Jenkins served as the lead lap-by-lap announcer for NASCAR broadcasts on ESPN and ABC from 1981-2000. He passed away in August at age 73 after a battle with brain cancer.
“The voice of Bob Jenkins is synonymous with the many great NASCAR moments he called over two decades,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France. “The broadcast team of Jenkins, Ned Jarrett and Benny Parsons is one of the most memorable in NASCAR history, it is fitting to see Bob honored in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”
Jenkins will be honored during NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony festivities on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022 and featured in an exhibit in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Tickets and more information on the weekend’s events are available at www.nascarhall.com.
Jenkins was an original at ESPN, joining the network in 1979. In addition to announcing more than 400 NASCAR races, he spent 15 years as host of ESPN SpeedWeek, from 1983-1997.
Beyond his NASCAR work, Jenkins lent his iconic voice to various other forms of motorsports. The Indiana native had a special bond with Indianapolis Motor Speedway, serving several different roles over four decades including TV announcer, radio announcer and turn reporter, and public address announcer.
Jenkins won the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence (then known as the Henry T. McLemore Award) in 2001 and the Bob Russo Founders Award in 2008.
He was one of eight nominees voted upon by a panel of NASCAR and NASCAR Hall of Fame executives, journalists, public relations representatives and former drivers. The Squier-Hall Award was created in 2012 to honor the contributions of media to the success of the sport. Chris Economaki, Tom Higgins, Steve Byrnes, Benny Phillips, Norma “Dusty” Brandel, Steve Waid and Dick Berggren also have won the award.
The other seven nominees for the 2021 award were:
Russ Catlin, one of the best-known early racing writers and historians; editor of Speed Age Magazine
George Cunningham, long-time beat writer for The Charlotte Observer, Atlanta Constitution and NASCAR Scene; is the namesake for the annual NMPA award for Excellence in Writing
Shav Glick, covered motorsports for the Los Angeles Times for 37 years bringing NASCAR coverage to the West Coast
Mike Harris, spent 30 years as the lead motorsports writer for the Associated Press
Bob Moore, spent more than 20 years as a NASCAR beat writer including stints with the Daytona Beach News-Journal and The Charlotte Observer
Taylor Warren, best known for his three-wide photo of the 1959 Daytona 500 finish, he covered every Daytona 500 until his death in 2008.
Deb Williams, the first woman to receive the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence.
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