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Long-time racing journalist Chris Economaki dies

Fri, 28 Sep 2012

UPDATE: Whoever you are, wherever you are, take a moment to think of Chris Economaki. Make it your personal tribute, however brief, to this grand old man of auto racing journalists because he left us late Thursday, Sept. 27 at age 91, and he left a hole in the motorsports firmament that can never be filled.

Whether you have ever read National Speed Sport News before or are a longtime subscriber, whether you realize it or not, a portion of your outlook regarding automobile racing has been formed by his weekly column. It was required reading for any serious racing journalist in this country, and his opinions invariably had some influence on all of us. We knew that he knew. He may have been a pedestrian writer, but as a reporter, commentator and interpreter of events, he had no peer.

What is perhaps even more important is that he knew how to evaluate motorsports as a reflection of the social conditions of a particular era. It was a rare talent that would normally require someone with a doctorate in sociology. Chris didn't have a college degree, but he was more erudite and more knowledgeable about the world around him than most people who have letters after their name.

The use of superlatives is inherently dangerous, as someone always seems to come along who knows of one bigger or faster, or whatever, but in the case of Chris it is a safe bet to say he was the most knowledgeable racing authority of all time, having spent nearly eight decades involved in--and in love with--a sport he saw grow from a county fair attraction to a staple of television programming on a worldwide basis.

To look at it one way, his passing was inevitable; all of us shall accomplish this sooner or later. What was important is how he lived, and that was spectacular. He was one of a kind: brash, funny, marvelously articulate. A great story teller, even in his 80s he could still outwork the younger competition. He had connections with anyone--and seemingly everyone--involved in the sport, from the top to the bottom of the racing food chain, from the smallest back-country dirt track to Indianapolis and Daytona.

Chris leaves behind two daughters, two grandchildren, a host of friends and admirers all over the globe, and left the National Speed Sport News, of which he was the heart and soul. He was there at the beginning in 1934, when as a 13-year-old he stumbled across its first issue being printed in a storefront in Ridgewood, N.J. He did everything from delivering it and hawking it at race tracks to becoming a correspondent, then editor in 1950 and later publisher, part owner and eventually editor and publisher emeritus, of the country's premier newspaper devoted strictly to competitive motorsports.

Funeral details:

Wake

Monday, Oct 1, 4-8 pm

Nativity Church

315 Prospect St

Midland Park NJ

Funeral Mass/Interment

Tuesday, Oct 2, 10:30

Nativity Church

315 Prospect St

Midland Park NJ

Followed by repast

Tuesday, Oct 3, 12:30 pm

Brickhouse Restaurant

179 Godwin Ave

Wyckoff, N.J.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the International Motor Racing Research Center in Chris's name, 610 South Decatur Street Watkins Glen, N.Y. 14891



LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
Chris Economaki, shown in 2010, began watching car racing in the 1930s.

For the breadth of his career, try this: In 1936, while still in high school in Ridgewood, he hitchhiked to Long Island to watch Tazio Nuvolari win the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup. And he was still with us when Dario Franchitti won this year's Indianapolis 500. He saw his first 500, incidentally, in 1938.

He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1920 as a child of well-to-do parents whose fortunes were wiped out in the stock market crash of 1929, and who more or less came apart at the seams during the '30s. As such, he grew up on his own during the Depression, and although he went on to become successful financially, there was a side, hidden for the most part, that showed he never forgot the hard times of his youth. When he would leave a room, he would turn out the lights. It was a small thing, but it was indicative.

Chris spent his teenage years in north New Jersey.

He covered races all over the world, but his heart lay with the eastern dirt tracks of his youth--when, as he used to point out, before World War II there were only two paved ovals in America of more than a half mile, Indianapolis being one and Thompson, Conn.--five-eighths of a mile--the other. (Who else would know this?)

In the 1930s, racing cars were primitive creations and their ability to win lay more with their drivers than their designers. As a consequence, although he understood the advance of technology better than 90 percent of his colleagues, he always preferred the two-leaf spring, three-spring, four-spring single seaters of the '30s, cars that made the driver the determining factor, as opposed to the technical marvels of today that effectively rule out all but one or two entries in almost every event.

