Covering Figure 8 Racing News From Around The USA
ANDERSON OUTLAW FINISH - OCTOBER 11, 2008
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Denny Adams (r) accepts an award from Dave Argabright in 2008.
The following interview was done recently for www.figure8news.com by Jamie Valentine. Jaimie is a long-time fan of Anderson Speedway and has spent many Saturday nights as a child there. He is also a former driver and currently is a series official for a traveling Figure 8 series and frenquent contributor of figure8news. Jamie chose to do an interview with New Castle, Indiana's Denny Adams. Denny is a PA announcer who has been the official voice of the Anderson Speedway for thirty-one years. Adams has announced at several other Indiana speedways and was inducted into the Little 500 Hall of Fame in 2008. You can contact Jamie at: bigjamiemac@yahoo.com
JV - What has kept you around all of these years at Anderson Speedway? I have been going to the track for many years and it wouldn't be the same without hearing your voice when I go.
Denny - I guess my love of racing has kept me at Anderson Speedway for now my 31st season. I started sitting beside a great teacher, Dutch Hurst, while running the old score board. I soon put on a head set to talk to the flagman. To tell him of halfway, white flag, etc. One night in early May of 1980, Trackside Associates the former owners of Anderson Speedway, honored Dutch on the track for his service at the speedway. I told John Hellis at the time that if Dutch retired, got sick, or Lord forbid died I would like to have the opportunity to announce. Little did I know that opportunity would come quickly as Dutch got sick. I was called to do the old "Silver Crown" show which was our
JV - What has kept you around all of these years at Anderson Speedway? I have been going to the track for many years and it wouldn't be the same without hearing your voice when I go.
Denny - I guess my love of racing has kept me at Anderson Speedway for now my 31st season. I started sitting beside a great teacher, Dutch Hurst, while running the old score board. I soon put on a head set to talk to the flagman. To tell him of halfway, white flag, etc. One night in early May of 1980, Trackside Associates the former owners of Anderson Speedway, honored Dutch on the track for his service at the speedway. I told John Hellis at the time that if Dutch retired, got sick, or Lord forbid died I would like to have the opportunity to announce. Little did I know that opportunity would come quickly as Dutch got sick. I was called to do the old "Silver Crown" show which was our
regular show plus twin 50's with the midgets plus fireworks...the second largest show of the year! This was the 4th of July weekend before a GIANT crowd! I was shaking in my shoes! I made it through the night. Dutch developed Colon Cancer and never came back and the rest is history.
JV - Who has been the most entertaining driver to watch race in the Anderson Speedway Figure 8 division?
Denny - I am not sure that any one driver really sticks out in my head but the funniest incident was in a Front Wheel Drive practice. There were only two cars on the course and we had a cross over crash where both cars were destroyed! 'Nuf said!
JV - What got you into the sport announcing races?
Denny - My father pushed off the "Roaring Roadsters" with a Jeep six days a week in the Mutual Racing Association days. My grandparents brought me to Anderson Speedway when Figure 8 racing was just getting a good start. As I got older I was a writer for the Marc Times Racing News. I talked to Dutch Hurst many times at Anderson and Mt. Lawn and just thought that was something I would like to do someday although I had no experience at public address announcing.
JV - In all your years of calling races, what wreck will do remember most of all in the Figure 8?
Denny - Wow...that is a tuff question! There have been some pretty horriffic crashes, many of which I certainly do not remember the drivers names. I think of the "old days" and seeing a flaming engine go rolling through the crossover after a big hit was quite memorable.
JV - You have had the honor of calling some great races in your career. Has there been anything you said you later wished you didn't?
Denny - Anytime we have a serious incident, I think the injured person deserves the attention of all of us at the time and that is where our focus should be. I do not think it is in good taste to be doing any kind of promotion or music, etc when we have a serious situation in process.
JV - You had the greatest compliment from someone who has only heard you a few times. Jeff Shackleford, an Indy Figure 8 driver, told me last year that he loves listening to you call a race because you have real passion for it. He said he had wished he would have had the privlage of having you call one of his races a could hear it. That was the moment I wanted to do this interview. Denny you have always givin us fans 110% of your love of raciing over the years. It is time us fans give back to you and this is my way. So this leads me to my next question this question. When you retire from announcing, what do you want people to remember the most about your legacy?
Denny - That I did the best job that I could with a deep love for the sport with a burning desire to make the fan's evening at Anderson Speedway more enjoyable. If I can accomplish that, please my God, bring just 1 person to Christ with something I said in one of my invocations, all of the time spent at the track and the sacrifice away from my family will be worth it.
JV - What do you think of the International Outlaw Figure 8 Series (IOFS ) coming back to Anderson Speedway the past couple years?
Denny - WOW! Do I love IOFS racing! I wish there were more of them and I wish they were at Anderson Speedway more often because I love a good figure 8 race. The IOFS doesn't do good Figure 8 racing. They do AWESOME Figure 8 racing!!
JV - What do you think of the weekly Figure 8 division this year at Anderson Speedway with the new rule that allows them to run wings?
Denny - Anything that improves Figure 8 racing is ok with me. Figure 8 racing is all about car count. Whatever we can do with the rules to bring more cars to the intersection will be a plus.
