Barney Hall, legendary NASCAR announcer, dies at 83

Barney Hall, the longtime NASCAR announcer whose voice carried racing to millions of fans over half a century, has died. The Elkin, N.C. native called dozens of Daytona 500s for Motor Racing Network, his voice echoing out of thousands of radios across the country.

"For the longest time he was THE voice of @NASCAR," Dale Earnhardt Jr. tweeted prior to news of Hall's passing. "Just perfection. Thoughts and prayers."

Hall passed away following complications for a recent medical procedure. He was 83 years old. He first called the Daytona 500 in 1960, and was part of the broadcast for 53 of 57 Daytonas to date. Along with Ken Squier, Hall was one of the most memorable voices in NASCAR, and it's fitting that Squier and Hall are the namesakes for the NASCAR Hall of Fame's award for excellence in media.

“The entire NASCAR family extends its condolences to the family, friends and fans of Barney Hall, a NASCAR broadcasting giant for more than 50 years,” said Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO. “Barney’s impeccable delivery and incredible storytelling skills left an indelible mark on the sport that he so clearly loved. His legacy remains through an honor that rightly carries his name – the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. It will remain a constant reminder of the skill and passion that Barney brought to his work.”

"This is awful, awful news," Brad Keselowski tweeted. "Great guy & incredible spokesman for the sport for decades. I'll never forget that voice."

"No one painted pictures with his words like Barney Hall did," Michael Waltrip tweeted. "He made me feel like I was there, at the track, right where I wanted to be."

Here's a fine retrospective of Hall's voice and storytelling skill:

____
Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports and the author of EARNHARDT NATION. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.