Backers hoping Sprint Cup will be friendly half a century on

After a week when headlines were dominated by the new faces of racing on television, now is the time to celebrate the man who was, is and always will be its most famous voice.

Good luck to the freshly appointed Hayley Turner, Oli Bell, Sally Ann Grassick and the rest, who may be just the people to bring the sport to a wider audience when ITV takes over coverage next year.

But they will be hard pushed to make half the impact of Sir Peter O'Sullevan, commentator, journalist, punter and the man to whom thoughts turn as the 32Red Sprint Cup at Haydock celebrates its 50th anniversary this year – you don't have to be Scottish to know there are other sporting reasons to remember 1966.