SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Bruce Flanders, a veteran announcer best known as the announcer for the Long Beach Grand Prix, has died after a long battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
He was 75 years old.
Flanders served as the announcer for the Long Beach (Calif.) Grand Prix for 42 years. He made a living with his voice, announcing at racing events throughout Southern California. He took over as the Long Beach Grand Prix announcer in 1978 and continued in that role through 2019.
A veteran of the Vietnam War, Flanders also took a turn as a racer. He set a speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats when he was 28 years old, becoming the fastest man on a production motorcycle at 141.703 mph. His record stood for seven years.
He was awarded a medallion for the Motorsports Walk of Fame in Long Beach, Calif., in 2016.