Monday, October 1, 2012

RIP: Chris Economaki Dies At 91


Chris Economaki, a journalist long regarded as the authoritative voice in motor sports, died Friday. He was 91.

National Speed Sport News, which Economaki edited and published for more than 60 years, announced his death but gave no details, according to a story at latimes.com.

Economaki, who was often called the "dean of American motor sports journalism," worked in television for more than 30 years with stints at ABC, CBS and ESPN.

He was part of ABC's first telecast from Daytona International Speedway in 1961, then became a pit reporter and commentator for the network's "Wide World of Sports" until 1983.

After moving to CBS in 1984, he called races for that network until 1993. He also covered Formula One races for ESPN in the late 1980s.

Born Oct. 15, 1920, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to a Greek immigrant and his wife, Economaki grew up in Ridgewood, N.J., and attended his first race in Atlantic City when he was 9.

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