Chris Economaki wrote his first column about auto racing in 1934, one year before Bill France Sr. moved his family to Florida and opened up a gas station in Daytona Beach. He became editor of National Speed Sport News in 1950, one year after NASCAR began the series that eventually wound up as Sprint Cup.

"I got my first pit pass when I was 14," Economaki said. "So I've been around a good while and watched the sport grow and prosper. And I hope that it continues to grow and prosper."

If there's one man who has seen the ebb and flow of motorsports in that time period, it's Economaki, the longtime writer, publisher and broadcaster. About to turn 90 in October, Economaki has seen countless races during his lifetime -- from short-track bullrings in the Northeast to Indianapolis and Daytona.

Opinionated? That's a perfect way to describe the Brooklyn native, who believes the economy is only partially to blame for the drop in fan interest, particularly attendance.

"We have an economy problem in this country. It's pretty tough to sell tickets to anything," Economaki said. "As far as attendance at races, racing is no longer a very special sport. Everybody knows about it. They've been there. They've seen races. So what that tells me, really, is the people putting on races don't know how to promote.

"They know how to run races but they don't know how to promote races. And that's a very important part of today's motorsports -- the ability to improve. Very few promoters understand that. They think they can open the gates and put up signs and have a race. You have to tickle the patrons' desire to come and buy a ticket. And not too many promoters understand that."

The simple solution? Economaki said fans want someone to root for, or someone to root against.

"How do you promote a race?" Economaki said. "One of the things you have to promote -- the most important thing -- are the drivers. The other thing is the cars. The cars have to be promoted. Since NASCAR came up with the [new chassis], which is a body style really more than a chassis style, that takes away some of the ability of the promoter to use and get people to buy tickets for his race."

"What auto racing needs is a good course for track operators to take on how to properly promote an event."

Hall marks

Chris Economaki was there when the history of NASCAR was being formed and, in turn, recorded, including interviews with Hall of Famers Junior Johnson and Dale Earnhardt.

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Still, Economaki said auto racing's image today is infinitely better than it was when he first began covering the sport in the '30s. Back then, the stereotype was of grease-covered mechanics and rowdy, poorly educated drivers and a fan base that was undesirable to the general population. That's a far cry from the multimillion dollar teams with crewmen in spotless uniforms and drivers in television commercials.

"I don't think you can single out NASCAR," Economaki said. "The sport in general is improving. It's getting more and more acceptable. For many years, auto racing was looked upon as a bunch of kooks. Now it's not viewed that way. It's an acceptable, professional sport. As long as it runs itself well -- which I think it does, pretty much, especially NASCAR -- we don't have any worries.

"The problems occur when some sanctioning body lets tracks get away with reckless maneuvers, accidents happen and people get injured or killed. That's where the sanctioning bodies have to be very careful and very observant."

As far as the first five choices for the new NASCAR Hall of Fame, Economaki said he wished the voters had done a little more homework.

"Those five were good choices," Economaki said. "Unfortunately, it's really too heavy on the France family. It needed to be broader. But other than that, I have no complaints. I don't think the people who voted really gave it that much time and attention. It'll straighten out."

In Economaki's opinion, NASCAR's biggest role in motorsports was creating a system in which drivers and teams could make a living, something that wasn't always the case in the early days of the sport.

"We live in an economically oriented society," Economaki said. "The fact that prize money has reached the level it has speaks well for NASCAR, and well for auto racing. I think that's the important part of auto racing today, that prize money has awakened the American public to the fact that auto racing is significant."