Next week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover marks the end of an era for NASCAR’s longest-serving TV pit reporter, who celebrates his 70th birthday during Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. After 12 years on NASCAR on FOX, Berggren will give his final pit report for the network at Dover in the same informative and passionate manner he has since first establishing himself in the role 31 years ago. Ironically, Berggren made his NASCAR broadcasting debut at Dover in 1981 alongside Mike Joy, his NASCAR on FOX and SPEED colleague, the only NASCAR broadcaster on-air longer than Berggren. ‘After the FOX portion of the year ends, I ‘ve always traveled to local tracks where I still enjoy sitting in the stands with a hot dog in one hand and a beer in the other, watching the local heroes,’ Berggren said. ‘I can ‘t get enough of local-level racing so I ‘ll do more of that now.’ The Speedway Illustrated founder says that in addition to contributing stories and columns to the publication, he very well may continue to pop up on pit road at NASCAR races periodically. But he also has set in motion lofty goals and projects to which he can dedicate his newfound extra time. The Massachusetts resident has founded a corporation with the intent of building an auto racing museum at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He already has acquired an agreement with the speedway, tax-exempt status from the IRS and the support of a powerful Board of Directors. ‘Life will be different without FOX,’ Berggren expressed. ‘I ‘m very proud of having been part of the NASCAR on FOX broadcasts from the beginning. I ‘m dreading the 2013 Daytona 500 because I won ‘t be there on pit road as part of that team. That will be hard, but nothing is forever and I understand that. I ‘m looking forward to walking into the museum on the day it opens. That’s a whole new challenge and one I fully expect to conquer. But it’s time to move on. I ‘m ready. However, it would be nice to pick up a few TV things here and there. I ‘d really like that.’(quotes and more at SPEED.com)(5-25-20102)
UPDATE: The checkered flag will wave not only for the winner of the FedEx 400 Sprint Cup race Sunday afternoon, it will also signal the end of Dick Berggren’s 32 years as a TV pit reporter. Berggren, 70, worked his first NASCAR telecast in 1981 – also at Dover – and has spent more than 40 years writing and reporting on motorsports, including the last 12 with the Fox television network as its lead pit reporter. ‘I ‘ve done this for a very long time and it’s hard to step away from it,’ Berggren said. ‘I ‘m just completely, completely overwhelmed by the response of competitors and fans and they ‘ve said such nice things to me.’ Berggren was humbled by the outpouring of appreciation while conducting interviews with drivers during the Sprint Cup practice sessions on Friday. Several race cars even featured decals saluting ‘Bergie for 32 years!’ Drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards thanked Berggren on-air for his contributions to motorsports on Friday.’Dick Berggren, he’s had an incredible career, and he’s put a lot of his heart and soul into the sport,’ Earnhardt said. ‘He’s well respected and will be missed not just personally, but because of his skill and ability. They just don ‘t seem to make announcers and radio personalities like that anymore.’ Away from the track, Berggren was a psychology professor at Emmanuel College in Boston for nine years and also founded Speedway Illustrated magazine. Berggren said he ‘ll especially miss being a pit reporter during Speedweeks at Daytona in February. ‘Now I ‘ll have time to go skiing in the winter. It’s going to be a very big change for me. I ‘m probably going to drive my wife [Kathy] nuts, but the dog will like it.’(Delaware News-Journal)(6-3-2012)
