Latest / Kenny Wallace Media / Get To Know Jamie Little | Lights Out With John Roberts
Transcript
- 0:08And welcome everybody to the Paint act studio.
- 0:10I'm John Roberts. It's time to go lights out with
- 0:13the one and only Jamie little pit reporter, play by play
- 0:16announcer dog lover and our good friend.
- 0:19We're so glad to see you Jamie. And you know of it's it's kind
- 0:22of funny. I want to tell people little
- 0:24background. You're waiting for your daughter
- 0:26at, at, at singing rehearsals, is what you told me.
- 0:29But Jamie, it's got to be a little difficult.
- 0:32A lot of people have very busy careers.
- 0:34You're a very busy person, but but you're raising a family at
- 0:37the same time. How do you juggle everything?
- 0:40Yes, yes, well, First off, it's great to see you, great to be on
- 0:43here with you. Thanks for having me and sorry I
- 0:45am in my car. But yes, that's how we make it
- 0:47all work, right? Technology, you can hate it,
- 0:50love it, but these moments, I appreciate it that you can be
- 0:53doing something while you're waiting on your child, but it's
- 0:56a balancing act. You know, it takes a great
- 0:59partnership. And my husband is everything.
- 1:02I could not have my kids and this career and my dog advocacy
- 1:07and everything else that we do without him.
- 1:10But it's a lot to juggle, especially this time of the year
- 1:13when we're covering the cup braces.
- 1:14I've got the Truck Series and it's every single weekend.
- 1:18It's a lot, but I like being busy.
- 1:19I'm just one of those people. I'm I'm better.
- 1:22I'm happier when I'm busy. You know, Jamie, it's kind of
- 1:25funny. I saw something the other day
- 1:27and I thought the usually on the Internet, this stuff really
- 1:30isn't funny. But I saw somebody called you
- 1:32the Jordan Whisperer. And I love that because at the
- 1:35beginning of this season I said, you know, there's our friend
- 1:37Jamie, but she's hanging out with Michael Jordan and he, he
- 1:39seems to have a good camaraderie with you.
- 1:42And he's probably one of the coolest people I've ever had the
- 1:45the the pleasure of meeting. But what's your relationship
- 1:48been like with Michael? And how much fun is it talking
- 1:50to him after he gets a big win? Yes, it's incredible.
- 1:54I mean, the guy is so real. He loves the sport so much.
- 1:57That's what I love about him. I love talking to him because
- 2:01he's always talking about racing and what's happening, what's
- 2:03going on with the team. I mean, every time I talk to
- 2:06him, that's all we talk about. He wants to know certain things,
- 2:09he tells me certain things, and it's just been awesome.
- 2:12I mean, every time Reddick wins or 2311 wins, that means a
- 2:16Jordan interview. And I'm very lucky to be in that
- 2:19situation that I'm one of the, the chosen few, I think.
- 2:23So I keep hearing all these stories of when he was a
- 2:25basketball player and he didn't talk to the media that much.
- 2:28And, and when he did, it was he would select people that he
- 2:32trusted and that he would want to talk to.
- 2:34And it seems like it's been that way so far with me.
- 2:39And, and I love that. And it's, I, I guess it's, it
- 2:42goes back to he watches every race.
- 2:45He told me he watches every race, whether it's cup O'Reilly
- 2:49Truck Series. And he said, even when we're in
- 2:51Europe, I tell my wife we're finding the, the the TV I need
- 2:54to watch this truck race. So he has seen me watch me for
- 2:57years and years. And that's kind of how we met.
- 3:00He said my name and I was like, wait a minute, Michael Jordan
- 3:03knows my name. And and we started chit chatting
- 3:08then and from then on it, it's been great.
- 3:10But I knew back then when we met, he just didn't do
- 3:13interviews. So I never, you know, broach the
- 3:15subject. I never asked him.
- 3:17That wasn't until 2024 when Reddick wanted Talladega.
- 3:21And I just thought, you know what, we've never asked.
- 3:24He's never on TV and except just being in the pit box.
- 3:29I'm going to go for it. So I went straight to Victory
- 3:31Lane after I interviewed Tyler and I, Jordan gave me a hug and
- 3:35and said hey babe, he calls me babe and and.
- 3:38That's. Great.
- 3:39Do you mind if we if we do an interview and he's like, sure.
- 3:42And I was like, get the camera here now, Let's not don't lose
- 3:47this opportunity. And and he was so great.
- 3:50That was the first time. And then I hadn't interviewed
- 3:53him again until Daytona this year.
