The checkered flag fell on one of the all time great motor sports journalists. He started by selling his National Speed Sport News one at a time in the grandstands of several east cost race tracks. Many of us old timers remember waiting for our copy of NSSN to arrive in the mail to get all of the racing news. He will be missed.
I absolutely loved Chris Economaki,,he had a way of getting the viewers & listeners excited with his commentaries.
To me personally, he meant so very much. He got me started in writing. When I was still in junior high, and the man who had the National Speed Sport News "franchise" at the Jeffersonville (IN) Sportsdrome moved away, I called the office (had to promise my mom I'd pay for the long-distance call from my lawn-mowing earnings) to find out what to do. Chris answered the phone. He asked why I didn't just take it over myself. The paper was selling for a quarter, and I was getting a nickel for every one I sold. I regularly sold 100 every week. $5.00 wasn't bad for a 10- year-old in 1949. Chris explained that if I sold 'em myself, I'd get a dime for each copy sold because they'd cost me 15 cents each. I was really walking in high cotton then. After a couple of weeks, Chris called me and said whoever had the "franchise" was supposed to send in the stories about the races. Having no experience, I asked if he was sure he wanted this now 12-year-old to do that. He said, "Just write what you saw happen and I'll edit it." At this point I was very glad I had taken typing in junior high. After a couple more weeks, with Chris calling and giving me some pointers, I noticed that he wasn't doing too much editing. This eventually led to my writing sports for the base newspaper when I was stationed in Japan, then to a column on motorsports for a Louisville-area weekly when I got out. Eventually, it led to my getting a job as managing editor of a weekly paper in southern Indiana, and a career as a newspaperman that lasted until I took the job as News Director at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1985. I have so much to thank Chris for, and so many memories.
I submitted work to Chris for a number of years. He was a unique man with an incredible knowledge and memory of people, places and events in the motorsports world. It is too bad that his NSSN print edition could not have survived a few more years. He worked so hard to give us a first class source of knowledge of automobile racing for so many years. Rest in Peace Chris.
This gentelman is one of the benchmarks of automotive journalism and announcing. HIs voice was a true original and his enthusiasm is unequaled. Rest in peace and thanx for your tremendous contribution to our sport. ~sololobo~
indybigjohn - what a great story. Thanks for sharing it. Sad time....Chris was great, and was the voice of auto racing nearly my entire life.
Yes he did.Many years back I remember him refering to a hammer as a Mexican speed wrench while calling a Nascar race.I think he got in some hot water over that.
I loved hearing his voice as a kid watching racing with dad. I think I will go listen to Jesus built my hotrod just to get a fix. RIP
Chris was a matchless storyteller and the world's fastest two-finger typist. Long after the world had moved on to PCs, an electric typewriter sat at the first seat in the first row in the media center at the Speedway. It should be left there permanently as his shrine. RIP Chris. .
A true pioneer in motorsports journalism. I had the pleasure to meet him several years ago. I loved reading NSSN. No politics or favoritism....
I sent him a letter years ago asking about the history on an old Sprint Car I'd found, he send back a reply within a week, I've always thought that neat, it is a treasured piece in my collection. Rest in Peace Chris, thank you for all you've done. Bob
The voice of the automotive sports scene for sure. A true American entrepreneur and what the sport was all about. RIP.
Chris Economacki at all times gave his very best to racing and I always loved the print NSSN because there were results from many tracks across the US, it let me "travel" to places I never would have known about. One of his biggest complaints with the current racing media is that the media person does not ask a direct & simple question and wait for an answer, instead the current media make a statement about what happened in their words with their slant to get an answer they expect. The reporter asks and reports...end of story. Ye Old Ed, you are and always will be the benchmark to which all media journalists will be compared and will fall short.
RIP Chris. A friend of mine lives in his old house in northern Jersey. It has three bricks from the original Indianapolis "brickyard" track embedded in the hearth of the fireplace.
Very sad. I can still hear his voice all these years later. Met Chris at Lime Rock Park a while back. Even though he was surrounded by alot of rich car owners, he stopped and took the time to talk with me and my son. True American Legend. Go to http://www.emmr.org/ and plan a visit to his library. Slim
Economakis passing is the end of an era...when as race fans we were starved for news that the media (TV and print) just did not cover. I first subscribed to Illustrated Speedway News and then NSSN. I remember me and my late dad reading NSSN at the kitchen table. I could not wait for it in the mail. And yes, he was like no other when he appeared on TV. Gods peace to Chris and the Economaki family. We just lost two of the greatest voices in their respected fields...Chris Economaki and Andy Williams.
In 2002 while in our pit at Bonneville he got out of a motor home and walked over to our pit.When I heard his voice I knew him immediately. He hung out with us for awhile told us that this was his first trip to the salt flats and we were his first car to look at. Told us cool stories about Buggatti and other racing greats. As a teenager in the 60's he was an icon on wide world of sports. Sorry for his passing.
His death is not sad but a celebration of a guy who was good at what he did.His contributions to motors sports won't be soon forgotten.And he lived a long life....
Crisp, clear voice. A natural. He was one of thee voices of genuine quality. Real deal. Rock solid reliable.
Here's the story for anyone who wants to read...I knew who he was...but I didn't know very much about him...He was a Greek from Brooklyn...(like me!)... http://aol.sportingnews.com/nascar/...ytona-500-nascar-dean-of-american-motorsports R.I.P...
My dad raced for 35 yrs, we started to get NSSN delivered in 1955. I remember looking at the pictures before i was able to read. I started selling NSSN at the local tracks when i was about 11yr old. I read every issue cover to cover until it quite being a weekly paper a few years ago. Chris's column was the first thing i read. Met him at Indy in the late 90's. Quite a guy. RIP Chris
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