DOCSLIB.ORG

X Games Austin 2014 Television Talent Bios

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
X Games Austin 2014 Television Talent Bios X GAMES AUSTIN 2014 TELEVISION TALENT BIOS Hosts/Commentators Brandon Graham Brandon Graham joins X Games Austin 2014 as co-host and serves as play-by-play commentator for select skateboard events. The Bay Area native grew up skating and surfing without any idea that an actual career in this industry would be the result. That changed in 1999, when at 14 years old he witnessed his first X Games at Pier 32 in San Francisco. As a college intern at ESPN Radio, Graham was asked to cover the X Games in 2006 on behalf of the station. This content would eventually serve as the basis for Late Night Action, ESPN's first action sports radio show, hosted by Graham. Along the way, he became the host of X Games digital content, including Inside X and the Athlete Chat Series. Graham was then hand-picked by Rob Dyrdek to become the new play-by-play voice of Street League Skateboarding on ESPN2, before tackling the same duties for X Games in 2013, working alongside Tony Hawk calling Men’s and Women’s Skateboard Street. Brandon received a degree in journalism from California Lutheran University in 2008. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Nadia. Louie Vito Snowboard SuperPipe competitor Louie Vito will serve alongside Brandon Graham as co-host of X Games Austin 2014. Hailing from Bellefontaine, Ohio, Vito attended and graduated from the respected Stratton Mountain School for snowboarding in Vermont where he spent his middle school and high school years. Growing up riding a 300-ft hill, Vito is an X Games Aspen bronze medalist and has a medal of every color from the X Games Tignes event, two being gold. The first rider to land a double cork in competition, Vito was one of the first riders to throw back-to-back double corks in his runs. In 2009, Vito competed on ABC's Dancing with the Stars and in 2011, Vito was featured in ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue. In 2012, Louie did an 18 episode web series called, Living Louie Vito, which featured his life on and off the slopes. Deeply committed to philanthropic causes, Vito holds the “Louie Vito Rail Jam” each year in his hometown at Mad River Mountain. This event supports local charity, St. Vincent De Paul, through money raised from auction items and food donated to the food bank by those attending. Louie calls Sandy, Utah, home, with his rescue pit bull, Gucci. Analysts/Commentators: Tony Hawk Skateboard Analyst Quite possibly the most talented athlete ever to step foot on a skateboard, Tony Hawk is also one of the most popular athletes in the world. Hawk has consistently maintained his iconic status within the core action sports community, while simultaneously leading the charge for growth of the commercial popularity for all of action sports. In addition to being the first person to land a 900 on a skateboard, Hawk has won 10 X Games gold medals, developed one of the most successful video games in history and built one of the largest brands in global sports. Hawk also has become a talented member of the X Games broadcast team and will once again join the telecast team as an analyst for all of the Skateboard competitions at X Games Austin 2014. Corbin Harris Skateboard Play-by-Play A TV personality and professional skateboarder, Corbin Harris began his professional career at the age of 15, when he landed his first ad in a magazine and earned himself a spot on the legendary Vert-X team in Sydney, Australia. At the age of 19, Corbin began his career in broadcasting, with a job at action sports network FuelTV. Corbin then followed that up hosting two of his own TV shows, Corbin Presents and later, Popgun – a Rove-inspired action sports talk show. His goal with his future projects is to help take Australian skateboarding into the mainstream, and he views his involvement in TV and with brands such as Red Bull and X Games as the perfect platform from which to do that. Harris joined the ESPN X Games telecast in 2013 and returns to X Games as the Skateboard Vert and Big Air analyst. Jimmy Coleman BMX Play-by-Play TV personality Jimmy Coleman has been participating in and covering action sports events for more than a decade and has made an occupation out of being the “Man on the Mic.” Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Coleman is on the road so many months out of the year that he often jokes that he “resides in hotels across America.” Having hosted numerous action sports events and demonstrations all over the world, Coleman has had the opportunity to watch and work with many of the biggest names in the industry. Coleman joined the X Games broadcast team in 2001 at X Games Six. For X Games Austin 2014, Coleman will provide play-by-play for the BMX competitions alongside Kevin Robinson. Kevin Robinson BMX Analyst Driven and passionate in every aspect of his life, Kevin Robinson joins the BMX analyst team for the X Games Austin 2014 telecast. A true BMX legend, Robinson has made many contributions to BMX over his career and took his victory lap last year at X Games Los Angeles 2013, as he retired from a long and storied career at age 41 Over the years he won a total of 10 medals in BMX Vert and Big Air, with four being gold. Robinson resides in East Providence, Rhode Island with his wife Robin and their three children. Tes Sewell Moto X Play-by-Play Tes Sewell worked his first X Games event in the summer of 1999 as the original sport organizer for Moto X Freestyle in San Francisco. At X Games 2003 in Los Angeles, Sewell expanded his responsibilities to include broadcast analyst. Since that time, he has worked on every X Games in a variety of capacities, including as a Moto X analyst and reporter, Rally analyst and Snowmobile analyst and reporter. Sewell will be the play-by-play commentator for the X Games Austin 2014 Moto X competitions. In addition to his many X Games roles, Sewell has been an analyst and host for the ESPN Global RallyCross series, Red Bull X-Fighters series, TORC Offroad Championship series, PowerSports ATV Tour, PowerSports Snowmobile Tour, Terracross Championships and as a sideline reporter for the LG Action Sports Championships. A native of Newcastle, England, Sewell now resides in Reno, Nevada with his wife, Gaby. Jeremy McGrath Moto X Analyst One of the most dominant racers in Supercross history, many attribute Jeremy McGrath with catapulting freestyle motocross into the mainstream in the 90s. With seven Supercross titles and 72 wins, McGrath retired from full-time motorcycle competition in Jan. 2003, but has continued his involvement with the sport. He popularized the Nac-Nac, a trick that is commonly performed by X Games competitors on the freestyle course that is comprised of with one foot on the peg while the motorcycle is turned sideways. McGrath will join the X Games Austin 2014 telecast and provide the Moto X analysis. Toby Moody Rally/Stadium SUPER Trucks Play-by-Play One of the most recognized faces and voices in motorsports racing, Toby Moody has maintained a solid presence in the racing world. With his excitable, quickfire sports commentary and witty expressions, Moody has served for seven years as a TV reporter for the Paris Dakar Rally. He is in his 17th season as the play-by-play announcer for the MotoGP series on Eurosport TV and also provides play-by-play for the British Touring Car Championship for ITV Sport. His vast knowledge of motorsports and undying love for his job set him apart and continue to make him a mainstay on the air today. Moody will provide play-by-play for the RallyCross and Stadium SUPER Trucks at X Games Austin 2014. Paul Gerrard Rally/Stadium SUPER Trucks analyst Paul Gerrard joins the X Games Austin telecast as the Rally and Stadium SUPER Trucks analyst. Since 1991, Gerrard has raced professionally with success in nearly every category of racing. From formula cars in Europe to factory GT touring cars to the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, he has set several records and won many prestigious races. As the Director of global training for emotive - a company that owns the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School, the Jim Russell Lancer Evolution Experience, the Audi Sports Car Experience and the Audi Driving Experience - his responsibilities include all design of curriculum, training of professional racing instructors and the hands-on teaching of all of emotive’s worldwide programs. Additionally, Paul has done and continues to do a variety of television work as a presenter, host and driver. In addition to motorsports, Gerrard