With 1 Win in 47 Seasons, Bubba Beck Passed at the Wheel Doing What He Loved at Bowman Gray

I'm sure many of you have favorite television sportscasters and one of mine was Rich Brenner who passed from a heart attack in 2012 at age 65 after over 20 years on the air at High Point, NC television station WGHP.

Brenner was raised in New Jersey, just outside of Philly and came south in the 70s to become sports director at Raleigh's WRAL. With the arrival of Brenner, the station suddenly began covering NASCAR and I became a big fan of Rich.

In the 80s, I've taken Dale Earnhardt out to the grassy area between the pits and track at Rockingham for an interview with Rich when he landed the station's helicopter in that grass patch. Race followers were devastated when Rich left Raleigh for an anchor job in Chicago, but he soon returned to station WTVD in Durham, before ending his career in High Point/Greensboro.

Last night I looked to see if I could find any clips of Rich on the air and I found a clip that really stirred me. Those of you who attend races at Winston-Salem, NC's Bowman Gray Stadium probably saw this piece when it aired in 2002 upon the death at the track of Bowman Gray driver, Charles "Bubba" Beck . I found the piece quite touching.

Beck raced at Bowman Gray for 47 seasons, scoring just 1 win, but making many lifelong friends.

Here's the piece that was done by a guy I considered one of the best in the business:

Thank you Dave for this story. All of the racing fraternity lost a couple of good men.

Thanks Dave. I remember Rich but did not remember that he was responsible for bringing NASCAR coverage to WRAL.

Dennis & Bill & all others..

I just found a link to a brief tribute Rich Brenner's first North Carolina tv station - WRAL Channel 5 in Raleigh, did upon learning of Rich's death. The several minute segment has late 70s interviews by Rich with David Pearson, Richard Petty (at Rockingham after Cale & Donnie continued their Daytona antics) and a young Dale Earnhardt. It's a nice piece:

Link below :

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/voices/video/10791192/

I was just reading a full transcript of Rich's funeral service and the two items below in the transcript caught my eye:

1) That former RCR crewman, Chocolate Myers' wife, Caron sang at the funeral:

2) Rich's high regard for Richard Petty & Arnold Palmer: