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Another Birthday wish, yes motorsports fans he is still alive!!
Born October 15, 1920 - Chris Economaki
Though painful to watch in his later years of broadcasting Mr. Economaki did as much or more for motorsports in the USA as anyone you may have ever heard of or are likely to. He is to this day listed as the editor of "National Speed Sport News" I believe.
Happy Birthday Chris!
Chris Economaki is the world’s best-known reporter of the auto racing scene. He doesn’t consider himself controversial, but he’s usually around when a story breaks and he’s ready, willing and able to tell the truth—whether in a private conversation or on the air in front of millions of viewers.
Economaki has been deeply involved with auto racing most of his life. He saw his first race when he was nine (at the Atlantic City board track) and was hooked for life. He saw every race he could and by the time he was 14 was a fixture in the racing world. He knew all the cars and drivers by sight and, while still in his teens, wrote a byline column for the National Auto Racing News, a precursor of National Speed Sport News.
Though a near-fanatic fan, the desire to drive competitively was not very strong. He once drove a midget car on a cinder track in Pennsylvania. “It wasn’t for me,” says Economaki. “It was a really frightening experience. That was the first and last time I drove in competition.”
When he took the helm 1950, National Speed Sport News was moribund. Before long, Economaki had raised its circulation and its influence in the racing world. Today it is the most influential weekly motorsports publication in the country. Still an important feature of the paper is Chris’s informative column, The Editor’s Notebook. In April of 2000, shortly before his 80th birthday, Economaki marked 50 years at the Editor’s desk.
As a track announcer at a number of major races in the late 1940s and 1950s, Economaki brought his own brand of infectious enthusiasm to the job. The fans loved his style.
Track annoucing led to broadcasting. Economaki reported most of ABC Sports’ telecasts of motorsports events on ABC’s Wide World of Sports and the special telecasts of the Indianapolis 500.
In fact, he was one of the first expert commentators hired by ABC Sports. He made his debut at the July 4, 1961 running of the Firecracker 250 stock car event at Daytona Int’l Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
His coverage of that event July 4, 1981 marked the completion of his 20th season with ABC Sports. After 23 years with ABC Sports he moved to CBS-TV where for more than 10 years he traveled to the world’s great races for that network. He now does occasional pieces for ESPN, Speed Channel and other TV networks.
During his tenure at ABC sports, Economaki covered the world’s major auto events, including Formula One Grands Prix, the LeMans 24-hour, Australia’s Bathurst 1000, the East African Safari, the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500.
He has covered every form of racing—from the big Championship Indy-type events to the sprint cars, NASCAR stock car races, Can-Am competitions and drag races.
In 1984 he joined CBS’s sports staff and worked on the live telecasts of the Daytona 500 and Detroit Grands Prix in addition to the network’s IROC coverage. In 1984 he was a weekly contributor to ESPN’s Speedweek show and, from 1985 to 1988, did a weekly piece on Motorweek Illustrated, on TBS.
In 1987 Economaki worked again with ESPN providing live coverage to the U.S. from the Hungarian and Austrian Grands Prix and the following year covered the entire world-wide Formula One circuit as series host for ESPN-TV.
Economaki is the recipient of many awards, including the 1984 Walt Ader Memorial Award; the first Hugh Deery Memorial Award for Service to Auto Racing; the 1990 USAC Presidential Award; 1990 Charlotte Speedway Award; the Patrick Jacquemart, Ray Marquette, Dave Fritzlen and Ken Purdy Awards for his work over the years in furthering the cause of auto racing.
In 1998 NASCAR presented him with its Lifetime Media Award. His latest honor came in late 2001 when he received the International Automotive Media Council Lifetime Achievement Award.
Economaki is also the recipient of NASCAR’s Award of Excellence, which was presented to him by NASCAR President Bill France in 1990 at the annual NASCAR awards banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.
In 2000, Economaki received the NASCAR/Federal Mogul Buddy Shuman award, presented annually to the person judged to have gone above the call of duty in service to NASCAR Winston Cup racing. That same year, he was also honored by Speedvision (now Speed Channel) for his many contributions to auto racing.
Because of Economaki’s knowledge of U.S. auto racing history, Microsoft chose him to author the auto racing history portion of its Encarta Encyclopedia.
Economaki’s father was a Greek immigrant and his mother a great-niece of Robert E. Lee. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and grew up in Ridgewood, N.J. He and his late wife, Tommye, have two daughters—Corinne and Tina—and two grandchildren
Born October 15, 1920 - Chris Economaki
Though painful to watch in his later years of broadcasting Mr. Economaki did as much or more for motorsports in the USA as anyone you may have ever heard of or are likely to. He is to this day listed as the editor of "National Speed Sport News" I believe.
Happy Birthday Chris!
Chris Economaki is the world’s best-known reporter of the auto racing scene. He doesn’t consider himself controversial, but he’s usually around when a story breaks and he’s ready, willing and able to tell the truth—whether in a private conversation or on the air in front of millions of viewers.
Economaki has been deeply involved with auto racing most of his life. He saw his first race when he was nine (at the Atlantic City board track) and was hooked for life. He saw every race he could and by the time he was 14 was a fixture in the racing world. He knew all the cars and drivers by sight and, while still in his teens, wrote a byline column for the National Auto Racing News, a precursor of National Speed Sport News.
Though a near-fanatic fan, the desire to drive competitively was not very strong. He once drove a midget car on a cinder track in Pennsylvania. “It wasn’t for me,” says Economaki. “It was a really frightening experience. That was the first and last time I drove in competition.”
When he took the helm 1950, National Speed Sport News was moribund. Before long, Economaki had raised its circulation and its influence in the racing world. Today it is the most influential weekly motorsports publication in the country. Still an important feature of the paper is Chris’s informative column, The Editor’s Notebook. In April of 2000, shortly before his 80th birthday, Economaki marked 50 years at the Editor’s desk.
As a track announcer at a number of major races in the late 1940s and 1950s, Economaki brought his own brand of infectious enthusiasm to the job. The fans loved his style.
Track annoucing led to broadcasting. Economaki reported most of ABC Sports’ telecasts of motorsports events on ABC’s Wide World of Sports and the special telecasts of the Indianapolis 500.
In fact, he was one of the first expert commentators hired by ABC Sports. He made his debut at the July 4, 1961 running of the Firecracker 250 stock car event at Daytona Int’l Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
His coverage of that event July 4, 1981 marked the completion of his 20th season with ABC Sports. After 23 years with ABC Sports he moved to CBS-TV where for more than 10 years he traveled to the world’s great races for that network. He now does occasional pieces for ESPN, Speed Channel and other TV networks.
During his tenure at ABC sports, Economaki covered the world’s major auto events, including Formula One Grands Prix, the LeMans 24-hour, Australia’s Bathurst 1000, the East African Safari, the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500.
He has covered every form of racing—from the big Championship Indy-type events to the sprint cars, NASCAR stock car races, Can-Am competitions and drag races.
In 1984 he joined CBS’s sports staff and worked on the live telecasts of the Daytona 500 and Detroit Grands Prix in addition to the network’s IROC coverage. In 1984 he was a weekly contributor to ESPN’s Speedweek show and, from 1985 to 1988, did a weekly piece on Motorweek Illustrated, on TBS.
In 1987 Economaki worked again with ESPN providing live coverage to the U.S. from the Hungarian and Austrian Grands Prix and the following year covered the entire world-wide Formula One circuit as series host for ESPN-TV.
Economaki is the recipient of many awards, including the 1984 Walt Ader Memorial Award; the first Hugh Deery Memorial Award for Service to Auto Racing; the 1990 USAC Presidential Award; 1990 Charlotte Speedway Award; the Patrick Jacquemart, Ray Marquette, Dave Fritzlen and Ken Purdy Awards for his work over the years in furthering the cause of auto racing.
In 1998 NASCAR presented him with its Lifetime Media Award. His latest honor came in late 2001 when he received the International Automotive Media Council Lifetime Achievement Award.
Economaki is also the recipient of NASCAR’s Award of Excellence, which was presented to him by NASCAR President Bill France in 1990 at the annual NASCAR awards banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.
In 2000, Economaki received the NASCAR/Federal Mogul Buddy Shuman award, presented annually to the person judged to have gone above the call of duty in service to NASCAR Winston Cup racing. That same year, he was also honored by Speedvision (now Speed Channel) for his many contributions to auto racing.
Because of Economaki’s knowledge of U.S. auto racing history, Microsoft chose him to author the auto racing history portion of its Encarta Encyclopedia.
Economaki’s father was a Greek immigrant and his mother a great-niece of Robert E. Lee. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and grew up in Ridgewood, N.J. He and his late wife, Tommye, have two daughters—Corinne and Tina—and two grandchildren