Griff Allen is an American motorsports broadcaster, engineer, and actor/performer. Allen is known for his appearances on ESPN2 as host, reporter and analyst for ESPN SpeedWorld, the Outdoor Channel, Spike TV, Speed Channel, and other programming.[1]
Allen performs live analysis and commentary for: AMA Superbike, ASRA, CCS,[2] monster truck events,[3] motocross, arenacross, drifting, rock crawling, car shows, major industry trade shows and auto shows.
Allen served as the national spokesperson for the Toyo TiresTake it to the Track program - which discourages illegal street racing. He has appeared frequently on local TV stations nationwide addressing issues of transportation-related public safety.
Allen worked in steel production, fluid systems component manufacturing, actuator development and investment casting.[when?] On 20 October 1998, he was awarded patent number 5,822,989 for his work in developing a fuel-saving clutch mechanism used in the heavy trucking industry along with co-inventors Michael L. Sturdevant and Edward T. Schneider.[4] Allen holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.[citation needed]
Allen appeared as Captain Georg von Trapp in The Sound of Music and William Harrison Brent in the Ohio premier of Perfect Crime at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre.[citation needed] He appeared as Mark Ferris in London Suite and Mike Connor in High Society with The Gates Mills Players - where he also directed the Pulitzer Prize for Drama nominated play Love Letters by A. R. Gurney.[citation needed] He also appeared as Brett - a police officer in the 2001 HBO film Proximity,[5] and as a Desk Sergeant in the 2004 Christopher K. Young film Sugar.[6] Allen appeared as a CDC Official in Diagnosis: Unknown on the Discovery Health Channel.[citation needed] He has appeared in numerous radio and television commercials - most notably for Summit Racing Equipment.
Allen hosted the 2008 AMA Sports Banquet[7] at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.[8]