- 3:56And it's just, you know, timing, if he's at the track and they
- 3:58win or whatever. And my producer came to me the
- 4:02night before Daytona 500. He's like, Hey, I'm going to add
- 4:04something to your list of things to do tomorrow and give you a
- 4:08compliment. And he said, I'm going to have
- 4:10you interview Michael Jordan And they called and requested you.
- 4:13I'm like, that's amazing. Let's do it.
- 4:16So I got a a few questions with him and then we all know what
- 4:19happened, wins and then I find him a Victory Lane and we do
- 4:22another interview. So it's just kind of been like
- 4:24that. And he is just a big bundle of
- 4:27just happy. He's he's lovely.
- 4:30He's so passionate. He's just like all of us and
- 4:32racing and and that's why I love talking to him.
- 4:36You know, and what's cool about that, Jamie, is I still think if
- 4:39you, if you Google it or research it, that that's still
- 4:43on the globe. Michael Jordan is the most
- 4:46recognizable name still, even though he's out of the sport of
- 4:50basketball, he's still the most recognizable guy on the globe,
- 4:53according to some surveys. And to have a guy like that in
- 4:57our humble little sport week in and week out, I just think does
- 5:01nothing just but but to raise all ships.
- 5:03Absolutely. And I I think, you know, those
- 5:05first couple of races where we're getting new eyeballs,
- 5:07especially because he won Daytona, our biggest audience
- 5:10all year long, people are like, yeah, right.
- 5:12He's just the money man. Well, now they've learned.
- 5:15And I'm seeing these sites that I don't follow, you know,
- 5:18commenting on on these interviews and they're like,
- 5:20damn, he's he's legit. Like this team is real.
- 5:24He loves it. This is his passion.
- 5:26He's getting that competitive spirit through racing that he
- 5:31had in basketball. And I just think people realize
- 5:34how real he is, even though he's like, I write the check, Denny,
- 5:37you know, makes the decisions. He's so much more than that.
- 5:41And, you know, I talked to Billy Scott, Tyler's crew chief, on
- 5:44Sunday about it. And he's like, he makes us all
- 5:47better when he's at the racetrack.
- 5:49He makes everybody better. And he's right.
- 5:51He makes me do my job better because I have to think about
- 5:54and plan out what to ask to bring the best out of him.
- 5:58And it's an incredible thing to have somebody, like you said,
- 6:01you know, of his stature, what he's done.
- 6:03I mean, the guy has done everything and he is so
- 6:06powerful. I have a 13 year old son and
- 6:09I'll tell you, John, there isn't a buddy of his that does not
- 6:12have a Jordan Brand on him somewhere.
- 6:15I mean, it's everywhere. Yep, No question about that.
- 6:18Now, Jamie, also, you said it was a pretty, you know, pretty
- 6:21big compliment to get put together with Michael.
- 6:23But also a couple years back, I remember you standing in Daytona
- 6:27talking to the president of the United States.
- 6:30That must have been a pretty good.
- 6:31It was really cool to see you there at Daytona at a place like
- 6:35that with the president. But how did that all come about?
- 6:38Did they tell you beforehand that it was going to be you?
- 6:42Yes, actually the last two times, both times that he was at
- 6:45Daytona as the sitting president.
- 6:48The first time my boss called and said the president's going
- 6:52to be there and they want you to do the interview.
- 6:55Are you OK with that? I'm like, yeah, that's great.
- 6:58That's, I mean, I don't care. Politics isn't my jam.
- 7:02Racing's my jam. And if you're going to have the
- 7:05the leader of the free world there and they want to talk,
- 7:08heck yeah, I'll do it. And they said, OK, the White
- 7:10House will call you. Sure enough.
- 7:13I'm telling you, I I was in my hotel room and my phone rang and
- 7:19it said White House. I'm like, that's great.
- 7:22Hello. So, you know, of course they
- 7:26know your background already and all those things, but I, I had
- 7:29to go through a process. I had to get a special pin.
- 7:31I had to meet with Secret Service the night before.
- 7:34And this pin allowed all the Secret Service that was there to
- 7:37know I was able to get in within arm's reach of him.
- 7:41Now, this last time last year when it happened in February, I
- 7:44didn't have to go through all that they know of me and, and
- 7:48all that, but it was crazy as like I didn't get any direction.
- 7:51I was just kind of told where he's going to be, where we're
- 7:54going to meet. And I'm like, how do you guys
- 7:56know when I'm coming? And they're like, we know
- 7:58exactly what you're wearing. I'm like, what?
- 8:01Like they know everything. Yeah, It, it was wild.
