More sad news this week, this time with the loss of a long-time racing institution. The editors of National Speed Sport News announced that the March 23, 2011 issue of the iconic paper would be their last print edition, although the online version will continue. After more than 76 years, the publication, which was first published as National Auto Racing News on Aug. 16, 1934, has printed its last issue, dated - March 23, 2011. While hundreds of other newspapers came and went during the past three-quarters of a century, NSSN continued to ride the support of its readers and advertisers in producing the most thorough weekly racing publication on the market. But economic times have been tight and the newspaper business has suffered at the hands of high production costs and modern technology, which provides information to readers instantly. Through the years National Speed Sport News was the industry leader in covering motorsports, much of it thanks to Chris Economaki, 90, who sold the first issue of NSSN at Ho-Ho-Kus Speedway in New Jersey, and began writing for the publication soon after that and became editor in 1950. Economaki saw the publication through its glory days, launching a career on television and taking his newspaper into thousands of homes across America. In a time when there was no Internet and very little racing was on television or radio, National Speed Sport News thrived. When National Speed Sport News began its run, there were no seat belts, drivers wore leather helmets and the flathead Ford V8 was one of the most common racing engines. The loss in an absolute blow to the motorsports print media industry, although NSSN will continue to have an online presence. For more, read here. And thanks from all of us at GRH.com to Chris Economaki and his staff, current and former, who worked so hard over the years to bring us the racing news.
The second annual Athens Speedway Reunion is set for April 9 at the South Jackson County Elementary School between Athens and Jefferson on Highway 129. It will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donald Brooks, Freddie Massey and Charles Burkhalter, Jr. are working hard on this year's event, and it looks to be a great one! For more information, call Freddie Massey at (706) 543-4249. We'll see you there!
And, plans are underway for the second annual Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Night at Gresham Motorsports Park (the official race track of the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame) on April 23. Hall of Fame members get in free with their special track pass (if you didn't get yours last year, no problem - we still have them in hand for you!), with a big autograph session planned for all our Hall of Famers! Plus, the 2010 Hall of Fame inductees, Ted Edwards, Ernie Elliott, Jack Etheridge, Laverne Kendrick and Jerry Wimbish will be honored in a special pre-race ceremony on the track's front stretch. We'll have more information as we get closer to the event, but you can have a look at photos from last year's event here, and get more information on Gresham Motorsports Park here.
Happy Birthday wishes go out this week on March 27 to Cale Yarborough, Maurice Petty and Parker Johnstone.
Thanks everybody, and have a great weekend!
Brandon Reed
Georgia Racing History.com
