Ken Squier was a longtime NASCAR broadcaster and the first to do play-by-play for the Daytona 500 on national television, as well as the originator of the event’s moniker as “The Great American Race.”
- Died: November 15, 2023 (Who else died on November 15?)
- Details of death: Died in Stowe, Vermont, at the age of 88.
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Ken Squier’s legacy
Squier was immersed in the world of broadcasting from an early age. His father, Lloyd, owned WDEV in Waterbury, Vermont, and Squier was already appearing on air at age 12. At 14, he announced his first race from a small dirt track in Vermont. He continued broadcasting races through the 1950s and began to take a more active role in racing by 1960. Squier founded the Thunder Road International SpeedBowl track. Later in the decade, he was part of a business partnership that created Catamount Stadium, and in 1970, he co-founded the Motor Racing Network with Bill France Sr.
Squier stepped up to national broadcast networks in 1971 when he did the Greenville 200 for ABC; he joined CBS Sports the following year. In 1979, he made history when he did play-by-play for the Daytona 500, the first time the historic race had ever been broadcast in its entirety. It was seen as a risky broadcasting choice, but ratings were high, and the race has since become a television mainstay. Squier announced every race from 1979 to 1997. He officially retired from NASCAR broadcasting in 2014.
Squier received many awards throughout his career and was inducted into several halls of fame, including the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Vermont Sports Hall of Fame, Vermont Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and others. He was the Vermont Sportscaster of the Year five times.
Tributes to Ken Squier
Full obituary: 7 News WSPA