is also an avid skier, mountain biker, free diver and enjoys photography and travel. An English-born American citizen, Paul is married to his wife Karen and has two children. Reporters: Jamie Little Reporter Jamie Little joined the X Games broadcast team in 2002. Over the course of her X Games career, she’s been featured as a reporter for a large variety of disciplines, and she’ll again cover several competitions at X Games Austin 2014. A well-known motorsports veteran, Little has worked for ESPN since 1998. She’s served as a pit reporter for the IndyCar Series on ESPN and ABC since 2004 -- including the Indianapolis 500 -- and joined ESPN's NASCAR coverage in 2007. Before joining ESPN, Little worked as a reporter for NBC, TNN and Speed Channel for a variety of motor and action sports events.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Aussie Racing Cars Entry List
    V8 Supercars Coates Hire Sydney 500 I Welcome/Contents 3 COATES HIRE SYDNEY 500 Contents DECEMBER 4 - 6, 2015 IN EVERY ISSUE! EDITOR IN CHIEF: Gordon Lomas 3 WELCOME/CONTENTS 28 CARUSO/MOFFAT 7 CIRCUIT GUIDE 29 BRIGHT/COULTHARD JOURNALIST: 9 V8 SUPERCARS ENTRY LIST 30 WOOD/MCLAUGHLIN Tom Howard 10 PREVIOUS WINNERS 31 WALL/PYE 13 TV TIMES 32 GISBERGEN DESIGN: 14 2015 V8 SUPERCARS CALENDAR 34 V8 SUPERCAR CHAMPIONS Kirstie Fuentes 15 WHINCUP/LOWNDES 38 DUNLOP SERIES ENTRY LIST 16 TANDER/COURTNEY 39 F4 ENTRY LIST SALES/MARKETING: 18 SLADE/HOLDSWORTH 40 V8 UTES ENTRY LIST Leisa Emberson 20 BLANCHARD/PERCAT 43 STADIUM SUPER TRUCKS 22 WALSH/W.DAVISON ENTRY LIST PARTNERS: 23 WINTERBOTTOM/WATERS 44 AUSSIE RACING CARS ENTRY LIST SUBSCRIBE AND NEVER Armor All 25 REYNOLDS/HEIMGARTNER 45 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS MISS A COPY! Castrol Edge 27 T.KELLY/R.KELLY Pirtek Coates Hire Crimsafe Dunlop Tata Motors Apex Jobstop GearWrench STATS DID YOU KNOW SUpercheap Auto CHAMPIONSHIP Craig Lowndes will start his 250th round this weekend, equalling Russell Ingall for STANDINGS the most starts in Australian Touring Car/V8 36 4 Supercars Championship history... Frosty’s career defining moment fter 33 races spanning the length and breadth circuit’s punishing nature and often changeable weather of Australia, the scene is now set to crown a conditions. new V8 Supercars champion. As a result, Lowndes has a slim since of pulling off one of A Two protagonists remain following an the most impressive title fightback having been 423 points eventful Phillip Island Super Sprint which has adrift following Sandown.
    [Show full text]
  • April 7-9, 2017 Gplb.Com 1
    APRIL 7-9, 2017 GPLB.COM 1 2 TOYOTA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH Dear Members of the Media: Welcome to the Roar by the Shore…the 43rd Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. We've designed this media guide to assist you throughout the weekend, whether it be to reference historical data, information on this year's event or information and statistics on our six weekend races. It also includes a section on transportation, hotels and restaurants to make your stay in Long Beach more efficient and enjoyable. Our three-day weekend is packed with activities on and off the track. In addition to the racing, two concerts will take place: on Friday night at 6:45 p.m., the Tecate Light Fiesta Friday concert will feature popular Mexican rock band "Moderatto," while on Saturday night, "SMG Presents Kings of Chaos Starring Billy Idol, Billy Gibbons and Chester Bennington" will entertain the Grand Prix crowd at the Rock-N-Roar Concert. The Lifestyle Expo, located in the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, will see more than 180,000 Grand Prix fans walk through multiple times. Our annual media luncheon takes place on Thursday, April 6, and will feature drivers from many of the racing series that will be here over the weekend. Media interested in attending should contact us. If you have any questions or particular needs surrounding the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, please do not hesitate to contact our Public Relations Department at (562) 490-4513 or [email protected]. Our website, gplb.com, can be accessed at any time to find the latest news and information about the Grand Prix, plus the website's Media Center area has downloadable, hi-resolution photos for editorial use.
