Adam Alexander, Lindsay Czarniak hope to bring out best of TNT crew

By Bob Pockrass

Monday, March 15, 2010

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Adam Alexander doesn’t have any desire to become a household name as the play-by-play announcer for the six Sprint Cup races on TNT this summer.

In fact, he’ll be content with virtually the opposite as he shares the booth with former Cup drivers Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach.

“I would much rather leave the event with the people who watched it having no idea what my name is,” Alexander said. “I don’t need that for my personal satisfaction. I’d like to think you’re doing a good job, you’re not a part of what they remember.

“People are going to leave knowing who Kyle Petty is. They’re going to remember something funny that Wally said. They might remember a jab that those guys take at me as we have fun and get through a race. But on a good day, it’s going to be very much, ‘Wally and Kyle, those guys are so funny and then there’s that other guy.’”

Alexander and Lindsay Czarniak have new roles with TNT, which will have the six Cup races beginning with Pocono in June. Czarniak, formerly a pit reporter, will be the new host of TNT's prerace show. She replaces Marc Fein.

Alexander served as a pit reporter for two races last year after play-by-play announcer Bill Weber was suspended for what TNT termed a “private issue” and pit reporter Ralph Sheheen replaced Weber in the booth. Weber’s contract was not renewed and Alexander was named to replace him a few weeks ago.

“Working with them those couple of races last summer was very beneficial,” Alexander said. “They knew who I was and I knew who they were. … That really opened the door to this opportunity.”

Alexander has not done much play-by-play in recent years as he has been and continues to be a reporter/host for SPEED. He reports from the garage during practice sessions, the pits during Truck Series races and hosts “NASCAR Race Hub,” “The SPEED Report” and “NASCAR in a Hurry.”

He also did play-by-play for the HotPass telecasts on DirecTV a few years ago.

Alexander said his experience working with MRN broadcaster Barney Hall will help him as far as preparation and performing in his role as a play-by-play announcer.

“I’m just going to be the calming voice that directs the traffic,” Alexander said. “At least that’s the way I envision it. … One thing that I believe is a strength of mine is energy and just bringing a positive energy to the broadcast.

“I believe very much that I am someone who looks at things with the glass half full.”

Much like Alexander, Czarniak hopes to be able to direct the traffic between Petty and Larry McReynolds on the prerace show.

“Hopefully I bring fun and good storytelling and good rapport with the guys that I’m working with because I want to get the best out of them,” Czarniak said. “I want to hear Larry’s expertise on why something is happening or what could make it better.

“And I want to hear Kyle’s honesty about why he thinks something is good or the stupidest thing he’s ever heard of.”

Czarniak said she will give her opinions as well but also will try to talk about the issues from both sides.

“I love pit reporting, but this is such a really cool opportunity and a different format,” Czarniak said. “I like telling the stories about the drivers, but this will be a whole new ball game.”