View source for Performance Racing Network

{{short description|American radio network covering motor racing events}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox company
| name     = Performance Racing Network|
| logo             = Performance Racing Network.png
| caption          =
| type     = Division of [[Speedway Motorsports]]|
| foundation       = {{Start date and age|1981}}|
| location         = [[Charlotte Motor Speedway]] [[Concord, North Carolina]]|
| key_people       = Doug Rice, Gerry Horn, Brad Gillie, Harrill Hamrick, Alexis Erickson, Kent Bernhardt. |
| industry         = [[Radio Network]]|
| products         = NASCAR racing and radio programming|
| num_employees    = Roughly 70 |
| homepage         = [http://www.goprn.com/ www.goprn.com]|
}}
The '''Performance Racing Network''' or PRN for short  is a [[radio syndication]] network controlled by [[Speedway Motorsports]] (SMI) founded in 1981. PRN airs [[NASCAR]] [[NASCAR Cup Series|Cup Series]] and [[NASCAR Xfinity Series|Xfinity Series]] events held at [[Speedway Motorsports]] owned tracks.

PRN first began airing the NASCAR events at [[Charlotte Motor Speedway]] (including the [[Coca-Cola 600]], the [[Bank of America Roval 400|fall race]], but not the [[NASCAR All-Star Race]]). After SMI acquired additional tracks, the network began airing the events at [[Atlanta Motor Speedway|Atlanta]], [[Circuit of the Americas|Austin]] (managed by SMI for the NASCAR event), [[Bristol Motor Speedway|Bristol]], [[Dover Motor Speedway|Dover]], [[Kentucky Speedway|Kentucky]], [[Las Vegas Motor Speedway|Las Vegas]], [[Nashville Superspeedway|Nashville]], [[New Hampshire Motor Speedway|New Hampshire]], [[Sonoma Raceway|Sonoma]] and [[Texas Motor Speedway|Texas]] tracks as well. Starting in 2004, PRN has also aired the NASCAR weekend at the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]] through a joint production with the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network|IMS Radio Network]].

Other NASCAR events (those operated by NASCAR itself following the absorption of [[International Speedway Corporation]] (ISC), [[World Wide Technology Raceway|Curtis Francois]] and the [[Pocono Raceway|Mattioli family]]), are broadcast by NASCAR-owned [[Motor Racing Network]] (MRN). On most occasions, PRN and MRN share the same radio affiliates in order to broadcast a complete NASCAR schedule.  The only exception is if one station in the same market is a full-time [[IndyCar Series|NTT IndyCar Series]] radio affiliate, where the INDYCAR Radio affiliate has first right of refusal, and the Indianapolis races may belong to the IMS station if they oblige.

PRN and MRN, as of 2025, also collaborate as the [[NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series#Television and radio|NASCAR Racing Network]] to carry all [[NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series]] events, with distribution handled by MRN.

All PRN shows with the exception of all race broadcasts and the pre and post race shows originate from Performance Racing Network's studios at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

All PRN race broadcasts are available via [[Sirius XM NASCAR Radio]]. ''Fast Talk'' is also carried on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio on Wednesdays at 10:00&nbsp;p.m. eastern time. ''Fast Talk'', the ''O'Reilly Pit Reporters'' and ''Garage Pass'' can all be heard online at PRN's website.

