Economaki '09 recipient of France Award of Excellence

Chris Economaki has been named the 2009 recipient of Pocono Raceway's Bill France Award of Excellence. The award has been presented annually to the person, corporation or organization that has made outstanding contributions to the sport of Cup Series racing.

The award is dedicated to the inspiration of William H.G. France, founder of NASCAR. Economaki's selection is significant since it marks the first time a journalist has been named to receive this award.

Economaki

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Oct. 15, 1920, Economaki has been involved in racing most of his life. He saw his first race at age 9 and was hooked for life. By the time he was 14, he was a fixture around race tracks doing anything he could to be involved with the sport.

He began selling a daily newspaper, which had a racing section, in the grandstands of many tracks. When the National Racing News became a spin-off of the daily newspaper, he began writing his first by-line columns. He later took over as editor, publisher and owner of National Speed Sport News and turned it into the most influential weekly motorsports publication in the country. The newspaper is considered "America's Weekly Motorsports Authority" and Chris continues to write his column "The Editors Notebook" which has appeared in NSSN for more than 50 years.

Economaki became one of the most popular track announcers in the 1940s. His style grew to legendary status and soon caught the attention of ABC and CBS television executives in the early 1960s. He covered many of the world's major auto racing events for TV including the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 and the 24 Hours of LeMans in a TV career that spanned four decades.

"Chris Economaki gained the respect of the entire racing community for his fair and insightful reporting and enjoys a first-name relationship with the entire automotive and racing world," said Dr. Joseph Mattioli, chairman of Pocono Raceway.

The Pocono Raceway Bill France Award of Excellence will be presented to Economaki at a ceremony on June 6 as part of the festivities leading up to the Pocono 500.