Iconic Bathurst broadcaster Mike Raymond has died

Iconic sports broadcaster Mike Raymond OAM has died following a battle with pneumonia.
He succumbed to the condition on Thursday, with his wife Carol, daughter Lyndall, son Andy and brother Steve by his side.
Raymond, famous for coining the phrase “BE THERE!”, was the voice of Australian motor racing from the 1970s to the 1990s, calling the Bathurst 1000 for more than 20 years.
Shocked & saddened to hear of the passing of Australian motorsports commentary legend #mikeraymond As a kid I watched endless hours of him calling races & in adulthood became good friends with him & the whole family. Mike was synonymous w Bathurst & great broadcasts. RIP mate 😢
— Leigh Diffey (@leighdiffey) November 7, 2019
He went on to become the head of sport at Channel Seven, leading innovation in the sporting landscape.
Raymond was instrumental in creating the world’s first in-car cameras in racing and also spearheaded the move to the Supercars format.
Very sad to learn the passing of Aussie tv legend and the original voice of Aussie Racing Mike Raymond. He was the voice of many generations of touring car racing and hooked viewers with his excitement and passion on Sundays. You’ll be missed Mike#RIPMike
— Paul Persic (@Paul_Persic97) November 7, 2019
Ray Hadley worked with Mike’s brother Steve, a dual Logie winning TV host, and paid tribute to the iconic broadcaster.
“We offer our sincere condolences to the Raymond family on the passing of Mike.”
Mike’s son Andy is also a popular TV host, calling the NRL with Fox Sports.
A service will be announced for sometime next week.
Click PLAY below to hear Ray’s tribute in full
Image: Channel 7