==Programming==
PRN's schedule includes the following:
* ''Fast Talk'': Doug Rice hosts the show with Alexis Erickson and Brad Gillie, The special co-hosts include [[Kyle Petty]],<ref name="Wineka" >{{cite news|last=Wineka|first=Mark|title=NASCAR announcer calls Salisbury home|url=http://www.salisburypost.com/News/021611-doug-rice-profile-w-jon-pix-and-two-factboxes-qcd|access-date=February 16, 2011|work=[[Salisbury Post]]|publisher=[[Boone Newspapers]]|date=February 16, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218145046/http://www.salisburypost.com/News/021611-doug-rice-profile-w-jon-pix-and-two-factboxes-qcd|archive-date=February 18, 2011|location=[[Concord, North Carolina]]}}</ref> [[Jeff Hammond (NASCAR)|Jeff Hammond]] and [[Hermie Sadler]]. The rotating host format was adopted after the death of [[Benny Parsons]], who had hosted the show during the first 14 seasons.  It is a call-in show that airs Mondays at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time. ''Fast Talk'' is heard on 220 stations, fifty-two weeks a year. ''Fast Talk'' is also live video streamed and can be viewed at PRN's website.
* ''Garage Pass'': Mark Garrow<ref name=Wineka/> and Steve Richards (substitute) anchor this four-minute NASCAR news program. ''Garage Pass'' is heard on 450 stations across the US. The program was created by Garrow in 1986 under the name "Winston Cup USA" and ran on a handful of stations for one year. In 1987, Garrow partnered with Capitol Sports Network in Raleigh, North Carolina to network and sell the program. The name was changed to "Winston Cup Today" and grew to approximately 480 stations at its peak. Richards produced the program, served as substitute host, and covered the majority of the scheduled NASCAR events. Midway into the 1999 season, the show was ended by Capitol Broadcasting when NASCAR demanded rights fees for the use of audio originating from the racetrack. In 2000, Garrow partnered with Performance Racing Network as the show was resurrected and renamed "Garagepass" as the rights fee issue was settled. 2011 marked the 25th year Garrow has produced a daily NASCAR news program. Richards, who began his radio career in 1977, has been covering the sport on a full-time basis for about 15 years, and before that on a part-time basis from 1985. He also covered Duke, NC State and University of North Carolina basketball and football from 1986 until the mid-nineties for [[WRAL (FM)|WRAL FM]] and the [[North Carolina News Network]]. Richards produced and anchored the scoreboard shows on the Duke and NC State football networks.
* ''O'Reilly Auto Parts Pit Reporters'': Brett McMillan hosts a panel-driven show with journalists discussing the issues of the week in NASCAR Racing, primarily in the Sprint Cup. Other forms of racing are occasionally talked about if the news is important enough.
* ''Racing Country'': A weekly, two-hour country music-oriented program hosted by [[WKKT]] morning disc jockey Paul Schadt with Cathy Martindale, with news from both country music and NASCAR.  Top country artists and NASCAR drivers are featured in interviews, as is a rundown of the week's popular country songs.  This is a 52-week program (no off-season breaks). The program dates back to 1989 and was formerly known as ''NASCAR Country'' before losing the rights to the NASCAR name circa 2000. Its slogan is "the two fastest hours on the radio"''.'' The program comes in two versions: one for current [[country music|country]] music radio stations and one for [[classic country]] radio stations.

'  Brad Gillie co-hosts a late night call-in show on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio called ''Late-Shift'' Monday and Tuesday nights from 7:00 to 10:00&nbsp;p.m. eastern time. He now does the show with Todd Gordon. Gillie also is a frequent co-host of ''Press-Pass'' every Saturday from 11:00&nbsp;a.m. to 2:00&nbsp;p.m. eastern time. Pat Patterson hosts a weekend morning call-in show called ''The Frontstretch'' from 7:00 to 11:00&nbsp;a.m. during the season and 9:00 to noon in the offseason.

==Announcers==
[[Image:ElliottSadlerDaleEarnhardt,Jr.PRNRadio.jpg|thumb|right|[[Elliott Sadler]] and [[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]] in an interview on Performance Racing Network]]

===Booth announcers===
*Brad Gillie (lead announcer beginning in 2025)
*Mark Garrow (announcer for Cup Series Races, host of ''Garage Pass'')

===Turn announcers===
*Rob Albright (lead turn announcer) (Turns 1 and 2 at Las Vegas and Atlanta, Backstretch at Bristol Dirt)
*Pat Patterson (host of ''The Frontstretch'' on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio) (Turns 3 and 4 at Las Vegas and Atlanta)
*Nick Yeoman (Veteran announcer for the Indycar/IMS Radio Network)
Note:
*For road course races, the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network]] will provide additional turn announcers.

===Pit reporters===
*Brett McMillan (host of ''O'Reilly Auto Parts Pit Reporters'')
*Doug Turnbull (fill-in [[pit reporter]] and turn announcer)
*Lenny Batycki (fill-in reporter)
*Heather DeBeaux (fill-in pit reporter)
*Alan Cavanna (fill-in pit reporter)
*Wendy Venturini (pit reporter)

===Former announcers===
*Doug Rice (Lead Announcer)
*Chuck Carland (Turns 3 & 4)
*Steve Richards (pit reporter)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.goprn.com/ Performance Racing Network Online]
* [https://www.reuters.com/article/car-nascar-truck-writethru-idUSMTZEC7KMDCBJR Auto racing glance]
* [https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2016/07/09/nascar-kentucky-quaker-state-400--start-time-tonight-lineup-tv-radio-schedule-2016/86874064/ NASCAR at Kentucky 2016: Start time, lineup, TV schedule and more]

{{NASCAR}}
{{NASCAR on television and radio}}
{{Sports networks in the United States}}

[[Category:American radio networks]]
[[Category:NASCAR on the radio]]