A Legendary Stock Car Icon Leaves the NASCAR World as Fans Moan at His Exit

The NASCAR community is abuzz with the news that Doug Rice, the iconic voice of Performance Racing Network (PRN), and a veteran of three decades, will be stepping down from the booth after the 2024 Cup season. Before switching to racing initially with the Capitol Radio Network, he launched his career as a weekend engineer at a local radio station in Salisbury, North Carolina named WSTP/WRDX working ball games and races.

Doug Rice joined Speedway Motorsports in 1988. He had an excellent career calling play-by-play action in 210 NASCAR Cup Series races after moving into the primary anchor position in 1992. 

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Born out of his early respect for the radio commentators involved with the Atlanta Braves, Rice’s broadcast career emerged as a dominant force in NASCAR programming. “The Braves radio broadcasters brought those games to life… I couldn’t imagine traveling as far away as Atlanta, not to mention going to San Francisco or Chicago,” reminisced Rice on PRN’s official website.

However, Doug Rice’s influence goes much beyond the booth. He oversaw the creation of PRN’s internet studio, hosted more than 1,000 episodes of “Fast Talk”, and saw the network evolve from two Cup coverages to fourteen. His commitment and foresight were crucial in transforming PRN into the thriving organization it is today.

As word spread that Doug Rice would be departing, fans and fellow broadcasters took to Twitter to show their gratitude and admiration for the veteran journalist. NASCAR correspondent for FOX, Bob Pockrass posted on Doug Rice’s incredible 36-year career, “Performance Racing Network (PRN) announces that this year will be the final year for lead anchor Doug Rice in the radio booth. He has had a heck of a 36-year career in the sport. Rice also serves as president of PRN.”

“Man, that’s the voice of my childhood.” One fan replied to this post, seemingly distraught, expressing what many others who listened to Rice’s unique voice growing up feel. 

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Nevertheless, this fan’s heartfelt response summed up the collective impact rice had on NASCAR programming, “Whenever I’m unable to watch a race, I always enjoy listening to PRN. Doug Rice does an incredible job bringing to life the action occurring on the track during every race. I will miss listening to him.”

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The End of an Era, but the Legacy Lives On:

From reporting Jeff Gordon’s first victory in the 1994 Coca-Cola 600 to Ryan Blaney’s stunning victory in the inaugural Bank of America ROVAL 400, Doug Rice’s career is full of unforgettable memories. He received multiple honors for his unique on-air achievements, including the 2017 Horace Billings Lifetime Achievement Award and three consecutive National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Broadcaster of the Year awards.

Beyond the booth, Rice’s impact can be seen in ground-breaking feats such as becoming the only broadcaster to call the Coca-Cola 600 and the Indianapolis 500 on the same day—a feat popularly referred to as the “Doug Double.” 

In the same release mentioned earlier by Performance Racing Network, Marcus Smith, President and CEO of Speedway Motorsports also acknowledged the resounding impact of Rice’s journey. Smith declared rightfully, “It’s just impossible to overstate the impact Doug has had on motorsports throughout his broadcast career.”

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As Doug Rice kicks off his ‘last lap’, the racing world salutes him with heartfelt gratitude for the memories and joy he brought to NASCAR programming for three decades.