Ben Edwards
Encyclopedia
Ben Edwards is a British
motor racing commentator
. At the moment, he is the voice of Superleague Formula
and the British Touring Car Championship
, in addition to Formula One
DVD
Reviews for Duke Video
. In the past, he has worked for Eurosport
, ESPN
, and F1 Digital +
. He is known for his enthusiastic, energetic commentary style similar to that of Murray Walker
.
, Edwards first started out in motorsport
as a mechanic
for Formula Ford
teams in 1982, before beginning a career as a racing driver
. He won the first Formula First championship, a now defunct championship for new drivers, and went to become champion in Caterham
-Vauxhall
sports cars. He also took part in the Euro Vauxhall Lotus championship where he raced against the likes of David Coulthard
and Mika Häkkinen
.
He first started commentating after enjoying his experience teaching racing at Brands Hatch
and Snetterton
. His first commentary position was for the BBC
with Tiff Needell
, but he became known to British viewers through his Formula One
commentary on Eurosport
. He was usually partnered with former Formula One race winner John Watson
.
racing for viewers of Eurosport and ESPN
International, also carried by Channel 5. His work alongside Jeremy Shaw was regarded as a big success. Perhaps his most famous moment was his commentary of the final lap of the 2000 Michigan 500
which was so dramatic that French Eurosport used his commentary in their highlights of that race.
Although Edwards was very popular with the viewers, he gradually became tired of commuting from Britain to the United States for every race. He considered moving permanently to the United States. He eventually decided to remain in England, and reduce his involvement in America.
In 2001, Edwards was replaced by Guy Hobbs as the main Champ Car commentator, but he did commentate for the races in Japan, Detroit, Mid-Ohio, Germany, Houston and Australia when Hobbs or Shaw had other commitments, and at the circuit for Rockingham Motor Speedway
.
to commentate on the British Touring Car Championship
— something he still does today. He also took on the role of lead commentator for F1 Digital +
, and was reunited with his old colleague, John Watson
. F1 Digital + finished at the end of the 2002 season, but since 2005 Watson and Edwards have been working together on Sky Sports and the international feed for A1 Grand Prix
.
On some occasions when British Touring Car Championship
and A1 Grand Prix
races clashed, he has been replaced on ITV
by John Hindhaugh
.
Edwards has also commentated on general motorsport events for Eurosport and British TV, including coverage of the British Formula Three Championship
(alongside Martin Haven
).
In 2009, Edwards started commentating on the Superleague Formula Series on Eurosport
from 2003-2005. He currently resides in Norfolk
.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
motor racing commentator
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
. At the moment, he is the voice of Superleague Formula
Superleague Formula
Superleague Formula is an open wheel single seater motor racing formula, which started in 2008, at Donington Park in the United Kingdom. The league introduced team sponsorship by association football clubs. It goes by the saying 'The Beautiful Race: Football at 300 km/h'. By 2011 the link with...
and the British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
, in addition to Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
Reviews for Duke Video
Duke Video
Duke Video is a video and DVD publisher specialising in motorsports.Duke Video was founded in the Isle of Man in 1981 by Peter Duke, son of six-time motorcycle World Champion Geoff Duke...
. In the past, he has worked for Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, and F1 Digital +
F1 Digital +
F1 Digital+ was the name of the pay-per-view television service of Formula One coverage between mid 1996-2002. The service offered additional features to the normal television feed of the sport, such as channels dedicated to onboard cameras, cameras in the pit area and live timing data...
. He is known for his enthusiastic, energetic commentary style similar to that of Murray Walker
Murray Walker
Graeme Murray Walker, OBE is a former Formula One motorsport commentator...
.
Starting out
Brought up in SurreySurrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, Edwards first started out in motorsport
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
as a mechanic
Auto mechanic
An auto mechanic is a mechanic with a variety of car makes or either in a specific area or in a specific make of car. In repairing cars, their main role is to diagnose the problem accurately and quickly...
for Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....
teams in 1982, before beginning a career as a racing driver
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
. He won the first Formula First championship, a now defunct championship for new drivers, and went to become champion in Caterham
Caterham Cars
Caterham Cars is a manufacturer of specialist lightweight sports cars based in Caterham, Surrey, England and part of the British motor industry. Their only current model, the Caterham 7 , is a direct evolution of the Series 3 Lotus Seven designed by Colin Chapman and originally launched in 1968. A...
-Vauxhall
Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...
sports cars. He also took part in the Euro Vauxhall Lotus championship where he raced against the likes of David Coulthard
David Coulthard
David Marshall Coulthard, MBE, , sometimes known as DC, is a British former Formula One racing driver from Scotland.Coulthard, who was born in Dumfries and raised nearby in Twynholm, made his Formula One debut in 1994 and won 13 Grands Prix in a career spanning 15 seasons...
and Mika Häkkinen
Mika Häkkinen
Mika Pauli Häkkinen is a Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion...
