Profile of Bob Varsha on Famous Like Me

Bob Varsha (born April 21, 1951 in Northport, New York) is probably the most famous on-air personality for SPEED Channel. Anytime SPEED airs a live special, Varsha is usually there covering it. Varsha is presently the host of the network's live Formula 1 coverage, in addition to being an anchor for SPEEDNews, and a part-time host/narrator for SPEED's World Rally Championship coverage. In 2002 and 2003, Varsha was the host of SPEED's Champ Car coverage. Rick DeBruhl took over Varsha's Formula 1 host chair for that period. In 2004, Varsha returned to his Formula 1 hosting duties.

Varsha also made an appearance in the 1985 motion picture, Invasion U.S.A., playing a newscaster.

Varsha's early years

Varsha graduated from Dartmouth College in 1973 with a bachelor of arts degree in foreign language. While attending Dartmouth, Varsha won varsity letters in cross country and track. He even made the finals of the U.S. Olympic Trials marathon event twice, doing so while attending Emory University Law School. Varsha then went on to practice law in Atlanta, but his life took a different direction when TBS asked him to cover a footrace in Atlanta in 1980. He did so well, TBS offered him a part-time job. In 1986, Varsha joined ESPN, where he not only became their host of Formula 1 coverage, but even hosted gymnastics events. In 1999, Varsha moved to SPEED, then known as SpeedVision.

The 2005 United States Grand Prix

Varsha called the 2005 United States Grand Prix, where the photo along with this article was taken. He'd had laryngitis during Friday practice, forcing him to leave the burden of talking to his color commentators, David Hobbs and Steve Matchett. His voice was just about back to normal by Saturday, and by that time, Michelin, whose tires are used by seven of F1's ten teams, began saying their tires weren't safe enough to take on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's banked road course turn 13, which is also turn one of the oval. During race day Sunday, all seven Michelin teams pulled out on the formation lap, leaving just three teams, all of whom use Bridgestones, to race in a six-car farce. Angry fans booed, and some threw objects onto the circuit. This very much upset Varsha, whom at one point, pleaded with fans listening to SPEED's audio feed over scanners at the track not to throw objects, or to tell others not to throw objects. When Rubens Barrichello ran over a water bottle, most likely a Dasani, causing it to burst, Varsha said, "Shame on whoever threw that." Varsha was further angered by video showing a fan in a T-shirt and blue jeans blatantly reaching into a trash can, pulling out what looked like a bottle of Powerade, and hurling it onto the race track from behind the pit lane. "There are still morons throwing things onto the track," Varsha said a few laps later.

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