Monster Energy Supercross TV Talent Announced for FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 Broadcasts
OutdoorHub 01.03.14
Feld Motor Sports and FOX Sports announced today the television broadcast team for the 2014 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season on FOX Sports.
Joining play-by-play announcer Ralph Sheheen in the booth will be 1997 450SX Class Champion Jeff Emig and pit reporter Jenny Taft. Additionally, a trio of former champions will share time as the color analyst. Five-time 450SX Class Champion Ricky Carmichael, seven-time 450SX Class Champion Jeremy McGrath, and two-time 250SX Class Champion Kevin Windham will round out the booth in select races throughout the season as color commentators. The live broadcasts begin this Saturday, Jan. 4, from Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., at 10:00 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.
Sheheen, who has been involved with motor sports for 25 years as a broadcaster and competitor, began providing play-by-play for Monster Energy Supercross in 2005. Emig joined the Monster Energy Supercross broadcast team in 2007. This marks the duo’s eighth season together bringing Monster Energy Supercross to millions of fans all over the world.
Carmichael, a 15-time AMA National Champion, returns to the Monster Energy Supercross broadcast team for his sixth season. For McGrath, the all-time winningest supercross racer with 72 Main Event wins who has made appearances as a color analyst in the past, 2014 will mark the first time he has been a consistent member of the team.
“I’m the luckiest Monster Energy Supercross fan on the planet,” Sheheen said. “Each week, I get to sit next to four of the greatest riders in the history of the sport and talk about the amazing racing we get to see. Obviously, the depth of knowledge with those guys is incredible. Dead air is never a problem in that booth … trying to give everybody time to talk is a bigger challenge. Also, when RC gets excited, which is often, he starts hitting me in the shoulder so keeping the bruising down can be tough.”
Taft, the newest member of the lineup, is a graduate of Boston University and a native of Minnesota. She served as a social media contributor for FOX Sports North during Minnesota Twins, Timberwolves, and Wild programming. She also worked as an in-stadium and in-arena host for the Twins and Wild while getting television experience as a sideline reporter for the Minnesota Lynx WNBA telecasts. Most recently, she was added to the FOX Sports 1 news and highlights update team.
“As Monster Energy Supercross celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2014, it will enjoy its greatest television package to date,” said Ken Hudgens, COO, Feld Motor Sports. “Having live coverage from all 17 races is a milestone for Monster Energy Supercross, and having assembled such a diverse team of talent, our viewers are in for a real treat this season. I welcome our newest member, Jenny Taft, to the team; she will provide a fresh, unique perspective to the fans.”
In addition to the broadcast team that will bring the action to viewers all season long, longtime NASCAR on FOX reporter Krista Voda serves as the host of the season-opening telecast from Anaheim on January 4. A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Voda has been a host for several of NASCAR on FOX programs since 2003, including Totally NASCAR, NASCAR Nation, NCWTS Setup and Trackside Live. She is also a familiar face to supercross, having served as a pit reporter in 2006.
For the first-time ever, the entire Monster Energy Supercross season airs live on FOX Sports. FOX Sports 1 airs 13 races live and FOX Sports 2 airs four races live, in addition to re-airs of every race on FOX Sports 2. The live Monster Energy Supercross programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 also includes live coverage on the authenticated FOX Sports Go app.
