RIP Chris Economaki

He was 91.

http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/8435223/dean-american-motorsports-chris-economaki-dies-91

 

Heard this on Speed Channel today. Always enjoyed his enthusiasm. Clearly was a man doing what he loved to do. RIP.

 

One of the great voices in American sportscasting.

 

Having covered a gazillion events at Indianapolis, Economaki seemed eternal, like he emerged from the mortar in Indy's bricks.

I also recall his voice piercing through the screen back when CBS did the Daytona 500.

RIP.

 

91?!?!?! Never would have guessed that old.

 

Abe Vigoda, rinse, repeat.

 

One of my earliest TV memories is him doing the "Timex takes a licking and keeps on ticking" ads with the watch on the outboard engine prop in a tank of water.

He was also the voice of watching racing with my Dad.

RIP

 

It's amazing how long he wrote about racing and announced it. When people do a job for 35 years we're amazed by the longevity. Chris covered racing for nearly 80 years. Wow. RIP Chris. I'm glad I finally got to meet him at Indy a few years ago.

 

I will confess I knew little of his writing career. Truly a loss to motor racing.

 

Loved him in "Stroker Ace."

Seriously, although he had stopped doing NASCAR broadcast when I got into the sport, I knew he was a big name in those circles. Like Mark, I didn't realize he was that old. Definitely lived a full life. RIP.

 

That was John Cameron Swayze, wasn't it?

 

@Riptide

Pretty sure it was Economaki but sometimes childhood memories can be wrong.