Those of us of the two-wheel persuasion think that Flanders guy is a motorcycle announcer. Of course, why wouldn’t we? After all, he started at the Orange County Fairgrounds, announcing speedway motorcycle racing back in 1969.
That was just the beginning. Bruce went on to be the track announcer at countless speedway venues and was so revered at the now-defunct Inland Motorcycle Speedway that fans openly rebelled when a new promoter mentioned the possibility of bringing in another announcer.
Forty-seven years have gone by, and Flanders still announces at speedway events at the City of Industry. He is the man that fans, racers and promoters call “The Voice of Speedway.” Don’t believe me? Well, stop by any Wednesday night and see for yourself.
Flanders should be good, you say. After all, his dad owned the Flanders Company, a motorcycle dealership, repair facility and parts house in Pasadena, California. Bruce and his brothers John and Paul all worked there, so motorcycles, speed, sponsorship and racing were the family business. John Flanders still works at the business to this day.
It was a wonderful upbringing, according to Bruce. His dad, Earl, the 1948 Enduro Champion, and his mom, Lucile, were big shots with the AMA, the SCTA, the SRA, and other motorcycle organizations. Both Earl and Lucile Flanders have been inducted into the AMA and Trailblazers Halls of Fame.
As chief timing official at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Earl, along with Lucile and the boys, were accustomed to spending weeks on the road. Racing the Catalina GP or handling checkpoints out in the middle of the Mojave Desert for races such as the two-day Greenhorn Enduro, wherever they competed or officiated, it was a family affair, and the kids enjoyed participating.
Bruce’s exposure to such a wide variety of disciplines and locations led to an education that shaped the cornerstone of Flanders’ announcing career. Racing speedway motorcycles for a few seasons also helped, as did a record-setting run at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1973 for the fastest production motorcycle. Flanders’ 141.703-mph Yoshimura Kawasaki record stood for seven years.
Whether it was drag races, speedway motorcycles or motocross at the old Irwindale Speedway or Sprint Cars at Corona Raceway, promoting was one more brick in Flanders’ wall of motorsports evolution. However, like a moth to the flame, he always came back to announcing. That’s what Bruce loved. He knew it would be his life’s calling.
Known for his obsession with name pronunciation, race states and sponsorship, Bruce Flanders is a perfectionist who always does his homework before word one is uttered. He researches every event and all those involved in it. Not being prepared or not having all the facts are not in Bruce’s modus operandi; that would be a betrayal of everything the man believes in. That devotion to detail has not gone unnoticed. It’s made him an announcing superstar.
“I average 53 flights out of a suitcase before it needs replacement,” said Flanders, only partially joking, but that’s no lie: He’s worked with almost every major sanctioning body and at almost every racetrack in America, and even some in Europe. A short list includes names such as Formula One, IndyCar, CART, NASCAR, AMA, NHRA, IMSA, SCCA, FIM, SCTA, and more. Some of the better-known locations include Ascot, the Hangtown GP, the original Irwindale Raceway, Glen Helen Raceway, Laguna Seca, Sears Point, the Caesar’s Palace Grand Prix, the Miami Grand Prix, Daytona Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen, Fremont, Orange County International, Lions Drag Strip, England’s Wembley Stadium, EuroSpeedway Lausten Ring in Germany, and so many others. More than one of the above have called Bruce Flanders “the voice of” – it’s a title of respect, like judge, or president, or sir.
The Irwindale Event Center is another place that Flanders calls home. Built in 1999, this Half Mile Super Speedway features NASCAR and another dozen or so four-wheel classes and sanctioning bodies. Fans there call Flanders “The Voice of Irwindale Speedway.” Judge for yourself, as it runs most Saturdays between May and September.
The Grand Prix race at Long Beach is another Flanders haunt. Bruce has announced every race there since 1978. The association’s president and CEO, the drivers, the fans, the advertisers all love him. Naturally, they call him “The Voice of the Grand Prix.”
On Thursday, April 14, 2016, Bruce Flanders became the 25th person to be inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame. Movers, shakers and motorized royalty were in attendance, and all sang the praises of Flanders. The Mayor of Long Beach, Robert Garcia, spoke about Bruce’s legendary contributions to the field of motorsports. Flanders’ medallion, which includes a microphone, was unveiled in the sidewalk on Pine Avenue, in front of the Long Beach Convention Center.
Congratulations, Bruce Flanders. You truly are The Voice of Everything.