You may not think you're someone special but you are, sir. To millions of IndyCar and NASCAR fans, like me, you meant a lot to us. From your work in the dirt tracks, to ESPN and the IMS Radio Network, you are truly a gem that we, as fans, have been graced to have you call our favorite events. It isn't just the fans, the hundreds of others who's lives you've made an impact on. I respect your humility, truly I do. But this time, take a victory lap because you sir, have earned it! From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your 50+ years of dedication to motorsports! Your voice is missed in the broadcasting booths. Like many others, we'll all be praying for you sir!
We love you Bob, and we will be here with you! As a kid growing up with you being the voice of my Sundays and myself being a recent leukemia survivor, the best days for you are still ahead and the entire Motorsports community will stand by your side!
I grew up a Nascar fan so all I knew was Bob calling nascar races and hosting Speed World with Larry Nuber.....So fast forward much later when I find him doing play by play of Indy on the radio and he has this whole other life with the 500.....In my young mind Nascar and Indycar didn’t play together and if you were a nascar fan you certainly didn’t watch Indycar now as a grown up I watch both and always enjoy hearing Bobs calls.....I truly hope Bob comes out of this healthily and can sit down and tell more stories cause I love these sorts of things
Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers! My dad was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer in January 2020. Today he is cancer free. Please stay positive and have hope. We are all rooting for you!
Mr. Jenkins' positive attitude is a beacon for the entire Indy racing community. Sending you prayers, peace and love for all the years you've gifted us as the insightful voice of Indy.
There are 2 lead announcers in all of auto racing history I adore & like above all others: Allen Bestwick is one, but the one I like even more than Allen is Bob Jenkins... Bob just has that voice that instantly makes you smile. His enthusiasm, class, knowledge, technique, & mastery of calling the race makes him a treasure that all of racing fans enjoy. The fact that Bob is now dealing with this latest health issue makes everyone sad. We are hopeful that he can beat it like he did against colon cancer all those years ago, & we will be alongside him just like we were when his wife Pam was battling the exact same thing. I know Bob doesn't think he's a national treasure in auto racing, but I believe he is... & I'm not the only one who believes that. I really hope Bob is able to overcome & beat this. We will all be rejoicing when he does.
it pains me to see him how laborious he is talking here but you cannot deny the wealth of experience and the boyish enthusiasm he had covering the Indy500 and IndyCars through his career... God bless him...
Prayers to stay strong and recover Bob. My boys and I met you at a truck race at Sears Point and you graciously autographed his Frankenstein hat. My first recollections of you was on Speedweeks and early ESPN NASCAR before the explosion along with Larry Nuber. Hope to hear you again this year.
I love and appreciate you, Bob. I have listened to you from the farm shop, tractor seat, car radio, and in the house year-after-year. You made me feel like I was there beside you. Thank you so much.
Doug, thanks for this special edition. While Bob won't admit it, he is special. There are special thoughts and prayers heading his way to beat this latest challenge.
Bob, you’ve been an inspiration to millions of race fans. I’ve missed your voice on the broadcasts over the past few years, but I have hundreds of recordings in my archives. I have great confidence that you can beat the cancer, and I join the legions of those race fans who love you and are praying for your fast and full recovery.
Holy crap, just watched this. What a treasure Bob Jenkins is to us. I always loved his passion but didn't know his history or of him having cancer twice. Rest in peace brother.
Prayers from here... Hearing your stories and feelings about the Speedway mirror mine... Tears at "Taps" & "Back Home Again In Indiana" and the feeling of being at the track and the love of the place, be it on a practice day, time trials or the race itself. Your voice and legend are in league with the great Tom Carnegie and I look forward to hearing your passion for years to come! God Bless You!
As a fellow Hoosier, I know how you feel Bob! I grew up on the north side of Indy, my dad was a USAC tech inspector from 60-64 and we were always at qualifications almost every year! What a pleasure to hear your history!
Thursday night thunder & Bob Jenkins calls is what drew my interest in racing as a kid. I have no doubt Bob will pull thru this bump in on the track and we will have many many more laps hearing his voice.
