Alan Dietz:

“So, Heather DeBeaux with us here from PRN and FOX and 'Mics are Hot' podcast and all other sorts of great things. And Heather, I'm sure you know the new Racer Jobs website that started, which I wish would have been around 25 years ago. Jesus. Because the big question was, ‘How do you get into racing?’ And I know your path to getting the FOX and the PRN and all the other stuff that you're doing was pretty unique, but it was a place that was not only an opportunity for you, but it was for several people.

Heather DeBeaux:

“Definitely, if this website would have been around back then, that would have made things a lot easier. But I actually started with SPEED Channel back in 2009, and how I found this, believe it or not, was a MySpace ad."

Alan Dietz:

“Oh, wow.”

Heather DeBeaux:

“Yeah, we're dating ourselves now.”

Alan Dietz:

“Yes, we are.”

Heather DeBeaux:

“They were doing a casting call and it said, ‘Join in on the Action Road Tour team, NASCAR SPEED ‘Channel.’ I said, ‘Oh, what's that?’ So, I applied and eventually was hired. But my job was to travel to all the Cup races with the SPEED Stage, and that's where they filmed all their live shows. So, I was an emcee host that would get the crowd kind of hyped up and pumped up for all the live TV shows that we had. So that was my job.

“Then just being around television and SPEED Channel, that's how I got my first opportunities to work on camera. Whether it be something small, just like maybe taping some promos for the big screens that you see at the track, like promoting, like, ‘Hey, fans, come out and watch NASCAR Race Day. We got Kenny Wallace, John Roberts, Kyle Petty,’ whoever was on at the time. So that was kind of my first taste of talking on camera. And then it slowly progressed into pit reporting.

“But the first opportunity I got to interview someone was actually Jimmie Johnson. They used to do these Jimmie Jams, which was a live webcast of an event that he would have for like Lowe's employees and guests and fan club members, and they'd have a musical guest. So, Rutledge Wood and I actually would co-host that. And then that was the first person I ever interviewed on camera, was Jimmie Johnson. But I think at that time he was only ‘three-time’, so it wasn't as intimidating.

Alan Dietz:

“You're dating yourself again.”

Heather DeBeaux:

“I know. Hey, it's all right.”

Alan Dietz:

“Hey, you mentioned Rutledge. Rutledge was at the SPEED stage. And Kaitlin Vincie, too, right?”

Heather DeBeaux:

“Yep. So, Rutledge originally was like the OG DJ. So, he had a table and like an easy-up and a boombox, and he would play music and do the same thing and get us over there. So then when I started with SPEED Channel, Rutledge was in the TV role. So, he was a fan, fun personality that would go and do the cool thing, so we worked alongside him there. And then Kaitlyn Vincie was hired to be a part of the road tour team. So, she started with me throwing T-shirts and getting everybody hyped up. And then I think her first gig is they, I want to say she went and did a beat report for Race Hub with Kevin Harvick. I think that was her first interview. And then she did the social garage on Trackside Live. And then she's at where she's at now, obviously. She did pit reporting for the Truck Series. Now she hosts the truck pre-race show, and she does NASCAR Race Day and Race Hub.

“And so, yeah, it's pretty interesting where we all started and then where we are now. And not just the SPEED Channel. People like you could even look at Kim Coon. She used to be Miss Sprint Cup back in the day. So yeah, it's kind of fun.

“But to go back to that Racer Jobs website, it would be nice to have that then, because then you wouldn't have to do all the jumping through hoops and networking. Although that still works. Just meeting people and getting yourself out there. It's the way to do it. And then also maybe applying for the job. That maybe not necessarily be what you want right this second. Do it anyways. Get the experience, meet the people. It gets your foot in the door in racing and then you can move on from there.

Alan Dietz:

“How did you learn your technique to be such a great, pit reporter? Who was it that taught you so much whenever you first started on television pit reporting and gave you such great…”

Heather DeBeaux:

“I think it was this gentleman named Alan Dietz.”

Alan Dietz:

“Oh, I know. He's very handsome.”

Heather DeBeaux:

“Yes, he is. He was my first producer coach. You Were. And you helped me a lot. Like a lot. You would sit me down and say, hey, try this, do that. Let's talk about this this week. Let me know if you have any ideas on that. But yeah, you were my first introduction into the pit reporting world. And then after that, it was Doug Rice with PRN, and he helps a lot, too. And then now it's Jamie Little because I do pit reporting, but I also am her pit spotter, which I'm basically like her second set of eyes and ears on pit road. And so, I learned a lot just from watching her, because she's the best. Well, I've had a lot of really good colleagues and mentors to help me along the way, that's for sure.”

Alan Dietz:

“In all seriousness, I don't think you could learn from two better people than Doug Rice. And you know the thing I loved about you? Whenever you first started doing KN races and stuff, you knew what you were talking about, which is the most important thing. You Studied. You were well versed in what you were doing, but you were comfortable. And I tell people this all the time with race announcing. Don't necessarily try to emulate somebody else. Be who you are and be yourself. And if you do that, it'll come through. Like I said, for what little bit, it counts. I'm just very proud of you, and you've done a great job and continue to do a great job, and a lot of people are very proud of you.

Heather DeBeaux:

“Well, thank you so much. I appreciate that. And there's a lot of other people that I haven't mentioned that I've learned from. If they've worked with me or if they work for FOX Sports or SPEED Channel or NBC, I've probably worked with them in some way, shape, or form or asked questions. So, thank you to everybody out there that helped me along the way, because without some of these people, I don't know if I would be here or know. So, it's awesome.”