Remembering a Legend: Chris Economaki

Much of who I am today, at least as it pertains to the business of motorsports, can be attributed to the 10 years I spent as an editor at National Speed Sport News. The Editor, or as he was known far and wide, Ye Ed, was Chris Economaki.

The more mature of you will recognize the name and the face, as he was a key member of the ABC "Wide World of Sports" team in the 1970s and 1980s, appearing alongside such luminaries as Keith Jackson, Jim McKay and Howard Cosell.

Economaki, the late dean of American motorsports, will be celebrated on Saturday at the International Motor Racing Research Center in Watkins Glen, N.Y. The free talk, part of the on-going Center Conversations speaker series, will be at 1 p.m. at the Center located at 610 S. Decatur St., is open to all.

"A Tribute to Chris Economaki" will be led by a panel composed of Corinne Economaki, Chris' daughter and motorsports insider; Leo Levine, retired automotive industry executive and author; and Judy Stropus, noted motorsports publicist.

Economaki's 70-year career in motorsports spanned print reporting, track announcing, television commentating and book authorship. He wrote his popular National Speed Sports News weekly column, "The Editor's Notebook," for 60 of those years. Economaki died in September 2012 at the age of 91.

After nearly 77 years of continuous publication, NSSN issued its final print edition in March 2011. The NSSN archives, which comprise the most complete coverage of motorsports in this country including the foundation of NASCAR, were donated to the Racing Research Center in August 2011, with funding from the Dyson Foundation.

For more information about this event and the Center's work and its programs, visit www.racingarchives.org or call (607) 535-9044.