Readers of National Speed Sports News will race down memory lane as a special eight-page section of the June 24 issue celebrates the 75th anniversary of the weekly auto-racing publication.
“This special section will be the most comprehensive history of the paper ever assembled,” said Corinne Economaki, publisher of National Speed Sport News. “Previous anniversary issues have focused heavily on the various eras of racing, but this one will be about the paper and its role in recording auto-racing history.”
The format of the special section will combine design elements from the current paper with the basic layout that was familiar to readers for more than 40 years. The cover will feature each of the paper’s seven logos and photos from eight decades of racing will be included in The Final Lap.
The centerpiece will be an extensive timeline that marks milestone moments in the 75-year history of National Speed Sport News.
Starting with the first issue on Aug. 16, 1934, the timeline includes items such as the date when weekly publishing resumed following World War II; when the first four-color photograph was published; and when the name of Editor Chris Economaki’s column changed from Gas-O-Lines to From the Editor’s Notebook.
In a column for the 75th anniversary section, Chris Economaki explains why National Speed Sport News started in the small city known in 1934 as East Paterson, N.J.
“In the late 1920s and early 1930s, late summer found East Paterson’s streets crowded with racing-car trailers using the town as a temporary base for travel to the many agricultural fair races in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania,” writes Economaki. “Why they chose East Paterson, N.J. (now Elmwood Park), as their destination is not known, other than it had an abundance of garages, rentable for $5 a month, and depression-era home owners seeking to rent out rooms at reasonable prices.”
The special section will also feature images of 14 NSSN covers that recorded significant moments in racing history. They include A.J. Foyt’s fourth Indianapolis 500 victory in 1977; AAA’s decision to end its role as the sport’s preeminent sanctioning authority in 1955; the Teamsters’ attempt to unionize race-car drivers in 1961; and Dale Earnhardt’s death in the 2001 Daytona 500.
“There will be stories detailing how the editorial and advertising content of the paper have evolved through the years along with a story about the business of producing National Speed Sport News,” said Mike Kerchner, the paper’s senior editor. “Readers will also learn how changes in technology have impacted the way news and results are gathered and assembled into the paper they enjoy each week.”
In the first issue 75 years ago, founders William Kay and Louis Fournier promised “to give our racing fans all of the news from all of the tracks all of the time.” That simple principle is still the foundation upon which each issue of National Speed Sport News is produced.
In addition to coverage of every major auto-racing series, the paper contains results from hundreds of weekly short-track races around the country, in-depth features, behind-the-scenes industry news and opinions from a collection of the sport’s most-respected columnists.
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