RIP Chris Economaki

Danny Burton · 9/28/12, 12:01 PM

See how much of an influence, a good influence, he was on us all.

Let us mourn his passing, cherish the memories and be thankful that he perhaps is again united with his dear wife and his many, many racing friends, all telling stories and enjoying whatever form eternity takes.

smith19 · 9/28/12, 12:04 PM

when i was in school (way back when) my nickname was chris e. everybody knew i was a-hole deep in the sport. loved his voice, he will be missed...

Gregg · 9/28/12, 12:58 PM

Race fans under 30 may not realize it. In the pre I-Phone, internet, cable-TV and live racing telecast days National Speed Sport News was the life line to the racing world. Many times we would not known who won at New Breman, Putmanville, Willams Grove... until days later when NSSN came in the mail. The biggest disappointment of my week was on Wednesday when the latest NSSN was not amongst the bills and flyers in the mail. That meant I would have to wait a whole 24 hours to read NSSN cover to cover. Reading; that is something as a kid I didn't do much of until Chris and National Speed Sport News became a part of my personal pop culture. I guess I could credit Chris for me finally starting to pick up a book to read every once in a while.

Today we don't know how lucky we have it. I can get the results of a heat race from across the state of Indiana within a couple of minutes of it being run. All the devices and electronic gadgetry may have lessened the importance of NSSN to the point of having it an electronic medium only. But it cannot erase the importance National Speed Sport news has been to the motosports world for a very long time. Our sport has some legendary names like Foyt, Petty, Andretti and Vogler. Economaki belongs up there with all those legenday names. Without Chric Economaki how would we have ever known?

Thank you Chris and may you rest in peace.

Honest-Sam · 9/28/12, 1:58 PM

I remember meeting Chris at one of Hoosierdome races. 1992-ish. A whole bunch of folks were waiting around in the concourse to cross the floor to the pits. I'm sitting on a bench against the wall and Chris plops down next to me and starts talking to me like he had known me forever. I suppose he had a gift for speaking with stangers, given his occupation. I was sort of speechless. I remember feeling 'starstruck'. Anyway, when they let us cross, I was walking and talking with him as a couple of drivers were headed towards us. Suddenly, Chris slips and falls backwards on the concrete floor, hitting his head. A couple of us were helping him to his feet, and he says "I see stars...." The jokester in me wanted so badly to say "No, that's just Schrader and Ziggy". Not sure why I didn't. I must have felt that it would have been inappropriate to make a joke given that he had just hit his head pretty hard. Of course, Schrader and Ziggy(the two drivers I spoke of) ran up to us to ask if he was okay. Needless to say, it's been a pleasant memory(aside from the part when he fell) that I've carried with me ever since.

I also remember how exciting it was to get a copy of NSSN from their man in the pits at the USAC shows. You'd see somebody, somewhere, reading through one at any given moment throughout the day.

It seems as though everyone's memories of Chris Economaki are pleasant ones.

ronmil · 9/28/12, 2:41 PM

I bought a copy of NSSN from Lee Norquest in 1965 at IRP and that was my first encounter with the paper. I thought it was so interesting (I still have it)!, but, I didn't subscribe until 1968. I took the weekly version of NSSN continuously from that time until publication ceased and I still have every copy.
I remember waiting anxiously for the paper to arrive, and over the years there were many delivery problems, but I endured those in order to get my weekly dose of racing news. The Editors Notebook was always my first destination, followed by letters to the editor.
I actually met Chris once at the DuQuoin State Fair when the USAC dirt cars (Silver Crown) were running. We were at the wash basin in the men's room and he actually spoke to me first. I was surprised when he told me that he had never been to DuQuoin before. I told him that I was a subscriber and how much I enjoyed his paper. That pleased him very much, of course.
We are fortunate that we had him for as long as we did; there will never be another like him.
RIP, Chris!

Danny Burton · 9/28/12, 2:43 PM

Sam, my one meeting with Chris was when he joined a few of us in the media box at Richmond about 6-7 years ago when USAC paid a visit with the SC and sprints, I think. I was sitting there during a practice session and Chris came in and sat with Mike Kerchner, I believe. At the time the then IRL cars were practicing and Chris told Mike to watch that Helio fella, how he was taking a minutely different line into turn one, which was right below us. As I eavesdropped (I do that a lot) it occurred to me that this man, even then well into his 80s, still had "it." "It" was that love of racing combined with that keen eye for detail.

I'm inclined to believe that he affected and inspired more people than he can ever know, either by NSSN or his work on TV.

Russ · 9/28/12, 3:25 PM

Very sad news. One of the best voices ever. I sure do miss my weekly Speed Sport. RIP Mr. Economaki.

racerjim2 · 9/28/12, 3:49 PM

I learned to read by reading NSSN. Our family has been a 60+ year subscriber to NSSN. I miss those Thursdays waiting on the mailman to run. RIP Chris.

Opp fan · 9/28/12, 3:56 PM

There will never be another one like him.

Tonight(Friday) on the Speed Channel at 11pm eastern they are repeating that excellent show they did about and with Chris a few years ago instead of the scheduled repeat of Trackside at....

I highly recommend watching and recording that show.

treecitytornado · 9/28/12, 4:01 PM

I respected Chris Economaki like so many other race fans have all throughout the years of Speed Sport News and hearing his voice on many NASCAR and other TV broadcasts all through the years. I will miss him without a doubt and remember being so excited to see him in person in the late 90s at the Legendary Lawrenceburg Speedway, when I was racing T.Q. Midgets. I went up to him with that week's copy of Speed Sport and he signed it for me. I of course, will treasure that copy of Speed Sport more than the hundreds of other copies that I have kept!

I will miss you Chris, God Speed!

J.T. Stapp

Posted via Mobile Device