He worked with ABC's Wide World of Sports; he was with CBS and ESPN; and it can be said he was one of the catalysts in bringing television to racing. It is not an oversimplification to say he knew racing and knew how to speak about it, and when the networks began paying attention he was there.

In one sense, when you think of it, he was everywhere. From being an errand boy at Paterson, N.J.'s "Gasoline Alley" in the '30s, when garages could be rented for $1 a month, to the Avus in Berlin, when Sgt. Economaki of the 2nd Armored Division took his Jeep around the German circuit the week after VE Day, to Havana when Juan Manuel Fangio was kidnapped in 1960, to hundreds of those minor-league dirt ovals.

After all, there was always the chance he might find another Bob Swanson, who was always on his list of the finest drivers he had ever seen. Swanson was a midget driver in the '30s, who ran wheel-to-wheel with Nuvolari at the Vanderbilt Cup, and who was killed in a race in Toledo, Ohio, in 1940.

But Chris never forgot him.

Chris won't be forgotten, either.

UPDATE: Reactions to the death of Chris Economaki

"All of us at Ford Motor Company are sorry to hear of Chris Economaki's passing last night. He was an icon of the sport of auto racing and a familiar, knowledgeable face and voice to millions of race fans around the world. His influence on the growth of auto racing in the United States cannot be underestimated. National Speed Sport News covered everything from the greatest drivers around the globe to the local short trackers who competed for their families and fans around this country. Chris respected and loved them all, and they loved him back." -- Edsel B. Ford II, member, Board of Directors, Ford Motor Co.

"Chris' passing marks the end of a great era of auto racing and how it was covered in this country. He truly loved the sport, probably more than any journalist I knew, but he also loved the people who made up the sport, and was quick to tell a great story, say a kind word to those new to the sport, and hold court on any subject the sport could dish out. I'll miss that great voice, and the fabulous stories, the Monday morning calls as he was finishing his weekly column, and, of course, the manual typewriter that every media center kept for him. His influence on the media, and the PR people who work in the sport, will never be matched." -- Kevin Kennedy, director, Ford Racing Communications

“The passing of Chris Economaki is a tough loss for me on both a personal and professional level, having known Chris throughout my life. Many people consider Chris the greatest motorsports journalist of all time. He was, indeed, 'the Dean.' Chris was a fixture for years at NASCAR events, and played a huge role in growing NASCAR's popularity. I'll miss seeing him and of course, I'll miss hearing that voice. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughters Corinne and Tina and the rest of Chris' family.” -- Brian France, CEO, NASCAR

"Chris was the dean of motorsports journalism. His accurate, incisive reporting helped increase the audience of the sport and put the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, its events and competitors into the global spotlight. He set a standard for others to follow for generations and will be deeply missed. Our thoughts, sympathies and prayers are with his family and friends." --Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and CEO. In 2006, the Trackside Conference Room at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Media Center was renamed the Economaki Press Conference Room in honor of Economaki's legendary accomplishments.

"Chris Economaki made an impact in motorsports like no other. He was a trailblazer in journalism, and his passion and depth of knowledge across the spectrum of world-wide racing brought the sport to life for millions of fans. His contributions have been endless, and he will be deeply missed. The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Chevrolet and Cadillac Racing are with his family and friends."--Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President Performance Vehicles and Motorsports.

“It's definitely sad news (because) at 91, he did so much for all of motorsports. I think many generations of race fans and racers and everybody in between has an 'Economaki moment' and remembers hearing his voice and seeing him on television and maybe meeting him. Everything he's done for motorsports is making me so thankful for what he contributed to our sport and his passion and dedication for our sport.” –-Five-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.

“I think the first time I remember him was in '64 in Daytona Beach. Me and Richard and Maurine were so much younger then, and we had a really good car and a good motor for the 500. Richard comes in for a pit stop and I look up and Chris is over the wall with us, trying to talk to Richard through the window. I mean, he was right there, over the wall trying to interview Richard during a pit stop. I'll tell you, even though he came from up here (the Northeast), everybody in stock car racing respected him. He was pushy and didn't mind that he was. He was the first one to dig out the nitty-gritty. Until then, everybody just went for the nitty. I'll tell you, Chris was one of a kind. –-Eight-time NASCAR championship-winning crew chief Dale Inman.

