Racing: Top 5 most underrated TV personalities

Vince Welch

Ten years ago, Vince Welch would have almost certainly landed on the most maligned list among racing TV personalities. The former NASCAR and IndyCar reporter for ESPN and ABC had a very rough start to his time as a play-by-play announcer with the worldwide leader, and experiment they did not dare try again. But an opportunity arose for him at Fox Sports, where Welch has now made the most out of a difficult situation as lead announcer for the Truck Series.

With Rick Allen moving from Truck Series play-by-play to Cup Series announcer for NBC Sports, a new spot was opening up with NASCAR on FOX. For years, many were waiting for Steve Byrnes to ascend to a full-time play-by-play spot, having covered practice and qualifying in that role repeatedly for Speed. The opportunity was before him, but fate had other plans. Byrnes tragically succumbed to cancer, and only called a handful of Truck Series races for FS1. That led to a more transitional year in 2015, with Mike Joy, Brian Till, Vince Welch, Adam Alexander, and Ralph Sheheen all taking turns covering the races. That opportunity landed Welch in a full-time announcing spot today.

Welch has steadily improved his craft over the years, becoming more familiar with the intricacies of calling a race from the booth. He has grown more comfortable with his fellow compatriots in Michael Waltrip and Phil Parsons, with the occasional appearance by Kevin Harvick. Today, he might be one of the steadiest voices in the NASCAR garage, being the only current lead announcer to cover a full season of stock car racing. Expect Welch to continue to win over fans and the detractors alike, like Rick Allen and Marty Reid who came before him in the Truck Series.