May 26th, 1944
Sam Posey
(Photo;mycarquest.com)
Born in New York City, New York, USA.
Sam Posey started as an amateur sports car racer, and graduated to Can Am, Trans Am and USAC Champ Car. As an endurance racer, Posey appeared at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 10 times and finished in the top 10 five times. His best finish was a 3rd in 1971, driving a Ferrari 512M. He also won the 1975 12 Hours of Sebring.
He participated in two Formula One world championship events, the 1971 and 1972 United States Grand Prix, retiring from the first and finishing 12th in the second. He also competed in a single NASCAR Grand National event in 1970, held on the Riverside International Raceway road course in Riverside, California.
Posey went on to become an auto racing commentator for ABC Sports. Posey debuted on ABC for the Indianapolis 500 in 1974, serving as analyst. In subsequent years, he served as a pit reporter, and ultimately returned to the booth starting in 1981.
Along with the Indy 500, Posey's ABC Sports duties included commentary for the CART/PPG IndyCar World Series with Paul Page and Bobby Unser, lasting until the end of 1995. Posey also appeared on selected NASCAR broadcasts on ABC. The three-man booth of Page/Posey/Unser was a fixture of Indycar racing of the era, and Posey and Unser were known to engage in friendly but heated exchanges on-air.
In 1989, Posey was brought in as part of the ABC Sports broadcast team covering the 1989 Tour de France. Many people were surprised by Posey's knowledge and genuine enthusiasm for the sport. ABC would bring him back as the lead anchor for the 1990 and 1991 races. Posey also worked as the play-by-play announcer for luge during ABC's coverage of the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.
Posey later moved to Speedvision. He currently does essay work for the coverage of the Tour de France on the Outdoor Life Network, now known as NBC Sports, serving as the "Race Historian", and writes for Road & Track magazine.
Posey is also the author of Playing With Trains, a book on model railroading published by Random House, and The Mudge Pond Express, an autobiography which centers around his personal racing career and love of the sport. Posey is also an accomplished artist and painter. Posey now suffers from Parkinson's Disease, which has limited his activities in recent years.
Posey was the voice for the pre-race build-up montage slotted between the Mercedes-Benz Pre-Race Show and the actual race coverage for each Formula 1 race shown on the Speed Channel. Posey also comments on recent Formula 1 races and the championship in a segment called "Posey's Perspective" as part of the Formula 1 Debrief show, also featuring Bob Varsha, David Hobbs, Steve Matchett, and Will Buxton on the Speed Channel. Posey now narrates F1 montages on NBC Sports Network after NBC purchased the rights to broadcast the 2013 season.
In 2013, the front straight at Lime Rock Park was renamed the Sam Posey Straight.
Sam Posey
Born in New York City, New York, USA.
Sam Posey started as an amateur sports car racer, and graduated to Can Am, Trans Am and USAC Champ Car. As an endurance racer, Posey appeared at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 10 times and finished in the top 10 five times. His best finish was a 3rd in 1971, driving a Ferrari 512M. He also won the 1975 12 Hours of Sebring.
He participated in two Formula One world championship events, the 1971 and 1972 United States Grand Prix, retiring from the first and finishing 12th in the second. He also competed in a single NASCAR Grand National event in 1970, held on the Riverside International Raceway road course in Riverside, California.
Posey went on to become an auto racing commentator for ABC Sports. Posey debuted on ABC for the Indianapolis 500 in 1974, serving as analyst. In subsequent years, he served as a pit reporter, and ultimately returned to the booth starting in 1981.
Along with the Indy 500, Posey's ABC Sports duties included commentary for the CART/PPG IndyCar World Series with Paul Page and Bobby Unser, lasting until the end of 1995. Posey also appeared on selected NASCAR broadcasts on ABC. The three-man booth of Page/Posey/Unser was a fixture of Indycar racing of the era, and Posey and Unser were known to engage in friendly but heated exchanges on-air.
In 1989, Posey was brought in as part of the ABC Sports broadcast team covering the 1989 Tour de France. Many people were surprised by Posey's knowledge and genuine enthusiasm for the sport. ABC would bring him back as the lead anchor for the 1990 and 1991 races. Posey also worked as the play-by-play announcer for luge during ABC's coverage of the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.
Posey later moved to Speedvision. He currently does essay work for the coverage of the Tour de France on the Outdoor Life Network, now known as NBC Sports, serving as the "Race Historian", and writes for Road & Track magazine.
Posey is also the author of Playing With Trains, a book on model railroading published by Random House, and The Mudge Pond Express, an autobiography which centers around his personal racing career and love of the sport. Posey is also an accomplished artist and painter. Posey now suffers from Parkinson's Disease, which has limited his activities in recent years.
Posey was the voice for the pre-race build-up montage slotted between the Mercedes-Benz Pre-Race Show and the actual race coverage for each Formula 1 race shown on the Speed Channel. Posey also comments on recent Formula 1 races and the championship in a segment called "Posey's Perspective" as part of the Formula 1 Debrief show, also featuring Bob Varsha, David Hobbs, Steve Matchett, and Will Buxton on the Speed Channel. Posey now narrates F1 montages on NBC Sports Network after NBC purchased the rights to broadcast the 2013 season.
In 2013, the front straight at Lime Rock Park was renamed the Sam Posey Straight.
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