Allen Bestwick

Allen Bestwick (born on September 24, 1961 in Newport, Rhode Island) is the host of ESPN's NASCAR pre-race show NASCAR Countdown. He took over that position in 2008 after serving as a pit reporter for the network in 2007. Prior to that, Bestwick worked for NBC, TNT and TBS on their NASCAR coverage, serving as play-by-play man until 2005 and spending the last two seasons as the lead pit reporter. In addition, Bestwick also hosted SPEED Channel's "NASCAR Inside Nextel Cup" from 1996 to September 12, 2005, when he was replaced by Dave Despain. He also moderated the networks "Inside the NASCAR Busch Series" until that show was cancelled at the end of the 2004 season, and was one of the play-by-play commentators on NBC's coverage of the Arena Football League.

Bestwick's broadcasting career began at the age of 15, when he did on-air work for his high school's radio station. Bestwick began announcing auto racing at age 16, when he called the action at Seekonk Speedway, where his father raced. His best known pre-television gig was working as an announcer for the Motor Racing Network (MRN) radio network from 1986 to 2000. He does not hold an official position with MRN anymore, but will do some occasional fill-in duties for them when needed. Bestwick joined NBC and TNT in 1999.

Bestwick is perhaps best remembered for calling the 2001 Pepsi 400, the first race at Daytona since Dale Earnhardt's death, by saying, "Here they come! Turn 4! Final lap of the Pepsi 400! Michael Waltrip in second, but it's going to be Dale Earnhardt Jr., using lessons learned from his father to go from 6th to 1st and score the victory in the Pepsi 400!" Bestwick also called the 2004 Daytona 500, also won by Junior, saying, "The legacy continues. Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins the 46th Daytona 500."

On September 29, 2004, Bestwick broke his leg playing in a charity ice hockey game (ice hockey is one of Bestwick's hobbies) near his Rhode Island home. His injury (and the surgery that followed) caused him to be out of work for the next two races. Bill Weber filled in for Bestwick. Bestwick returned in mid-October. In December 2004, rumors began swirling that Bestwick and Weber would switch places in 2005, with Weber taking Bestwick's lap-by-lap duties, and Bestwick taking Weber's position as pre-race host. On December 14, 2004, this switch was confirmed. Bestwick became the lead pit reporter, though he would occasionally resume the play-by-play position on stand-alone Busch races. Weber took Bestwick's Nextel Cup lap-by-lap duties. [http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/headlines/cup/12/14/nbc.booth/index.html]

In 2005, Bestwick made a cameo appearance as himself playing as the lead announcer in the movie "".

For 2007, Bestwick joined the NASCAR on ESPN package as lead pit reporter, as well as occasionally being race coverage host on Busch Series races, and rare NASCAR Now hosting duties. In 2008, he was moved up to full-time race coverage host and hosts a weekly Monday roundtable edition of NASCAR Now.