A legend is stepping away. After an incredible career spanning over 40 years in NASCAR, award-winning broadcaster Mark Garrow is retiring, with his final race call at the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It's the end of an era, and a moment to reflect on a remarkable journey.
Neha Dwivedi, a staff writer at Kickin' the Tires, shared the news of Garrow's retirement. Over the decades, Garrow's voice has been synonymous with NASCAR, gracing the airwaves of FOX, ESPN, TNN, and TNT. He's a six-time recipient of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Broadcaster of the Year award, a testament to his skill and dedication.
Garrow's passion for racing was ignited early on. He was attending races with his father waving flags and his mother keeping score before he could even walk.
His career began as a public relations director at Dover Downs Speedway. He later helped build the team that won the 1990 Xfinity Series championship with Chuck Bown. He also held roles as an on-air talent and director of affiliates at the NASCAR-owned Motor Racing Network (MRN). He created and grew the nationally syndicated "Winston Cup Today" through Capitol Sports Network.
Eventually, Garrow joined the Performance Racing Network (PRN), starting as a turn announcer and pit reporter before moving into the booth alongside Doug Rice. Their commentary was considered by many to be the gold standard, a perfect blend of insight and enthusiasm.
In the past two years, PRN has seen significant changes, with Rice, the lead anchor and company leader, retiring in 2024 after the race at Bristol Motor Speedway, and turn announcer Rob Albright also stepping down.
In a heartfelt Facebook post, Garrow shared his reflections, saying, "To think I’ve been broadcasting Cup Series races for more than 40 years, that I was on the air when Richard Petty won his 200th race, that I have done close to 10,000 daily radio shows and that I have worked with so many great people along the way has been a great blessing.”
He acknowledged the support he received from Mike Joy and John McMullin at MRN and the Capitol Sports team. He also took pride in working with Jay Adamcyzk to fuel the rapid growth of Jayski.com. Speaking on his decades at PRN, he said, “I consider it a privilege to have worked with PRN for more than 30 years, in the booth with Doug Rice, anchoring PRN’s Garage Pass and representing a great company – Speedway Motorsports.”
Throughout his career, Garrow forged strong bonds with colleagues who became friends, including Rice and the late Steve Richards, who was Garrow’s producer for over two decades. Jerry Jordan, the Kickin’ the Tires editor, took over those duties for several years.
"I look back on my career starting out as a short-track promoter and all of the things that have happened in between, it’s been an amazing ride,” Garrow said.
But here's where it gets controversial... While Garrow hasn't revealed his post-retirement plans, he has hinted that he'll stay involved in the sport that has been such a significant part of his life.
What do you think? Do you have any favorite memories of Mark Garrow's broadcasts? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Do you think his departure will leave a void in NASCAR broadcasting?
