ehhh no, usually I don't watch...is..ehh...(in background) come si dice noioso?.....BORING!"

Herbie, do you remember GP 500, Jacarepaguá 1999?

Herbie, do you remember GP 500, Jacarepaguá 1999?

I'm afraid I do not, as I only started watching top level motorcycling in 2001 or so...

I'm afraid I do not, as I only started watching top level motorcycling in 2001 or so...

That was another great one, with Toby Moody, Julian Ryder and I believe Dennis Noyes.  I'm trying to find a clip of the last couple of laps with Eurosport broadcast, to no avail so far.

Not F1 or Indycar, but Dale Jarrett's first win has always been one of my favorites. Loved listening to Bob Jenkins (also Benny and Ned...was a great trio), and the finish always makes me smile.    

https://youtu.be/aT-KWIIC9So?t=217

Even for those who don't speak French, I think this one is memorable.

Paul Tracy weighs in on where a certain driver was looking to be heading the following year.

Well this just happened at Zandvoort FP2:

https://streamable.com/rfn3pl

OH GOD!

Carlton Kirby stage 7 of the 2015 Tour of Turkey.

Oh you meant motor racing.*

Probably James Hunt ranting about the state of F1 during the 1981 Argentine GP whilst watching Hector Rebaque take the absolute piss.

Martin Haven was drunk of exhaustion when covering night partition of Le Mans 2010, at one point he started imitating Jonathan Legard's cliche F1 mantras and it was the best thing ever

Well this just happened at Zandvoort FP2:

https://streamable.com/rfn3pl

Both of them need to be fired plus the producer that allowed that to go live

Both of them need to be fired plus the producer that allowed that to go live

I don’t think Croft did much wrong there, Ted was being an absolute appendage

Edited by pacificquay, 02 September 2022 - 21:17.

I don’t think Croft did much wrong there, Ted was being an absolute appendage

I don’t think Croft did much wrong there, Ted was being an absolute appendage

While I do think Ted was a big cry baby - Crofty should not have engaged in that conversation over the air and should have been more professional about sweeping it under the rug "Well, it seems we'll get Ted to give us coverage about Alpine a bit later, in the mean time let's talk about this" - and start going on about something irrelevant. 

trying to convince Ted on live air was not smart - maybe I was too harsh saying he should be fired for it - but he could have been smarter

Isn't the producer there to prevent this sort of thing happening ?  Both unprofessional anyway.

And not sure if these were Andy Marriotts actual words but : "Peterson passes Depailler around the outside of Sunset with less than half a lap to go "

Edited by LittleChris, 02 September 2022 - 22:55.

While I do think Ted was a big cry baby - Crofty should not have engaged in that conversation over the air and should have been more professional about sweeping it under the rug "Well, it seems we'll get Ted to give us coverage about Alpine a bit later, in the mean time let's talk about this" - and start going on about something irrelevant.

trying to convince Ted on live air was not smart - maybe I was too harsh saying he should be fired for it - but he could have been smarter

Edited by F1 Mike, 02 September 2022 - 23:51.

Toby Moody great, can’t stand “Wyder” and his speech impediment.

Always enjoyed the breathless commentary on the last laps of MotoGP Catalunya '09-

That's pretty intolerant. Cancelled!