- 8:05But the president, I mean, you, you see his personality.
- 8:08That's how he was with me, how he's been.
- 8:11I've actually interviewed him 3 * 1 time not being president,
- 8:14and he's been lovely. He's like, we were flying around
- 8:17in Air Force One and we're watching you on TV.
- 8:19You do a great job. That's awesome.
- 8:23OK, I know just just one of us, you know, taking it in.
- 8:28Yeah. And you know, Jamie, it's, it's
- 8:29funny, not all of us would have passed that background check.
- 8:32So I'm glad it was you because I'm not saying anybody in
- 8:35particular. But Jamie, when did you get
- 8:37bitten by the racing bug? Was it early in your career?
- 8:40Because I think I did much like I did.
- 8:42I I started out covering all sports and NASCAR kind of found
- 8:46me and I'm sure him as sure as hell I'm glad that it did.
- 8:49But what was the journey like for you to get into Motorsports
- 8:53as a as a full time thing? Yeah, racing is what I found
- 8:59first, but NASCAR found me so, so like yourself.
- 9:03But you know, I, I tell the story so often and it's a long
- 9:07one, but I'll keep it very short, that I, I was always a
- 9:10tomboy. I was raised in Lake Tahoe,
- 9:12California. So you play it outdoors.
- 9:14I rode horses and made friends with anybody that had a four
- 9:17Wheeler or, or a dirt bike because that was just for me.
- 9:20I loved it. I love the sound, the smell, the
- 9:24way it felt riding like. I just love And that continued
- 9:28into high school and I met a guy who raced supercross, introduced
- 9:32me to the sport, and I thought this is the coolest thing ever.
- 9:35And I wasn't interested in going to college, which I did.
- 9:38Kids go to college, got my degree, but my passion was I
- 9:43wanted to do something in racing.
- 9:45And I, I quickly realized when I was about to graduate high
- 9:48school that I wanted to use my voice.
- 9:50I wanted to be one of those female voices of the sport.
- 9:55There had to been other women like me that loved it, right?
- 9:57So that's how I started out and paid my dues.
- 10:01I knocked down doors, did so much for free.
- 10:04I mean, I didn't get paid for years.
- 10:06And I was the live announcer for the Supercross series.
- 10:08So that still goes around all the major stadiums in the
- 10:10country. Did that for four years and
- 10:13while doing that ESPN was covering it.
- 10:15So they got to know me a little bit and just through process, I
- 10:19I started out my television career First off with Supercross
- 10:24and then X Games and Winter X Games and then that went into
- 10:27IndyCar in 2004 and then ESPNABC brought me on as part of the
- 10:32Super team for NASCAR in 2007. You know, Jamie, I've said this
- 10:37before, we we've talked about this once before, but I want to
- 10:40say it again. When Fox made the announcement
- 10:43that you were going to be the first full time female play by
- 10:46play announcer in Motorsports, I thought to myself, yeah, that's
- 10:50great. Yes, she might be the most
- 10:52qualified woman. But I also thought at the same
- 10:54time, this is the most qualified person too, that you had paid
- 10:58your dues, you had done what you had.
- 10:59And I know it's important to break barriers and to set pass
- 11:03for other females, but I just don't.
- 11:06I think that when I looked at that on the surface, knowing
- 11:08you, watching you work, that that was a decision that was
- 11:12just about you being female. But at the same time, I think
- 11:16you made a great step in that. Did you see it the same way?
- 11:20Well, thank you. That's such a nice compliment.
- 11:22And absolutely I've never been one of those.
- 11:24Anybody that knows me, I've been doing this for 25 years now.
- 11:28It's which is crazy, but I've never been one of those put me
- 11:32in because I'm female, put me in because I want to be the first.
- 11:35That's just how it's been in the steps of my career that I just
- 11:39so happened to have been the first woman to do, you know, to
- 11:43be on Pit Rd. for the Indy 500 and, and in the booth is play by
- 11:46play. Those are just things that come
- 11:48with it long term hard work. That's that's what happens and,
- 11:52and the only thing I've ever wanted people to look at me as
- 11:55as good at my job and the hardest worker and, you know,
- 12:00someone they can trust. That's all I've ever wanted.
- 12:02I, I didn't want somebody to look at me and be like, oh, look
- 12:05at that. That girl, she's doing it
- 12:07because, you know, there's nobody else to do it.
- 12:10That's just, you know, it's icing on top to be the first or
- 12:13whatever people want to call me the trailblazer or whatever, but
- 12:16with it comes a lot of responsibility.
