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Alan Reinhart Announces Departure from NHRA Announcing Team After Three-Decade Run

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Alan Reinhart, a fixture in NHRA drag racing for over 30 years, announced on Joe Castello’s WFO Radio that he will not return to the NHRA national event announcing staff in 2025. Having started as a local track announcer at Firebird Raceway in the late 1980s, Reinhart soon became one of the most recognizable voices in drag racing, traveling the circuit and calling the action at events nationwide.

“It’s been a hell of a ride for the last 30-plus years,” Reinhart said. “I’ve gotten to meet a lot of people, see a lot of places, and do a lot of incredible things. But good things do come to an end, and this is one of them.”

Reinhart clarified that his departure is not the result of quitting or being fired but rather a matter of contract negotiations.

“I’m a contractor. My contract ended at the end of 2024,” Reinhart explained. “We had conversations with NHRA over the winter break, and it just seems we’re not going to come to terms for 2025 going forward.”

Over the decades, Reinhart was famously the first voice many fans heard each race morning. His early starts, trademark music choices, and extensive track knowledge became synonymous with national event weekends. Now, he looks forward to what comes next, hinting at conversations with race teams, tracks, and other entities within the motorsports world.

“I’ve been speaking to a number of different people about staying involved in the sport at some level,” Reinhart said. “I don’t have anything locked down yet, but hopefully I’ll have something soon.”

Joe Castello, host of WFO Radio, acknowledged Reinhart’s immense influence on his own broadcasting career and the sport at large, thanking him for the mentorship and expertise he provided throughout their long working relationship.

“Whatever is best for you is what matters,” Castello said. “I support whatever you think is right. But we’re definitely going to miss hearing your voice at the track.”

While fans may no longer hear him behind the NHRA microphones, Reinhart is confident his days in drag racing are not over. For a figure who has spent three decades ingraining himself in the community, the road ahead is simply the next step in an already storied career.

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“I’m not leaving the planet,” Reinhart joked. “There are plenty of new adventures waiting. It was a hell of a run, and I enjoyed every minute of it—but it’s time for a change.”

Stay tuned to Reinhart’s social media channels for further updates on his next endeavor.

This story was originally published on January 21, 2025. Drag Illustrated

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