.
He first started commentating after enjoying his experience teaching racing at Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
and Snetterton
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Norfolk, England. Owned by MotorSport Vision, it is situated on the A11 road some 20 km north-east of the town of Thetford and 30 km south-west of the city of Norwich...
. His first commentary position was for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
with Tiff Needell
Tiff Needell
Timothy "Tiff" Needell isa British racing driver and television presenter. He is best known as a former co-presenter of Top Gear and current co-presenter of Fifth Gear.-Biography:...
, but he became known to British viewers through his Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
commentary on Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
. He was usually partnered with former Formula One race winner John Watson
John Watson (racing driver)
John Marshall "Wattie" Watson MBE is a British former racing driver from Northern Ireland. He competed in Formula One, winning five Grands Prix and also in the World Sportscar Championship...
.
Champ Car
When Eurosport lost the rights to Formula One at the end of 1996, Edwards became the voice of Champ CarChamp Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
racing for viewers of Eurosport and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
International, also carried by Channel 5. His work alongside Jeremy Shaw was regarded as a big success. Perhaps his most famous moment was his commentary of the final lap of the 2000 Michigan 500
Firestone Indy 400
The Firestone Indy 400 was an IndyCar Series race held at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan.Between 1970 and 2007, Michigan International Speedway hosted at least one open-wheel race in every season, hosting 55 open-wheel races over 38 years...
which was so dramatic that French Eurosport used his commentary in their highlights of that race.
Although Edwards was very popular with the viewers, he gradually became tired of commuting from Britain to the United States for every race. He considered moving permanently to the United States. He eventually decided to remain in England, and reduce his involvement in America.
In 2001, Edwards was replaced by Guy Hobbs as the main Champ Car commentator, but he did commentate for the races in Japan, Detroit, Mid-Ohio, Germany, Houston and Australia when Hobbs or Shaw had other commitments, and at the circuit for Rockingham Motor Speedway
Rockingham Motor Speedway
Rockingham is the UK's most modern motorsport venue and Europe's fastest racing circuit, hosting corporate driving days, driver training, conferencing & exhibitions, vehicle manufacturing events, track days, testing, driving experiences and motorsport...
.
Return to England
In 2002, Edwards joined ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
to commentate on the British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
— something he still does today. He also took on the role of lead commentator for F1 Digital +
F1 Digital +
F1 Digital+ was the name of the pay-per-view television service of Formula One coverage between mid 1996-2002. The service offered additional features to the normal television feed of the sport, such as channels dedicated to onboard cameras, cameras in the pit area and live timing data...
, and was reunited with his old colleague, John Watson
John Watson (racing driver)
John Marshall "Wattie" Watson MBE is a British former racing driver from Northern Ireland. He competed in Formula One, winning five Grands Prix and also in the World Sportscar Championship...
. F1 Digital + finished at the end of the 2002 season, but since 2005 Watson and Edwards have been working together on Sky Sports and the international feed for A1 Grand Prix
A1 Grand Prix
A1 Grand Prix was a 'single make' open-wheel auto racing series. It was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themselves or a team, the usual format in most formula racing series. As such, it was often promoted as the "World Cup of Motorsport"...
.
On some occasions when British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
and A1 Grand Prix
A1 Grand Prix
A1 Grand Prix was a 'single make' open-wheel auto racing series. It was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themselves or a team, the usual format in most formula racing series. As such, it was often promoted as the "World Cup of Motorsport"...
races clashed, he has been replaced on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
by John Hindhaugh
John Hindhaugh
John Hindhaugh is a sports commentator and broadcaster from Sunderland, England.He is most closely associated with Radio Le Mans, where he debuted in 1989, however his voice can also be heard on motorsport commentary on Eurosport, ITV, Motors TV, Mobil 1 The Grid, XM Satellite Radio and the video...
.
Edwards has also commentated on general motorsport events for Eurosport and British TV, including coverage of the British Formula Three Championship
British Formula Three Championship
The British Formula Three Championship is an international motor racing series that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...
(alongside Martin Haven
Martin Haven
Martin Haven is a freelance British motorsport commentator, who lives in Royal Leamington Spa. He is the Eurosport commentator for the World Touring Car Championship....
).
In 2009, Edwards started commentating on the Superleague Formula Series on Eurosport
Personal life
Edwards, with his wife Belinda, runs Entreprix, Ltd., a "motorsports specialist" company. Founded in 1987, the company has managed numerous motorsport championships, the most recent being the British GT ChampionshipBritish GT Championship
The Avon Tyres British GT Championship is a sports car racing series currently based in the United Kingdom, although they have had select races outside of Britain in the past few years. The series was created by the British Racing Drivers' Club in 1993 and for its first two seasons was called the...
from 2003-2005. He currently resides in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
.