Racing: Top 5 most underrated TV personalities

Television is full of pundits and commentators, but who are the most underrated of them all in the racing world? Here are our top five.

Often nowadays, television personalities are a dime a dozen. There are countless pundits, commentators, analysts, and talking heads that grace the airwaves, especially in the sports world. Racing is no exception, with a bevy of former drivers, crew chiefs, and journalists who provide their opinions and insights about motorsports.

There are many fan favorites that come to mind when you talk about racing TV personalities. Longstanding members of the NASCAR side include Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds, and Darrell Waltrip. On the Formula One side, David Hobbs and Steve Matchett have worked for no less than two different networks covering the world championship. And in IndyCar, Scott Goodyear has been the mainstay in the ever-changing cast for the Indianapolis 500 on ABC.

But for as many so-called “favorites” that there are among fans of motorsports, there are just as many who are much maligned by fanbases. The presence of Michael Waltrip has come under much scrutiny on NASCAR on FOX, for example. The same can be said for Eddie Cheever at ABC. And the brief foray of Brian Till from sports cars into NASCAR was an experiment that few would like to see repeated.

So who are the diamonds in the rough, the ones that fans often forget? What about the ones quietly going about their business, doing their job to bring the viewer the information they need to know about what goes on in the motorsports world? Here are the top five most underrated television personalities in racing.