Economaki To Receive NEAR’s Media Award
Chris Economaki, “The Dean of American Motorsports” will receive the Jack Ratta Memorial Media Award at the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame Induction Banquet Sunday Jan. 25 at LaRenaissance Banquet Hall in East Windsor, CT.
“Hooked” on the sport since age nine, the 88-year-old National Speed Sport News and television stalwart, has spent a lifetime in auto racing. He played a leading role in New England’s auto racing history as both a writer and track announcer in the 1940s and early 1950s. He announced at, among other places, Thompson, West Haven and West Springfield speedways.
Economaki, who has been writing since age 14, joins an impressive list of honorees including inductees John Fitch, Bob Bahre, Tom Curley, Art Barry, Rollie Lindblad, Paul Richardson, Bobby Dragon, the late Jim McConnell, the late Bert Brooks, the late Bertha Small and Harold Hanaford. The latter three are Veterans Committee selections.
Ticket forms and additional information are available at near1@aol.com.
Brooklyn-born, Economaki is truly an American icon. His involvement with the sport on every level makes his contributions unparalleled. The “editor” of NSSN since 1950, he became one of the sport’s pioneer television announcers in the early 1960s. His autobiography “Let ‘Em All Go” is considered one of auto racing’s premier books.
A member of the National Auto Racing Hall of Fame as well as the Midget and Sprint Car Halls, Economaki is a master storyteller.
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEAR PR