Episode 142: Mike Massaro

Davey Segal welcomes on pit reporter Mike Massaro (9:10) to discuss his extensive career in motorsports broadcasting. Starting in the Northeast at Stafford Speedway, Massaro outlines why he gravitated towards the microphone rather than a steering wheel, tells some hilarious stories from the track involving legends Mike Joy and Jack Arute and how that sent him on a path to work in racing. He also details his first time meeting Dale Earnhardt while auditioning for MRN Radio, his time at Inside NASCAR on TNN, how Allen Bestwick helped him land that job along the way, landing at ESPN to help spearhead their NASCAR coverage and the unthinkable first assignment he was put on: the 2001 Daytona 500. Massaro explains why coverage at the event was a logistical nightmare, how they navigated it, the delicate nature covering an event like that race takes, lessons learned that year and how they were applied in 2014 while covering the Tony Stewart/Kevin Ward Jr. incident. After leaving ESPN due to the NASCAR television rights change, Massaro landed at NBC Sports for a short period of time. He explains why he left that job for the betterment of his own mental health, but why he wishes he didn't all these years later. He also discusses the here and now: being back on pit road for MAVTV covering the ARCA Menards Series with many familiar faces, how that opportunity came up and how good it felt to put the headset back on. Plus, what is there still left for him to accomplish in broadcasting? Davey briefly touches on Denny Hamlin's Richmond Raceway victory, provides an update on his time dealing with COVID-19 and Papa Segal pays homage to "The King Maker."