Colorful WTBQ NASCAR Commentator Kevin Skelly Quits doing NASCAR Reports For WTBQ Live On The Air

The hits keep coming to WTBQ. Colorful WTBQ NASCAR Commentator Kevin Skelly announced live on the air he was quitting his twice a week reports. Skelly did it during Frank Truatt’s morning show.

As an avid NASCAR fan, Skelly had been doing NASCAR commentary twice a week during station owner Frank Truatt’s morning show. In his parting commentary, Skelly stated that the fun had come out of doing the NASCAR commentary on WTBQ. You can listen to Skelly’s last broadcast below:

Skelly’s announcement came on the heels of reports that the Motor Racing Network (MRN), the official radio network of NASCAR had apparently informed Truatt that they are considering ending their decade-long relationship with WTBQ when Truatt’s contract expires.

Sources say MRN is looking at broadcasting NASCAR on country station WKXP “The Wolf” (94.3/97.3 FM). WKXP’s signal is roughly five times stronger than WTBQ and covers the entire Hudson Valley. At 500 watts, WTBQ barely covers 1/10 of the Hudson Valley.

The Wolf’s listener base of 25-65 year old die hard country music fans obsessed with NASCAR is a more desirable audience for MRN than the few hundred geriatric listeners from the Liberty Green retirement community in Warwick that make up the bulk of WTBQ’s listener base. 

Sources say MRN has had continued difficulty dealing with WTBQ station management. These difficulties have weighed heavily on the minds of MRN board members as they consider pulling the plug on WTBQ.

It also appears the problems MRN is having with WTBQ Station Manager Taylor Sterling was part of the reason Skelly quit. Skelly used his connections at NASCAR and MRN to help Truatt access to drivers to pit crews. The tensions between Sterling and MRN put Skelly in jeopardy of losing his friendships with drivers and NASCAR officials.