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Dave Despain is by far the most recognized personality in motor-sports journalism. From his time with ABC's Wide World of Sports, ESPN, Speed and MAVTV, Brad Barker's sit down with Dave Despain offers a unique insight on how he got started and his career highlights.
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There I was just hanging out and telling stories at the 2014 Overland Expo, a big yearly gathering of fellow off-road enthusiasts, when I thought I saw Dave Despain. I didn't think it could really be THE Dave Despain, but then it hit me - yes, it really was him. He actually agreed to sit down with me and share his career and motorcycle riding experience.
How Did You Get Started?
I started with asking Despain a simple question: “How did you get started in the motorcycle industry?”
“I wanted to be a racer,” explained Despain. “All I lacked was the talent, courage and stature. Of course I was too big to be a motorcycle racer.”
He soon found his motorcycle racing niché, which was announcing it. “In 1972 I ended up with a job at the American Motorcycle Association writing press releases and covering the sport. This is how I got into the sport,” Despain said.
Career Highlights
The 1975 Daytona 200 was Despain’s first on air experience. He recalls, “ABC Sports needed an expert analyst and I was given the opportunity to tell the world why they should come to the Daytona 200. This was easy for Despain, he knew the sport and he had a burning passion for it.
In 1989 Despain had the opportunity to interview Jeff Gordon. Gordon was just starting his career but Dave had a feeling he was going to become someone special. After that interview came an interview with Kenny Roberts.
“Kenny Roberts was another great interview I will never forget. I interviewed Kenny at 17 and he was a tough interview, he didn’t really talk much,” Despain said.
I asked Dave what had been the ride of his life. Despain responded, “That is really tough. The last dirt track race that I rode at Sedalia, Missouri, I had gone there and spectated as a kid. The fore mentioned Harley factory team was the team I watched at the racetrack. Freddy Nix was the man on the mile races, that was a huge thrill for me,” Despain explained. “To get to race on that race track, was pretty hot stuff.”
I learned that David Despain has had a life full of powerful moments and fantastic memories. Not only is Despain a world-class journalist, he is a true off-road/motorcycle enthusiasts.