Veteran racecaller Vic Stauffer will assume the role of Oaklawn Park's announcer for the 2017 meet, which commences in January, the track announced Wednesday. Stauffer, who has called more than 40,000 races at nearly a dozen tracks across the country, will be just the sixth track announcer in Oaklawn's storied, 113-year history.
Stauffer was the announcer at Hollywood Park in California for 13 years. Before that he called races at Gulfstream Park, Hialeah, Golden Gate Fields and others. He is also a two-time Eclipse Award winner for his work on radio broadcasts.
“Vic was the unanimous choice of the search committee,” said Oaklawn's director of racing David Longinotti. “His passion, his accuracy and his clarity make him a rare talent. He is able to describe what is happening on the race track in a way that is immediately understandable while still being unique. We are proud to introduce his voice to the thousands of Arkansas racing fans and look forward to them helping us welcome him to Oaklawn.”
Stauffer expressed similar enthusiasm about the new partnership.
“First and foremost I'm a racing fan,” Stauffer said. “The Oaklawn racing program is one of a kind in American racing. There simply is no better racing in the country. I look forward to experiencing the huge crowds that are passionate about seeing the best race horses in the world. And I'll be just as excited as everyone else to witness the next great champions that are cultivated at Oaklawn. This is just the perfect scenario for me both personally and professionally.”
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