    [Show full text]
  • The Commodification Process of Extreme Sports: The
    THE COMMODIFICATION PROCESS OF uncertainty. He also defined the risk sports "as a variety of EXTREME SPORTS: THE DIFFUSION OF THE self-initiated activities that generally occur in natural­ X-GAMES BY ESPN environment settings and that, due to their always uncertain and potentially harmful nature, provide the opportunity for Chang Huh intense cognitive and affective involvement" (p. 53). The origin of using the word "extreme" in those activities goes Ph.D. Candidate in Park, Recreation, and Tourism back to the 1970s in France-when two Frenchmen referred Resources, Michigan State University, 172 Natural to their conquest of Chamonix couloirs as "ski extreme" Resources Building, East Lansing, MI 48824 (Youngblut, 1998). Youngblut described the word "extreme" as "far beyond the bounds of moderation; Byoung Kwan Lee exceeding what is considered reasonable; radical" (p. 24). Pedersen and Kelly (2000) contended that the term Ph.D. Candidate in Journalism and Communications, "extreme" was used in the context of sports to describe any University of Florida, 2096 Weimer Hall, Gainesville, FL sporting activity that was taken to "the edge." Then, they 32611 defined it as "a variety of sporting activities that have almost nothing in common except for high risk and an EuidongYoo appeal to females and males from the ages of 12_to_34" (p. 1). Synthesizing the definitions of Robinson and Pedersen Ph.D. Candidate in Physical Education, Florida State and Kelly, extreme sports are defined as a variety of University, Tallahassee, FL 32306 individual sporting activities that challenge against uncertain and harmful nature to achieve the enjoyment itself, especially, among the young generation.
    [Show full text]
  • From Brighton to Helsinki
    From Brighton to Helsinki Women and Sport Progress Report 1994-2014 Kari Fasting Trond Svela Sand Elizabeth Pike Jordan Matthews 1 ISSN: 2341-5754 Publication of the Finnish Sports Confederation Valo 6/2014 ISBN 978-952-297-021-3 2 From Brighton to Helsinki Women and Sport Progress Report 1994-2014 Kari Fasting, Trond Svela Sand, Elizabeth Pike, Jordan Matthews IWG Helsinki 2014 1 Foreword: Address from the IWG Co-Chair 2010 – 2014 in sport at all levels and in all functions and roles. The variety and number of organisations engaged in this work is remarkable, and the number con- tinues to grow. Twenty years marks a point in the history of the Brighton Declaration, where we can and must review the implementation of this document. The ‘From Brighton to Helsinki’ IWG Progress Report provides examples of initiatives that have been undertaken by Brighton Declaration signatories and Catalyst-subscribers to empower women. In spite of these efforts, the latest data shows that in some areas progress has been limited. The IWG Progress Report offers a chance to evaluate the Dear friends, measures already taken and sheds light on the Twenty years have passed quickly. I wonder if new goals and actions that we must adopt in order to take further steps toward our mission: ‘Empow- Women and Sport in 1994 in Brighton, UK, ever ering women – advancing sport’. imagined how things would have developed by 2014. The Brighton Declaration on Women and On behalf of the International Working Group on Sport has been endorsed by more than 400 or- Women and Sport (IWG) I would like to express ganisations worldwide.
    [Show full text]
  • Deafweekly August 12, 2009 Deafweekly
    Deafweekly August 12, 2009 deafweekly August 12, 2009 Vol. 5, No. 10 Editor: Tom Willard Deafweekly is an independent news report for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community that is mailed to subscribers on Wednesdays and available to read at www.deafweekly.com. These are the actual headlines and portions of recent deaf-related news articles, with links to the full story. Minor editing is done when necessary. Deafweekly is copyrighted 2009 and any unauthorized use is prohibited. Please support our advertisers; they make it possible for you to receive Deafweekly. SIGN UP HERE for a free subscription. Be sure to open the confirmation email and click on the link to activate your subscription. It is required by law and prevents others from signing you up without your permission. Last week's most-read story: MARYLAND COMPANY LINKED TO ALLEGED FRAUD / The Gazette Last week's website page views: 4,312 Deafweekly subscribers as of today: 3,039 ADVERTISE IN DEAFWEEKLY FOR AS LITTLE AS $18.46 PER WEEK. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NATIONAL +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Edwardsville, IL MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON IN DISABLED SON'S DEATH A southwestern Illinois man who admits he killed his deaf, disabled 2-year-old son in 2007 should spend the next 44 years in prison. That's the sentence a Madison County judge handed last Tuesday to 24-year-old Johnny Garcia of Alton. Garcia pleaded guilty in May to a first-degree murder count in exchange for a promise of no more than 50 years in prison. / AP Shelby, NC POLICE: DEAF WOMAN ASSAULTED WITH MUG Reports indicate a 44-year-old woman assaulted her deaf roommate Sunday morning [August 2].
    [Show full text]
  • MATCHING SPORTS EVENTS and HOSTS Published April 2013 © 2013 Sportbusiness Group All Rights Reserved
    THE BID BOOK MATCHING SPORTS EVENTS AND HOSTS Published April 2013 © 2013 SportBusiness Group All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the publisher. The information contained in this publication is believed to be correct at the time of going to press. While care has been taken to ensure that the information is accurate, the publishers can accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions or for changes to the details given. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements including forecasts are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties that cannot be predicted or quantified and, consequently, the actual performance of companies mentioned in this report and the industry as a whole may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Author: David Walmsley Publisher: Philip Savage Cover design: Character Design Images: Getty Images Typesetting: Character Design Production: Craig Young Published by SportBusiness Group SportBusiness Group is a trading name of SBG Companies Ltd a wholly- owned subsidiary of Electric Word plc Registered office: 33-41 Dallington Street, London EC1V 0BB Tel. +44 (0)207 954 3515 Fax. +44 (0)207 954 3511 Registered number: 3934419 THE BID BOOK MATCHING SPORTS EVENTS AND HOSTS Author: David Walmsley THE BID BOOK MATCHING SPORTS EVENTS AND HOSTS
    [Show full text]
  • Capps, NAPA Start Celebration for 50 Years of Funny Cars with Win at Winternationals, Start Mello Yello Season on Fox
    Ron Capps celebrates his Winternationals victory with his NAPA team and family: from left, dad John, wife Shelley, son Caden and mom Betty. Capps, NAPA start celebration for 50 years of Funny Cars with win at Winternationals, start Mello Yello season on Fox Last Sunday was Valentine’s Day but the season-opening NHRA Circle K Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., didn’t show much love to Don Schumacher Racing. That is, unless you are Ron Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS team led by crew chief Rahn Tobler and assistant Eric Lane who opened the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season by winning the Funny Car title to begin a special year that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Funny Car. Their 2016 Dodge Charger R/T was the only one of seven DSR entries to advance past the second round of Mello Yello eliminations and they went all the way. Capps and the NAPA team were dominant all weekend during the first of 24 national events with seven of their eight runs in the 3- second range including all four in qualifying that helped the team earn the No. 2 spot. “I have the best team in the business, and they gave me a great racecar,” he said. “All four runs in the 3s in qualifying, I don’t think anyone else did that. I knew we had a good racecar. Tobler and I have grown so much together. It’s like a marriage. He really keeps me in line on race day. We had a heckuva day.” And it was a banner weekend for NAPA Racing.
