Another trip in the time machine.
Here is an interview from 2006 with Rich Trevelise
The man behind the microphone:
The Rich Trevelise story
By Scott Lukaitis
Welcome Race Fans. From the time you get to the track in the morning until “Happy Trails” plays at the end of day one voice rings out of the loudspeaker at Raceway Park motocross events. Rich Trevelise is the man behind the mike. This is your chance to get to know “The voice of Raceway Park motocross”
Raceway News: So Rich how long have you been the man behind the mike?
Rich Trevelise: 2006 will be the 22nd year announcing at Raceway Park. In 1984 I also announced at Bridgeport Raceway which was a track that the Shiver family owned in South Jersey.
RN: What got you started announcing?
RT: I started announcing because I got hurt racing. It was at the Maico Super Series a race that Sleepy Hollow and Raceway Park Ran in the late 70’s early 80’s. Amateur and Expert riders rode together in I guess what would be a money race series between tracks. I was in my qualifier and was in 2nd place, I was so stoked cause I was still an Amateur!, Terry Tucker was in first and fell right in front of me. To avoid him I went to the outside and got hit by somebody else. Somehow my hand wound up in my back wheel. I tore the ligaments in my hand and it was pretty bad. A few weeks later I met up with my cousin, who was a DJ and on the radio in Philadelphia at the time, at WYSP, and the next thing I knew we were working together doing ALL kinds of parties. I couldn’t stay away from Moto so I put them both together.
RN: What kind of pre-race preparations do you do?
RT: Nothing as far as pre-race prep.
RN: How do you keep all the riders straight?
RT: I was always pretty good with numbers, so I just kinda made almost like a second language relating names and numbers.
RN: After all the years do you have a favorite racer?
RT: To name one favorite rider is tough, local old school riders I have an enormous amount of respect for are Scott Edelstein, Jay Irwin, Ed Horan, Ed Brazina and Kenny Adams, Mickey Kessler, and Barry Carsten. Current riders would still be Mickey Kessler, Barry Carsten, yup they’re both still in there, Ty Wallace, Jimmy Mac, Jason Harper, the more I think about it there really have been so many talented riders that have come thru Raceway it’s so tough to call. Seeing the progress of riders from mini’s to big bikes has been very cool. These guys include Richie Zupko, Ty Wallace, Jay Lynch, Jay Jay Irwin and now Jason Lawrence. Being a “Mini Dad” now I really enjoy the mini classes, we happen to have some fast local talent including Dakota Kessler, Nick Desiderio, Joey Peters, Anthony Maimone, Frank Lettieri, Luke Renzland the list goes on and on. All-time Pros in my top Five, I just can’t pin it down, including Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Bob Hannah, Tony Distefano and David Bailey. My favorite, it is and always will be two, my boys, Richie and Ryan.
RN: Since this is the 30th anniversary ROC this season do you have a favorite KROC race?
RT: Favorite Race of Champions, that’s a tough one. Of course, for anyone that remembers when we did the mini-bike race at the Race of Champions when expert riders would race on 80’s for one moto winner take all. The famous Mickey Kessler Billy Liles BATTLE has to be one of the most memorable. These two were all over one another back and forth the whole race it was awesome. We have had so many great races and riders over the years it’s hard to pinpoint my favorite. I think its been great to have the factory riders here, and I hope they still come. But, I really like it when our local guys give them a run for there money and its happened a lot at Raceway.
RN: Have you ever thought of making the jump to professional announcing? Supercross or Arenacross?
RT: I would love to do a National or a Supercross, I kind of had the opportunity to do part of the Supercross that was at the Meadowlands I believe in 1987 or 1988 but at the time I guess I asked for too much money and that door never opened back up. If the opportunity came up again I would leave a mark.
RN: With all the talking all day long, do you still have a voice on Monday morning?
RT: Usually the only time I would not have a voice on a Monday would be if we had a long break and then went into the KROC weekend. I would be a little groggy sounding till about lunchtime.
RN: What is your least favorite and most favorite thing about your job as the announcer?
RT: The least favorite thing would have to be calling for flaggers and then having to change the order after I just announced it to everyone. My favorite would have to be the people, for the most part, the best people on the planet are at the race track. We get our whiners every once and a while and people who just like to complain about something but that just happens in life, you can never please everyone all the time. But overall the people and that racer rush that happens when there is a good race going on and you’re kinda thinking to yourself what you might do in that next turn or straightaway to hold off or pass someone, that really keeps me going.
Thanks for your time, Rich. Now you know a little more about the man behind the microphone.
