June 9, 1939
David Hobbs
(Photo;grandtouringprototype.com)
Born in Royal Leamington Spa, England.
Hobbs has a 30-year history of international driving experience at all levels of motor sports, including sports cars, touring cars, F-5000, Indy cars, IMSA, Can-Am, Trans-Am, NASCAR and Formula One. He has participated in the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Daytona. He made twenty starts in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, finishing in 8th place at the first attempt in 1962, following with a pole position and a best finish of third, in 1969 and 1984 to his credit. In 1969 Hobbs was included in the FIA list of graded drivers, an élite group of 27 drivers who by their achievements were rated the best in the world.
Hobbs was due to make his F1 Grand Prix debut for Tim Parnell Racing at the 1965 French Grand Prix at Clermont-Ferrand, but a serious road accident put him in hospital for three weeks. He did make his debut at the 1967 British Grand Prix.
In 1971 Hobbs won the L&M 5000 Continental Championship driving for Carl Hogan out of St. Louis, Missouri, in a McLaren M10B-Chevrolet. He won five of the eight rounds that year at Laguna Seca, Seattle, Road America, Edmonton and Lime Rock. Twelve years later, he would claim the 1983 Trans-Am Series championship as well. He also made two NASCAR Winston Cup starts in 1976, including leading two laps at the 1976 Daytona 500 and drove a race in the 1979 International Race of Champions.
He currently works as a commentator for NBC and NBC Sports Network. Hobbs provides commentary for Formula One and GP2 races, the SCCA Valvoline runoffs, and parts of the 24 Hours of Daytona. He has also worked for CBS on its Daytona 500 coverage, working as both a colour commentator and a feature/pit reporter from 1979 until 1995, and then moved to Speed in 1996 working as a colour commentator and then moved to NBC Sports Network in 2013.
David Hobbs appeared in the 1983 comedy film Stroker Ace, playing a TV race announcer. Hobbs appeared in the Cars 2 movie, which premiered in June 2011, as announcer "David Hobbscap", a 1963 Jaguar from Hobbs' real life hometown in England.
Hobbs currently lives in Vero Beach, Florida with his wife, Margaret, with whom he has two sons, Gregory and Guy. In 1986, Hobbs opened a car dealership, David Hobbs Honda, in Glendale, Wisconsin, which continues to exist today, and for which personally voices advertisements. His youngest son, Guy, worked for Speed as a pit reporter on their sports car coverage.
Hobbs was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2009.
(Photo;davidhobbs.com)
(Photo;grandtouringprototype.com)
Born in Royal Leamington Spa, England.
Hobbs has a 30-year history of international driving experience at all levels of motor sports, including sports cars, touring cars, F-5000, Indy cars, IMSA, Can-Am, Trans-Am, NASCAR and Formula One. He has participated in the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Daytona. He made twenty starts in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, finishing in 8th place at the first attempt in 1962, following with a pole position and a best finish of third, in 1969 and 1984 to his credit. In 1969 Hobbs was included in the FIA list of graded drivers, an élite group of 27 drivers who by their achievements were rated the best in the world.
Hobbs was due to make his F1 Grand Prix debut for Tim Parnell Racing at the 1965 French Grand Prix at Clermont-Ferrand, but a serious road accident put him in hospital for three weeks. He did make his debut at the 1967 British Grand Prix.
In 1971 Hobbs won the L&M 5000 Continental Championship driving for Carl Hogan out of St. Louis, Missouri, in a McLaren M10B-Chevrolet. He won five of the eight rounds that year at Laguna Seca, Seattle, Road America, Edmonton and Lime Rock. Twelve years later, he would claim the 1983 Trans-Am Series championship as well. He also made two NASCAR Winston Cup starts in 1976, including leading two laps at the 1976 Daytona 500 and drove a race in the 1979 International Race of Champions.
He currently works as a commentator for NBC and NBC Sports Network. Hobbs provides commentary for Formula One and GP2 races, the SCCA Valvoline runoffs, and parts of the 24 Hours of Daytona. He has also worked for CBS on its Daytona 500 coverage, working as both a colour commentator and a feature/pit reporter from 1979 until 1995, and then moved to Speed in 1996 working as a colour commentator and then moved to NBC Sports Network in 2013.
David Hobbs appeared in the 1983 comedy film Stroker Ace, playing a TV race announcer. Hobbs appeared in the Cars 2 movie, which premiered in June 2011, as announcer "David Hobbscap", a 1963 Jaguar from Hobbs' real life hometown in England.
Hobbs currently lives in Vero Beach, Florida with his wife, Margaret, with whom he has two sons, Gregory and Guy. In 1986, Hobbs opened a car dealership, David Hobbs Honda, in Glendale, Wisconsin, which continues to exist today, and for which personally voices advertisements. His youngest son, Guy, worked for Speed as a pit reporter on their sports car coverage.
Hobbs was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2009.
Great history of David
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday David
Happy Birthday to one of the truly great under rated drivers of my generation. I've seen you from a distance at Daytona many times. Would have loved to chat with you.I can't believe I'm older you though. big grin....
ReplyDeleteMy favorite for decades now. Great driver, great analyst. HBD.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Hobbo. We're glad you chose Wisconsin for your U.S. roots!
ReplyDeleteMany Happy Returns David.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has their 15 minutes of fame. Mine was having YOU comontate during my SCCA National Runoffs win at Mid Ohio 2001.
Will never forget. God bless.