Economaki, 82, Remains Blue-Ribbon Reporter

As conspicuous as a Model T Ford in a parking lot full of gleaming Cadillacs, BMWs and Thunderbirds, an old upright typewriter sits in the front row of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s media center, itself a 3-year-old high-tech facility complete with computers, fax machines, TV monitors and 375 seats equipped for modern laptops.

It sits there for one man, Chris Economaki.

Similar typewriters -- some young sportswriters have never seen one before -- are in place at other racetracks around the country. All for Economaki, the dean of motor-sports journalists.

His method of operation is as archaic as his typewriter. In an era of e-mail, conference calls and transcribed interviews, Economaki chooses the old-fashioned way, tramping through garages, along pit row and into teams’ motor homes to ferret out his own information. He talks with drivers, mechanics, owners, sponsors, fans and groupies, extending the same inquisitive intensity to all.

“I thought when the computers were introduced, they’d be like the hula hoop and go away,” he once said.

His column, a staple of National Speed Sport News for more than 50 years, for years had no paragraphs, no indentations to identify the change of subject, nothing but a few dots to separate items as disparate as, say, Michael Schumacher’s talk of retiring, Bubby Jones’ handling of son Tony’s sprint car, or the latest romantic scuttlebutt from the infield.

Recently, with a new editor, management has begun paragraphing his columns, but he still pounds them out the same old way, his head down, pecking away on his Olivetti, sending a clatter across silent computerized newsrooms.

Economaki, born in Brooklyn and raised in New Jersey, will be 83 Oct. 15.

His interest in racing began when he was 9 and saw a race at the old Atlantic City board track. When he was 14, he peddled the National Auto Racing News at HoHoKus Speedway, making a penny for each nickel sale.

“I sold 200 of them,” he says proudly. “That was two bucks, a hell of a lot of money for a kid in those days.”

Two years later he began writing a column for the publication, which changed its name to National Speed Sport News in 1943. In 1950, Economaki became editor and publisher, a title he held until giving up the publishing reins a few years ago. However, his column continues, a must-read for anyone in racing.

In 1961, ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” televised the Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway. NASCAR boss Bill France chose Economaki to be the announcer. For 34 years, his gravelly voice, with its quaint mixture of Brooklyn and Jersey accents, was as familiar to racing fans as his writing.

He made famous the phrase, “What’s it like out there?” as he interviewed drivers climbing out of their cars seconds after coming off the track.

The only journalist to be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame, Economaki also received NASCAR’s Award of Excellence at its New York awards banquet in 1990.

He is so well thought of at Indianapolis that, besides the typewriter, he has a private parking place below the Pagoda tower, marked “Reserved, CE,” right next to “TG” for Tony George, “MG” for Mari George and other family and executives.

A wine connoisseur and raconteur, Economaki is in constant demand for racing get-togethers.

Frank Miller, an executive with Texaco, used to invite half dozen or so writers to gourmet dinners at various cities around the country. Each time, he would instruct Hank Ives, his public-relations man, “Be sure and invite Chris.”

“I think he is the most entertaining man I have ever met, and he’s a walking history book of racing,” said Miller. “I could listen to him every night.”

When asked if retirement is in his plans, Economaki says, “I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing until the checkered flag waves.”

Indianapolis 500

Alex Barron, of Menifee, Calif., fourth-place finisher in last year’s Indy 500, will replace two-time winner Arie Luyendyk in Mo Nunn’s Toyota-powered Panoz G Force in the race May 25.

“It wasn’t a very difficult decision to go with Alex,” said Nunn. “When we found that Arie wasn’t going to be able to drive, the sponsors told us to find someone who could step in and give us the best possible race-winning effort. That goal never changed. We feel Alex comes with the highest credentials available. He raced this same package in Japan.”

Barron 32, drove in Japan with Penske Racing as a replacement for Gil de Ferran, finishing 17th after having been caught in an accident with Tomas Scheckter.

Barron might have won the race had Scheckter not hit the wall in Turn 4 on Lap 173, bringing out a yellow caution flag. On the restart, Barron, who had led for seven laps, developed a sensor problem.

“It just wouldn’t accelerate,” Barron said. “Once the thing got wound up, it started to pick up speed more and more. Then we were able to start moving forward, but unfortunately it was a little too late. I thought we were going for the win at the end, but then the sensor started picking up, and we started dropping off.”

Driving for Blair Racing, he won $412,115 for his fourth-place finish.

Barron started racing in karts at Riverside, winning national championships in three organizations in 1995 and another in 1997. He made his Indy car debut with Dan Gurney’s All-American Racers team in 1998 and scored his first win in an Indy Racing League event at Nashville last year.

Southland Scene

For his actions during the NASCAR super late model race at Irwindale Speedway on May 10, driver Tim Woods III has been fined $500, suspended from NASCAR until June 18, and suspended for the next five racing events at Irwindale.

Woods, after leading the first 41 laps in his Ford Taurus, spun out after tangling with Greg Pursley. During the ensuing caution period, Woods pulled his car alongside Pursley’s. When Woods refused to drop back in line, he was red-flagged, then did a series doughnuts across the track and into the infield until his transmission gave out.

Then he walked along the front straightaway, waving at the crowd before sitting in the middle of the track at the start-finish line. He left only when Irwindale police escorted him off the premises.

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Ventura Raceway will celebrate Armed Forces Day with Armed Forces Appreciation Night featuring displays from the service organizations Saturday night. VRA 360 sprint cars will share the spotlight.... NASCAR late model stock car drivers will compete in Twin 40s, two main events, Saturday night at Irwindale Speedway.... The SCRA returns to Perris Auto Speedway on Saturday night with Richard Griffin, 39, pulling away in his quest of a fifth championship and his second in a row.

Bobby Schwartz, 46, won the rain-postponed speedway motorcycle opener at Costa Mesa Speedway on the Orange County Fairgrounds. The Costa Mesa veteran beat out Gary Hicks of Hesperia and Dukie Ermolenko of Cypress.... Jeremy Toye will be favored when the fifth round of the Toyota Cup Formula One motorcycle road racing series resumes Sunday at Willow Springs Raceway. The main event is at 2 p.m.

Jet Skis

The final two rounds of the IJSBA Motosurf Nationals will be run Saturday and Sunday off the Oceanside pier. Defending national champion Chris MacClugage has a solid lead on his Kawasaki in pro ski. Another Kawasaki rider, Dustin Farthing, holds a narrow lead over teammate and national champion Dustin Motzouris in pro runabout.

Last Laps

J. C. Agajanian Jr. was honored by the U.S. Auto Club with the Jim Blunk Award for “recognition of his many contributions to midget auto racing.” ... Four Southland drivers, Steven Elliott, 18, of Norco; Michael Mantel, 19, of Redondo Beach; Alan Seuito, 15, of Orange; and Casandra Quaglierini, 17, of Orange, are among the top 23 in the Red Bull Driver search at the Dromo One indoor karting facility in Orange.

David Higgins and Daniel Barrett of England, driving a Mitsubishi Evo, were decisive winners in the Rim of the World Rally, an SCCA national event held in the Angeles National Forest.