Best Seat in the House

by Neil Crompton, Aaron Noonan

Racer and broadcaster Neil Crompton has had the best seat in the house for the last 40 years of Australian motorsport, an amazing lifetime upgrade to a first-hand, front row seat to see the biggest names, machines and events of this high-speed, high-octane sport.

A kid from Ballarat in country Victoria obsessed by speed with an undying passion to pursue a career in the sport, Neil ended up finding his way to lining up on the grid at the biggest race in Australia, the Bathurst 1000, driving for a team run by his childhood hero, Peter Brock. Since then he's raced wheel-to-wheel with some of the biggest stars the sport has ever seen in this country and experienced first-hand the thrilling success, heartbreaking disappointment and emotional trauma that is a life spent in motorsport and the relentless pursuit of the ultimate success.

Uniquely, Neil has spent his entire career either driving a race car, a microphone or sometimes both. As the trusted and respected modern-day voice and face of Supercars racing on television in Australia, he's added the audio soundtrack from the commentary box to some of the biggest spine-tingling moments in the sport and is well qualified to offer his account of the who, what and where of Aussie motorsport. From navigating for Dame Edna Everage at the Adelaide Grand Prix to driving some of the fastest race cars in the world and everything in between, he has been there and seen it all.

Best Seat In The House is Neil's account of an amazing period of the sport from a viewing position like no other.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

269 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2021

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly-recommended, if you're an Australian motorsports fan. Crompton has raced or called the biggest races this country has seen for decades and with a style very much like the one he uses in Supercars commentary, he takes you through his varied career, both on track and off, in Australia and abroad. Great anecdotes from all the icons of Aussie motorsport. Brilliant stuff.

[taegen ☾⭒]

It feels strange to "rate" a story about someone's life so I won't do that.

Neil Crompton is my favourite sports commentator and I get the warm fuzzies every time I turn on the TV to watch Supercars coverage and hear his voice. I became a Supercars fan after his racing days so this was an interesting look into his journey of broadcasting and driving/riding and how he got to where he is today in the position I know him for.

For a true long-time gearhead, this would be one of the ultimate behind the scenes, access all areas type stories but I found the first half of the book a bit of a struggle as it was slightly repetitive (which can be forgiven due to the content in discussion) but I did find myself skimming a bit and tuning out which I was actually surprised about given how enjoyable I find his TV broadcasting.

This is absolutely not a reflection of the story or the storyteller but more about my lack of familiarity with the names he dropped (people, places and events) and so I wasn't invested. However I did love getting to know Crompos racing background. It wasn't at all what I thought.

The back half of the book where he talked about people and races I know, that was fun (and emotional) and I was zoned in.

Overall, a great telling of an interesting and unique life. When I watch and listen to Neil next, I will have an even greater appreciation for his dedication to his craft, the history of his tenure and all that he brings to Australian Motorsport.

[Genevieve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best Seat in the house was the autobiography of Australian racing personality Neil Crompton.

The positives: If you’re looking for a walk down Australian motorsports memory lane, then this is your book. Crompton has been amongst it for nearly fifty years, and they don’t come more experienced or well-versed. The book has its share of life experiences and anecdotes involving greats like Peter Brock, Alan Moffat, Wayne Gardner, Mark Skaif and Craig Lowndes. If you are already a fan of the V8 series here, then this will be quite enjoyable. Because Crompton likely just finished his final broadcast season, many would find this biography even more poignant.

The negatives: The “reflections” sections of the book. Ughh! The format of the book is one that is basically divided into chapters dedicated to a racing figurehead, which is then followed by the aforementioned figurehead “writing” a few paragraphs about “what a great guy Neil Crompton really is.” Honestly, I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I cannot believe that the editor thought that Neil’s second wife should add her own nauseating reflection, but we all got to take in that gem as well. It all struck me as self absorbed and downright corny.

So, it would have been close to four stars without the filler reflections, but, for that, it’s three stars from me.

[Benjamin McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would honestly give this six stars if I could. This book reveals a side to Neil that I've not thought he had - and I mean that with much sincerity. Not just a number heavy chronology of his racing career, Crompo takes you through the hows, the whys and everything in between on his journey to where he sits today.

Reflecting on many of the friendships forged along the way, this book is a true reflection of just how rich the tapestry of Australian motorsport. Being a huge racing fan from a very young age, I was absolutely hooked on this book from start to finish. Neil truly is the voice of Aussie motorsport and what a pleasure it was to read of his story - one with many lessons. 👏🏼

[Karen Donnellan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave the book to dad for Christmas and he let me read it first!
Interesting insight as to how Crompo started in broadcasting and into racing and a lot of interesting people he has met and amazing experiences and opportunities. He describes many racing incidents. It is interspersed with testimonials from racing and broadcasting people. Lots of photos. An insight into his professional approach to his broadcasting. Very enjoyable read.

[Mark Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read which explained some Supercars history.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading about the guy behind the mic. Growing up motorsport was always apart of my life and still is. He is one of the best if not the best commentators in the business. It was a really good insight as to how he contributes to the sport behind the scenes. Plus he does explain in his career how he got from point A to point B.