VINCE  WELCH   -   08/04/1964 -

After graduating from Ball State University in 1987, Welch would get an entry-level job in a small radio station in Richmond, Indiana, WKBV.  With WKBV, he would do play-by-play commentary for the local high school teams in the area.  After three and a half years with the company, he would leave for a part-time job with WISH-TV, and worked his way up into television.  In 1992, Welch would earn a regional Emmy Award for sports programming.  In 1995, he would move to WNDY-TV, and was named the sports chief of the station. In 1998, Welch would move to WIBC, after he felt that he would be let go from WNDY-TV, as another company, Paramount Stations Group, had purchased the station and were letting go staff members.  Welch was named sports director for WIBC, taking over for Bob Lamey.  Working for ESPN for various motor sports leagues, he would work as a pit reporter.  In 2010, Welch was announced as the lead commentator for ESPN2's NASCAR Xfinity Series coverage.  Until 2022, Welch was the play-by-play commentator for NASCAR Truck Series, and a pit reporter for FOX's coverage for the NASCAR 

Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series.  Welch covered hundreds of Xfinity Series and Cup Series races as a pit reporter during his time with both ESPN and FOX Sports.  On January 2, 2023, Welch announced he will not return to Fox Sports for the 2023 season.  A number of father/son duos have filled the pages of NASCAR history books over the past half-century.  While several NASCAR patriarchs have passed down their driving skills to future generations, rarely in the modern era has a son followed his father into NASCAR broadcasting.  Vince's son, Dillon, followed in his father's footsteps career-wise after he became the announcer for the Motor Racing Network in 2015.  Furthermore, his son who was born in 1994, is also a graduate of Ball State University.  Dillon also worked with his father at numerous NASCAR races.  The most recent sons who followed their father into NASCAR broadcasting on a national network level were Dale and Glenn Jarrett, but both men and their father, Ned, first were drivers before segueing into announcing.  Preceding them were Earl Kelley, a member of the Universal Racing Network radio broadcast team, and his son, Winston Kelley, who first joined the MRN broadcast team in 1988.