JV - What I like to do is let the person I am interviewing give thanks to anyone he feels deserves it. Is there anyone you would like to thank for helping you during your career?
Denny - First of all I give thanks to my God for making my life possible. I thank my loving andunderstanding wife Maridene and my kids: Jodi, Chris, and Jessica for all of their sacrifices they have made to let me pursue this love. I thank Trackside Associates and Action Entertainment for the opportunity to be their "Voice". I especially thank all the many thousands of loyal fans and many sponsors of Anderson Speedway for their kindness who support the speedway.
JV - As you can tell Denny is a Heck of a Man. He really puts his heart and soul into what he does. Denny has been calling races for 31 years and it has been an honor to hear him call the sport of automobile racing at Anderson Speedway, which I love. There is always a time when you have to take notice of the people who make racing fun. It isn't all about the racing but rather people like Denny Adams who make Anderson Speedway what it is today. The next time your at Anderson Speedway, stop and listen to Denny Adams do his magic and call the racing action as he see's it. As Denny would say to close out the evening, " Goodnight everybody, thank your for patronizing Anderson Speedway, remember to leave the racing at the Speedway and practice safety on the highway, and keep safe until we meet back here next Saturday night!!!
JV - Who has been the most entertaining driver to watch race in the Anderson Speedway Figure 8 division?
Denny - I am not sure that any one driver really sticks out in my head but the funniest incident was in a Front Wheel Drive practice. There were only two cars on the course and we had a cross over crash where both cars were destroyed! 'Nuf said!
JV - What got you into the sport announcing races?
Denny - My father pushed off the "Roaring Roadsters" with a Jeep six days a week in the Mutual Racing Association days. My grandparents brought me to Anderson Speedway when Figure 8 racing was just getting a good start. As I got older I was a writer for the Marc Times Racing News. I talked to Dutch Hurst many times at Anderson and Mt. Lawn and just thought that was something I would like to do someday although I had no experience at public address announcing.
JV - In all your years of calling races, what wreck will do remember most of all in the Figure 8?
Denny - Wow...that is a tuff question! There have been some pretty horriffic crashes, many of which I certainly do not remember the drivers names. I think of the "old days" and seeing a flaming engine go rolling through the crossover after a big hit was quite memorable.
JV - You have had the honor of calling some great races in your career. Has there been anything you said you later wished you didn't?
Denny - Anytime we have a serious incident, I think the injured person deserves the attention of all of us at the time and that is where our focus should be. I do not think it is in good taste to be doing any kind of promotion or music, etc when we have a serious situation in process.
JV - You had the greatest compliment from someone who has only heard you a few times. Jeff Shackleford, an Indy Figure 8 driver, told me last year that he loves listening to you call a race because you have real passion for it. He said he had wished he would have had the privlage of having you call one of his races a could hear it. That was the moment I wanted to do this interview. Denny you have always givin us fans 110% of your love of raciing over the years. It is time us fans give back to you and this is my way. So this leads me to my next question this question. When you retire from announcing, what do you want people to remember the most about your legacy?
Denny - That I did the best job that I could with a deep love for the sport with a burning desire to make the fan's evening at Anderson Speedway more enjoyable. If I can accomplish that, please my God, bring just 1 person to Christ with something I said in one of my invocations, all of the time spent at the track and the sacrifice away from my family will be worth it.
JV - What do you think of the International Outlaw Figure 8 Series (IOFS ) coming back to Anderson Speedway the past couple years?
Denny - WOW! Do I love IOFS racing! I wish there were more of them and I wish they were at Anderson Speedway more often because I love a good figure 8 race. The IOFS doesn't do good Figure 8 racing. They do AWESOME Figure 8 racing!!
JV - What do you think of the weekly Figure 8 division this year at Anderson Speedway with the new rule that allows them to run wings?
Denny - Anything that improves Figure 8 racing is ok with me. Figure 8 racing is all about car count. Whatever we can do with the rules to bring more cars to the intersection will be a plus.
JV - What I like to do is let the person I am interviewing give thanks to anyone he feels deserves it. Is there anyone you would like to thank for helping you during your career?
Denny - First of all I give thanks to my God for making my life possible. I thank my loving andunderstanding wife Maridene and my kids: Jodi, Chris, and Jessica for all of their sacrifices they have made to let me pursue this love. I thank Trackside Associates and Action Entertainment for the opportunity to be their "Voice". I especially thank all the many thousands of loyal fans and many sponsors of Anderson Speedway for their kindness who support the speedway.
JV - As you can tell Denny is a Heck of a Man. He really puts his heart and soul into what he does. Denny has been calling races for 31 years and it has been an honor to hear him call the sport of automobile racing at Anderson Speedway, which I love. There is always a time when you have to take notice of the people who make racing fun. It isn't all about the racing but rather people like Denny Adams who make Anderson Speedway what it is today. The next time your at Anderson Speedway, stop and listen to Denny Adams do his magic and call the racing action as he see's it. As Denny would say to close out the evening, " Goodnight everybody, thank your for patronizing Anderson Speedway, remember to leave the racing at the Speedway and practice safety on the highway, and keep safe until we meet back here next Saturday night!!!