    [Show full text]
  • Value Co-Creation Among Stakeholders of a Commercial Sport Event: the Case of the X-Games Norway
    Value Co-Creation among Stakeholders of a Commercial Sport Event: The Case of the X-Games Norway Baarlid, Linn1; Moro Strittmatter, Anna-Maria1 and Horbel, Chris2,1 1: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Norway; 2: University of Southern Denmark [email protected] Aim The X Games Norway was the first large-scale sport event in Norway that was solely hosted by commercial companies (SAHR, TV2, and ESPN). Since the Norwegian sport system is highly institutionalized under the umbrella of the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF), the hosting of the X Games outside Norwegian organized sports triggered an intensive sport political discussion. It was argued that a for-profit-oriented event is challenging the values of Norwegian organized sports, characterized by volunteerism and democracy and driven by non-profit organizations. Despite this debate, athletes, spectators, National Sport Organisations (NSOs) and other stakeholders of the event found great value in the event. Providing substance to the debate whether NIF’s position that commercial sport events threaten traditional organized sport is in fact constructed, this research aims at identifying if there are any differences between traditionally organized and commercial sport events, and if so whether these are harmful for traditional sports. The research aim is approached by examining how stakeholders of a commercial event co-create value and comparisons with traditional sport events. Theoretical Background and Literature Review Even though one focal actor might be responsible for the event, they are in fact co-created. “Other stakeholders at various stages before, during, or after the event also contribute to its value” (Woratschek, Horbel, & Popp, 2014, p.
    [Show full text]
  • Nascar Race Hub Honors Women & Crew Chiefs With
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Megan Englehart Monday, August 21, 2017 [email protected] NASCAR RACE HUB HONORS WOMEN & CREW CHIEFS WITH PAIR OF SPECIAL EDITION EPISODES THIS WEEK ON FS1 Specials Feature All-Female “Women in Wheels” Panel on Wednesday and “Crew Chief” Episode on Thursday CHARLOTTE, N.C. – NASCAR RACE HUB, the sport’s most-watched daily news and highlights program, will air two special, one-hour episodes this week honoring the women and crew chiefs in NASCAR. An outgrowth of NASCAR RACE HUB’s regular series with reporter Kaitlyn Vincie titled “Women in Wheels,” Wednesday’s edition of HUB (6:00 PM ET on FS1) will carry the same theme. Co- hosts Shannon Spake, Adam Alexander and Jamie Little welcome to the studio a prestigious panel of females working in NASCAR in various roles. Panelists include JR Motorsports co-owner Kelley Earnhardt Miller, Chevrolet Program Manager Alba Colon, Hendrick Motorsports tire specialist Lisa Smokstad and Hailie Deegan, a member of the NASCAR Next Class and the first female to win a Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series championship and race. The group will discuss topics such as the state of the sport, ways in which NASCAR continues to develop, the evolution and growth of women in the industry and more. Features on Wednesday’s special include Vincie sit-downs with JTG-Daugherty co-owner Jodi Geschickter, NASCAR SVP and CMO Jill Gregory and tire changer/developmental crew member Brehanna Daniels, as well as a piece exploring Danica Patrick’s impact on young fans. Thursday’s NASCAR RACE HUB edition is co-hosted by Spake and Alexander with FOX NASCAR analysts and former championship-winning crew chiefs Jeff Hammond and Andy Petree.
    [Show full text]
  • Youth Olympic Games Awareness: an Analysis of Parents of Elite Youth Sport Athletes
    29 Youth Olympic Games Awareness: An Analysis of Parents of Elite Youth Sport Athletes Jeffrey C. Petersen, Baylor University Sarah Deitz, Brianna Leitzelar, Ball State University David Bellar, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lawrence W. Judge, Ball State University Abstract The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) were established to bolster interest in the Olympic movement among the world’s youth. However, several prior studies have documented low levels of YOG awareness among multiple populations. As parents form a primary stakeholder group in the development of youth sport, this study sought to determine the awareness of the YOG compared to other mega-sport festivals, specifically within a group of elite youth athletes’ parents. A 24-item survey instrument was developed based upon prior YOG research surveys with additional comparative questions related to the 2012 London Olympic Games (LOG) and the Winter X Games (WXG). The results indicated that the YOG are lesser known than the WXG and the LOG. Despite the high level of elite youth sport engagement of this population, the low levels of YOG awareness and event consumption intent demonstrate a need for additional marketing and promotions for the YOG. Introduction A lack of new younger fans is leading to an aging audience for the Olympic Games. For example, median age for U.S. viewers for the Sochi Games in 2014 was 55 while the 2002 Salt Lake City Games was 48 (Duff & Rossingh, 2015). Across the entirety of the Sochi Winter Games, coverage the 18-49 age group viewership netted a record low rating compared to other Olympic Games of 5.5 or just over 21 million viewers in this crucial demographic group (Patten, 2014).