- 12:18I've looked at each one of these steps as OK, people are looking
- 12:22at me and it's going to be tough.
- 12:24There's going to be, you know, critics and there's a hell of a
- 12:27lot of them out there in the world of, of social media media.
- 12:30And, you know, am I up for the task?
- 12:33And hell yeah, I'm up for the task because I want to represent
- 12:36that if you have the right person for the job, they deserve
- 12:40the job. And it doesn't matter where they
- 12:41come from or what they look like, put them in.
- 12:45And hopefully I've helped some people across the country and
- 12:48racing that really weren't sure that they can do something and
- 12:52they were worried about taking the next step or asking or
- 12:55raising their hand. And that's what I hope that I'm
- 12:57an example of. But, but you're right, John.
- 13:00I mean, I, I, I 100% knew I was the right person for the job.
- 13:04And I was the one that was, I was next in line for the
- 13:08opportunity, you know, for no other reason other than how hard
- 13:13I've worked and how long I've been here.
- 13:14And hell, I mean, it took me 20 years.
- 13:17You look at all these other men, how many years did it take
- 13:19before they were given an opportunity to do play by play?
- 13:22Not as long as me. Yeah.
- 13:24And, and you know, one thing I don't think people realize,
- 13:27Jamie and I, I can say it first hand, that that's what I always
- 13:31wanted to do when I got my opportunity.
- 13:33I was surprised at really how difficult it is.
- 13:37It's not just talking, it's preparation, it's reacting and
- 13:41it's working with two other people that aren't necessarily
- 13:44of a television background. I think it's one of the hardest
- 13:47things that's out there to do, play by play and it takes a
- 13:49while to get used to. And for me it was a pretty big
- 13:53challenge. What was it for you when you
- 13:54first got in the booth and started a broadcast?
- 13:57Absolutely. I mean, nothing can really
- 13:59prepare you for it, right? I mean, you go into it with with
- 14:02the idea what it's going to be like.
- 14:04And I thought, OK, it's just going to be a pit Rd. reporter
- 14:07in the booth. Oh my gosh, it is so much more,
- 14:10so much more. And it's still to this day I put
- 14:14so much time and effort into doing a truck race.
- 14:16So much more than I'm going to admit it, but so much more than
- 14:20doing a Cup race because that's second nature to me.
- 14:23The truck race, you are calling everything start to finish.
- 14:26You're the traffic control cop, you're tossing it to break.
- 14:29You're reading obituaries, you're reading advertisements,
- 14:33you're bringing in these guys to talk on, on camera and talk
- 14:37about the sport that we're watching.
- 14:38And in my place right now, a lot of them aren't professional
- 14:42broadcasters. You know, it's amazing to have
- 14:45these current drivers in the booth and they're all so good at
- 14:48their job, but it's it's a balancing act, right?
- 14:51When they're not professional TV people, you're helping them with
- 14:55that, but you're also bringing them into the because they don't
- 14:58always know when to talk. So there's so much more to it,
- 15:02like you said, and then you're taking, you know, the brunt of
- 15:05any criticism. That's just the nature of TV.
- 15:07If something goes wrong or something happens on the
- 15:10broadcast, then they're looking at you.
- 15:12So there's a lot that comes with it.
- 15:14But hell, I'll tell you what, but it is fun.
- 15:17I love it. I don't know how long I'll do
- 15:18play by play because I do have a lot on my plate with my family,
- 15:22but it sure is fun. And I love, I love the sport so
- 15:25much that there's nothing like sitting back and watching the
- 15:28race, covering it with some people that you really enjoy.
- 15:32Yeah. And Jamie, I'm with you 100% on
- 15:35that. You know, there was a while
- 15:36where I was with you guys every weekend.
- 15:38And I think when you go away for a couple weekends and you go
- 15:41back to the racetrack, I love the sight, sound and smells.
- 15:45But the the thing about it though, Jamie, it's, it's the
- 15:47people. This is the only sport where
- 15:49everybody competes every weekend at the same venue.
- 15:52And therefore it makes it such a big family.
- 15:54And that that was the thing I missed the most.
- 15:56And that that you're still involved in.
- 15:58But that was the thing I love the most.
- 16:01Yes, you're right. We're a little traveling circus
- 16:03together and that's everybody from the race teams to the
- 16:06broadcast team to NASCAR. I mean, we're seeing each other
- 16:10week in and week out and and you're building these storylines
- 16:13and this, you know, just this community that we have and for
- 16:18all these years to have that, it would certainly be what I would
- 16:21miss the most. But gosh, I love telling the
- 16:24stories of these drivers and getting to do it through the
- 16:27Truck Series used to be the ARCA series, telling those stories of
- 16:31these young guys to the fans, you know who to watch for on
- 16:35Sundays. They're coming up.
