Christopher Constantine Economaki was an American motorsports commentator, pit road reporter, and journalist.
27 Facts About Chris Economaki
2.
Chris Economaki saw his first race at age 9 at the board track in Atlantic City.
3.
Chris Economaki once attempted driving a midget car at a cinder track in Pennsylvania.
4.
Chris Economaki would hang around and help out some of auto racing's most famous drivers at the famous "Gasoline Alley" at Paterson, New Jersey.
5.
Chris Economaki helped Duane Carter with the setup on his outboard midget car in 1938 as an unofficial crew chief.
6.
Chris Economaki began his career in auto racing journalism at age 13 selling copies of National Auto Racing News newspapers, now known as the Speed Sport franchise.
7.
Chris Economaki wrote his first column at age 14 for the National Auto Racing News.
8.
Chris Economaki became the editor of the National Speed Sport News in 1950.
9.
Chris Economaki began writing a column called "The Editor's Notebook", which he continued to write over fifty years later.
10.
Chris Economaki eventually became owner, publisher, and editor of the National Speed Sport News.
11.
Chris Economaki co-authored an autobiography called Let 'Em All Go: The Story of Auto Racing by the Man who was there.
12.
Lenny Page, who was lucky to even survive the crash due to the safety systems at that time, was near death afterwards, but Chris Economaki rushed to the scene and aided Page until safety crews arrived.
13.
Chris Economaki began as track announcer at a number of major races in the 1940s and 1950s.
14.
Chris Economaki is responsible for introducing millions of Americans to auto racing as an expert TV commentator.
15.
Chris Economaki began at the July 4,1961, running of the Firecracker 250 NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway for ABC Sports.
16.
Chris Economaki covered most ABC Wide World of Sports motorsports events, including several Indianapolis 500s, Daytona 500s, Formula One Grand Prix races, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the East African Safari, and the Bathurst 1000 in Australia.
17.
Chris Economaki would cover Wide World's less glamorous motorsports assignments, such as demolition derbies.
18.
Chris Economaki covered International Race of Champions events, Daytona 500s, and Formula One Grand Prix events.
19.
Chris Economaki contributed to ESPN's SpeedWeek, and TBS' Motorweek Illustrated.
20.
Chris Economaki covered Formula One races on ESPN in 1987 and 1988 alongside British race driver and commentator David Hobbs, before being replaced by the younger Bob Varsha from 1989.
21.
Chris Economaki had previously worked for Seven during the Bathurst 1000 telecasts of the late 1970s and early 1980s, mainly working as a pit reporter.
22.
Chris Economaki covered several types of auto racing, including sprint cars, Championship Cars, stock cars, drag racers, and Can-Am cars.
23.
From 1995 until 2008, Chris Economaki was a part of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network coverage of the Indianapolis 500, working as a color commentator.
24.
Chris Economaki was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994.
25.
Chris Economaki was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1993.
26.
Chris Economaki was awarded the 1990 NASCAR Award of Excellence, and the NASCAR Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998.
27.
Chris Economaki appeared as a pit reporter in the movies Stroker Ace and Six Pack.