Bob you are somebody special. The 90s when I was a teenager you were in my house every Sunday with benny and ned, Jerry punch and John kernan and you really meant a great deal to me in your nascar coverage. And your humour and passion were amazing and everytime I hear your voice it brings me warmth and so many memories
I just finished watching NASCAR on You Tube chronologically up to Alan Kulwicki demise at Bristol. I can’t begin to tell you how many broadcasts Mr. Jenkins, Parsons, and the guy I suggested should run for president for decades Ned Jarrett carried and I watched the ENTIRE BROADCASTS without FAST FOWARDING. All 3 represent MASTER COMMUNICATORS that knew exactly how to keep viewers like me engaged. Mr. Jenkins says HE was lucky. I SAY WE WERE LUCKY
Love Bob Jenkins! He just seems to know the fans and what interests them. Take care of yourself, buddy!! We were very lucky to have you call so many of those races. Even in the stands! My only memory of being on the backstretch in 1992 was hearing Michael Andretti's car die as he was about to lap the field. . . besides the parade lap crash and the carnage all day.
Bob, I hope to hear your voice in May. I haven't heard you as much as many others because I was a photographer, mostly in Turn 1 for 27 years, most days the cars ran, so I couldn't hear you. I was standing right behind Tom Carnegie when Unser and Goodyear crossed the finish line together and neither of us knew who won until they were into Turn 1. You are right, no one can understand what the buildup to, and the start of the Indianapolis 500 is, no matter how well it is described or shown, unless they have witnessed it in person. Stay positive and enjoy every day, whether at the track or not.
I just heard of his cancer and was watching old videos featuring him and came across this new video and it makes me happy to see him at least in better condition than I imagined when I heard he was sick. I sure hope he beats it and we get to hear him commentate in some form on a future 500
Very happy to see Bob here. Best racing commentator of all time. Would kill to hear him on a throwback broadcast or for a little bit on the main Indy 500 broadcast. Wish him the absolute best in his battle.
It’s been a couple months but still thinking of and praying for you Bob. You are a voice of my childhood, from NASCAR on ESPN, to NASCAR 98-2001 PlayStation video games with Benny Parsons to video games like IndyCar Series for the PS2 and Indianapolis 500 Evolution for the Xbox 360. Love you Bob 2nd Timothy 4-7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” God Bless you in Jesus Christ name, Amen
Bob you can beat this.... If it were not for you, Larry Nuber and ESPN back in 1979, I don't believe that we would have the motorsport coverage that we do today. Bob, THANK YOU and wishing you a full recovery from this evil disease.
I don't believe in luck. I believe in God's grace. God gave us Bob Jenkins. We've been blessed with Bob Jenkins and his voice speaking for us. We will bless you! We will speak for you Bob, with our prayers and thank God for all the years we've had you!!! We pray there are more of those for us and hold fast to the gold standard set by you! I encourage you to keep your foot on the accelerator, and as well Godspeed!!!
For a place and event that has long boasted of its connections and traditions, there are sure a lot of changes this year... Penske, of course, Donald Davidson, now Bob Jenkins stepping back a little. 'Course I'm old enough to remember the half hour/quarter hour reports by Sid Collins before the race was broadcast in its entirety on radio.. and the Rathman/Ward battle he mentions here. Would love to hear a race called by Collins, Paul Page, Donald Davidson, Doug Zink, Howdie Bell, Mike Ahern, Luke Palmer, Jerry Baker AND Bob Jenkins.... with Tom Carnegie's voice drifting in over the P.A.... Thoughts and prayers your way Mr. Jenkins!!
I love Bob. My favorite Bob moment was watching nascar at Sonoma and Joe Nemechek, driving the Burger King car, crashed into some tires and Bob says “Joe Nemechek in a Whopper of an accident”. Then he sighed. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
How appropriate that Bob Jenkins' background would be full of the roadsters circa 1952 Troy Ruttman, 1953-54 Bill Vukovitch, 1955 Bob Swiekert, 1957-58 Sam Hanks and Jimmy Bryan as well as (IMO "The Most Beautiful Race Car of All Time") J.C. Agajanian's Willard Battery Special, "Ole' Calhoun", driven to a historic victory in 1963 by Parnelli Jones. Bob always loved the roadsters the most and a few years ago he had, in his own words, "The Thrill of a Lifetime" when he was offered the chance to lap "The Brickyard" in A.J. Foyt's 1961 winning Watson roadster "The Bowes Seal Fast Special" with George Bignotti as the Chief Mechanic.
I'm not religious, but I do hope Bob finds the best doctors etc for his treatment, I have certainly enjoyed hearing his broadcasts through my years as a race fan. I sure hope his treatment is successful and these tumours are soon gone.., I wouldn't wish Chemo onn my worsr enemy. All the best Bob & thanks for the memories.
Hoping And Praying For Bob Jenkins. He is an institution to the Race And The Speedway itself. GOD BE WITH YOU BOB!!! WILL BE PRAYING 🙏 FOR YOU!!! Thank You For Being the Iconic Voice you have been and hopefully continue to be.