Tasked with being one of the many voices of NASCAR at the Motor Racing Network, Alex Hayden joins Davey Segal (6:25) to discuss his unique background and career in and out of motorsports. He dives into why he initially wanted to go into medicine or acting before racing, his time working at Universal Studios and playing football in high school before racing came calling.
Hayden explains how his father's job as a racing photographer was the catalyst for his passion in motorsports, how he got his first job at Wayne County Speedway and the memorable story of a secret tape recording wound up helping him land an audition at MRN. After nerves at Disney World Speedway, Hayden officially was a member of the team, and did so with broadcasting legends by his side in the late 1990s at Rockingham Speedway.
He dives into what his first race on the mic was like, progression from pit reporter to turn announcer to now in the booth, the moment he felt like he'd made it in the sport, advice from the late Barney Hall (including a classic story involving 9 holes of golf) and more. Hayden also dabbled in television, and shares his experiences on screen and how they differ from radio.
Plus, his work at Mount Olive University, time acting in the show "One Tree Hill" and how it came about, getting hit by a car on a bike at six-years-old (!), why he flew to Alaska (and back) in a single day and what's left on his professional motorsports bucket list.
Papa Segal pays homage to the No. 59 with a familiar name, Davey discusses Kevin Harvick snapping his 65-race winless streak and popping the proverbial playoff bubble and shares a quick programming update.