    [Show full text]
  • Jamie-Little.Pdf
    ›››fitness role models LIFE IN THE FAST LANE NBC PHOTO: TK As the sole woman on ESPN/ABC’s NASCAR coverage crew, pit reporter Jamie Little continues to bust barriers. It helps that she’s as fit and strong as they come. By STEVE MAZZUCCHI Flick on the tube this weekend, stop at the channel where stock cars muscleandfitnesshers.com are zooming around a track, and you can’t miss Jamie Little. Wearing headphones, a fireproof suit and a ponytail, NASCAR’s first and only female pit reporter will be all over the place — interviewing drivers, reporting on crashes, explaining exactly how Jeff Gordon just took the lead. If she seems surprisingly at ease in this male-dominated atmosphere, it’s no accident. “If you want something bad enough, you’ve got to do whatever it takes,” says 29-year-old 75 Little, who had made it her goal to cover NASCAR by age 30. Photos by IAN SPANIER For Little, that meant chasing her dream with SPEED FREAK ON THE BALL Little mixes balance and tireless passion, meticulous preparation and a At left, Little at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; strength with this bodyweight rock-hard physique. “When you’re physically below, she demos one of the exercises squat on a ball fit, it commands respect,” she explains. “I pride prescribed by her trainer, Rick Baird, CSCS myself on being strong.” Over a decade of determination and hustle, she has covered physical fitness. Along with regular weight and everything from squash to the Indianapolis cardio sessions, she competed in mountain 500, competed as a pro mountain biker, biking, winning five National Off-Road Bicycle Fappeared in two movies (Supercross and Association races before hanging up her cleats Fantastic Four) and a video game (MX World in 2004.
    [Show full text]
  • Spotter Guide
    FAST FACT Firestone Racing supplied more than 1,330 tires for the Honda Indy Toronto. With an average width of 30 centimeters, those race tires would stand nearly as tall the CN Tower when stacked. Injured Canadian driver James Hinchcliffe brings smiles to the faces of fans and competitors alike as he delivers the command to start engines at Texas Motor Speedway via the massive video board known as “Big Hoss.” Chris Jones/IMS Photo WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEKEND: MONTOYA AIMS FOR FIRST TORONTO WIN: Juan Pablo Montoya (right) has controlled the Verizon IndyCar Series point standings since the start of the season and carries a 35-point advantage into the Honda Indy Toronto over teammate Will Power. But the Colombian hasn’t fared well in Toronto, never finishing in the top 15 in four previous starts. Can Montoya score his first win in Toronto this weekend? RESURGENT GANASSI TEAM SEEKS ANOTHER WIN AT TORONTO: Chip Ganassi Racing hopes to recapture its success on the streets of Toronto, where it has won six times previously. Scott Dixon, who won last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, has a pair of Toronto wins and has seven top-five finishes in 10 previous starts. Tony Kanaan had a pair of podiums last season and Charlie Kimball scored his first-ever podium at the track in 2012. Can Ganassi cars keep the momentum going this weekend? MARCO LOOKS TO END WINLESS DROUGHT: The Andretti name has been a major part of open-wheel racing history at Toronto. Michael Andretti won a record seven times on the temporary street course.
    [Show full text]