- 16:36They're the future stars. Corey Hyman is a perfect
- 16:38example, Ty Gibbs, perfect examples of guys that nobody
- 16:43knew in the ARCA series. But I learned those stories.
- 16:45We told those stories and now we've watched them blossom into
- 16:48who they are today. And that's one of the best parts
- 16:51of the gig. I don't know if you remember
- 16:54this, Jamie, but it was the last broadcast that you and I did
- 16:56together and I got scolded because in one break, I think it
- 17:01was you or somebody else. You guys used to guys said that
- 17:04Johnny do your Ward Burton impersonation.
- 17:06And I started doing, everybody had and it was like feeding a
- 17:09stray cat. Everybody was laughing and here
- 17:11I am doing Ward Burton and several other different drivers.
- 17:15And I remember getting scolded by the producer of the program.
- 17:19But anyway, we still had fun though.
- 17:20That's it. That's the point.
- 17:22Oh, you were. So you were.
- 17:24You're so good at those. Oh my God, it's a hidden talent.
- 17:29If you haven't heard John Roberts do it, ask him.
- 17:33Ward Burton was the best. We're going to take a minute to
- 17:36hear from some of our sponsors, but we'll you're right back with
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- 18:41Jamie, I got to admit, right now I probably need mental help for
- 18:44how much I love my doggies. I'm crazy about dogs.
- 18:48I know that's your passion as well.
- 18:50When did that start for you? I love dogs since I was a kid
- 18:53and I just love what you do in terms of helping shelter animals
- 18:57and strays. Yeah, I'm like you, John.
- 19:00It started when I was a kid. I was an only child.
- 19:02So, you know, I gravitated, I think to animals naturally.
- 19:06And I started working at a ranch when I was nine years old.
- 19:10It was like a riding stable that people can come and rent horses
- 19:14and and I became a guide. And Needless to say, there were
- 19:17a lot of animals. There were lots of puppies.
- 19:19There were lots of kittens all the time.
- 19:20I tried smuggling them home and hiding them in a 900 square foot
- 19:24house. My mom always found them.
- 19:27So I had a cat and I had rats and I had, I had mice and I had,
- 19:31you know, all the things, but I wasn't allowed to have a dog.
- 19:33But I wanted a dog so darn bad. And so when I, gosh, I think it
- 19:39really might what I do with shelters and how I work with
- 19:42them really started when I came over to Fox from ESPN.
- 19:44And that was because I had an opening in my schedule.
- 19:48I had time to actually do something other than work every
- 19:51single weekend. And I'm so I reached out to the
- 19:55Animal Foundation in Las Vegas. It's a huge shelter and started
- 19:58volunteering, just going there, walking dogs, learning about,
- 20:02you know, what rescue is, what they go through, what reality
- 20:05is. And, and I jumped on board then
- 20:07and I've done it ever since. I do something on, you know, not
- 20:11every weekend, but as often as I can in our racing communities.
- 20:14I'll go to a local shelter and I'll, you know, look online, see
- 20:18what they need, their needs less.
- 20:19There's always the needs and wants less and.
- 20:23And I would show up and I'd make donations and I would feature
- 20:27their dogs. I, I love doing that.
- 20:29I'll show like their longest residence or just dogs that I
- 20:31love. And I'm try to get, you know,
- 20:34awareness out there for, you know, the shelter and what dogs
- 20:37are out there. So I started doing that.
- 20:39I called shelter surprise and to this day, I think I started
- 20:42that. It was back in 2017 and I've
- 20:45donated over $130,000 just on my own, just organically.
- 20:50I'd love to grow it into something bigger, but you know,
- 20:52time is at the so yes. And in the meantime, yes, I have
- 20:564 rescue dogs. They're all from a different
- 20:58state and my most recent was his name is Austin.
- 21:02So you can imagine that I got him in Austin on a race weekend
- 21:07and picked him up after the race and drove him home to Indiana.
- 21:10Well, Jamie, I want to thank you so much for the time today.
- 21:13I know you're taking care of your daughter and your family
- 21:16and everything. We really appreciate the time.
- 21:19I love what you're doing. I love watching you on TV and
- 21:22love calling you a friend. Thank you very much, Jamie.
- 21:25Oh, I'm glad that we were able to do this, John.
- 21:27Thanks for asking me and that you're there.
- 21:30I wish you were the track with us more often, but keep at it.
- 21:33I'll see you soon.