“I was a kid, watching on TV and listening to that voice. The first time he interviewed me it was like, 'Wow!' because I had grown up watching him and reading his stuff and watching him walking by with his typewriter. And I mean, literally, carrying a typewriter. To me, back then, he represented not just one generation, but two generations that pioneered racing coverage. I was racing against drivers I'd grown up watching, but Chris was a generation ahead of those guys. To me, from a media standpoint, he was the start of everything. And that voice… you definitely knew who you were listening to.” –-Sprint Cup driver Jeff Burton.

“It's a huge loss, as well as [Hoosier Racing Tire president] Bob Newton, who passed three or four days ago. When I think about my early racing career … what an impact they made. National Speed Sport News is something I read religiously. Chris did a lot for that newspaper and for motorsports, and he was passionate about all of it. The last time I saw him was earlier this year and all he thought about was racing. He cared so much about what was happening in this sport and wanted to make a difference and wanted to get those stories out there. It's not very often you come across somebody that puts their heart and soul and entire life mission into that. So it's a big loss, as well as Bob Newton with Hoosier Tire, who really changed what short- track racing is today. His efforts and that family certainly made a big impact on my life, and racing, and what I raced on for years before I ever got to the Cup series. So we've had two big losses this week.” –-Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon

“Chris was the most premier auto racing journalist who ever was and ever will be. We'll never again see someone as incredibly diverse and successful at his craft. Chris was every bit as at home with a microphone at a local short track as he was covering the Indianapolis 500 or Daytona 500. I had a conversation with Chris regarding how I could improve my performance. Chris said simply, 'Ask a good question.' How appropriate today when some journalists make a statement to the driver or athlete and expect him or her to agree. But they don't ask a question. When I first became a fulltime motorsports journalist, it was as editor of Stock Car Racing. At the time, National Speed Sport News arrived on my doorstep on Thursdays. I quickly made a habit of not answering my telephone until I'd read his column because so many of the calls that came in on Thursdays were about what he had written. He was so powerful and influential for so many years.” –-Dr. Dick Berggren, motorsports journalist.

“Along with the rest of the racing world, we mourn the passing of one of the deans of motorsports journalism, Chris Economaki. Chris was a passionate promoter of his beloved sport--a sport he literally grew up promoting, whether it was as a boy hawking programs at his native Ho Ho Kus, N.J., Speedway, to showing off the sport to millions on ABC's Wide World of Sports. In the days before the Internet, one of the best channels to keep up with the inside information on auto racing of all kinds was his weekly column, "The Editor's Notebook." We have many, many fond memories of Chris, who was always ready with a joke and a story. His passing is a loss to the world of motorsports. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his daughters and their families.”--Scott Atherton, President and CEO, American LeMans Series

"Chris Economaki, in addition to being universally respected and recognized as the dean of motorsports journalism, was vitally instrumental in establishing and reinforcing ARCA's credibility by virtue of his coverage of our series. National Speed Sport News was there for our inaugural MARC race at Dayton Speedway on May 10, 1953, and every newsworthy event thereafter, playing a significant role in our growth and success as a racing company over these past 60 years. All of us in the ARCA community express our appreciation for Chris and his dedication to the racing industry. We send our best wishes to his family and his extended National Speed Sport News family at this time."--Ron Drager, president and CEO, ARCA Racing Series

"The entire NHRA community is saddened to learn of the passing of Chris Economaki. He and NHRA founder Wally Parks were great friends, and Wally always appreciated Chris' efforts to recognize the power and intense competition of NHRA drag racing. He was a familiar face in the pits at NHRA events throughout the years and worked as a pit reporter for ABC's coverage of the sport in the 1960s and '70s. We send our condolences to his immediate family, his many friends and colleagues and his legion of fans in the world of motorsports."--Tom Compton, president NHRA.

Editor's note: Leo Levine is a former race car driver, author of Ford: The Dust and The Glory, and worked for 20 years as a general manager at Mercedes-Benz in the United States.




By Leo Levine