For many middle-age Indianapolis 500 diehard fans, if someone mentions ‘Delta Force intros,’ they immediately get excited about the topic.
No, this isn’t about some sort of secret military operation to gain entry into the hallowed grounds at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Or about the Chuck Norris movie The Delta Force which was the epitome of the 1980s action and military genre — and in its own right a very good movie. After all, Lee Marvin is in it.
Instead the reference is to the classic opening segments that ABC broadcaster and lead Indy 500 commentator Paul Page narrated. From 1988 until the late ’90s, Page’s voice, previously one of the select few to be named the “Voice of the 500” for the IMS Radio Network, would immediately jump in after the ABC Wide World of Sports tease dissolved away. The forthcoming segment was a masterful combination of visuals and storytelling that set the stage for the 500-mile battle that was to be contested by the 33 drivers. Mixing the fast tempo of Alan Silvestri’s theme from the Norris movie, it was the perfect way to prepare the viewer who was settling in for the long, multi-hour broadcast.
To this day those openers are requested to return and even fans take the time to splice the visuals of today’s machines and events with the narration of one of Page’s unique intros from over 20 years ago. Somewhere out there, an IndyCar fan is sitting at their breakfast table, sipping on coffee, searching YouTube for the perfect segment from various Indy 500s to start their day, to get their mind race ready for Memorial Day weekend.
As the 1990s transitioned to the 21st Century, ABC’s openers were handled differently, but still hit the mark in creativity and emotional connection. Examples include actor William Fichtner walking on the Speedway in 2011, touching on the past and future of the race as the 100th anniversary spectacle was about to commence. Later in 2016, when the actual 100th running was on air, a mix of drivers and fans spoke about what the race meant to them as it was entering a new century in racing.
Unfortunately, with NBC taking on the broadcast starting in 2019, these openers have seen very little use. There have been a few enticing moments, such as the military production for that first NBC race that was narrated by a National Guard division commander (here’s a little inside news for you – I’m in the segment as well). But none of the action-packed,…
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