Corinne Economaki

National Speed Sport News publisher Corinne Economaki has worked for "America's Weekly Motorsports Authority" for 14 years, but she's actually in her third career.

America has known National Speed Sport News editor and publisher emeritus Chris Economaki, 79, for decades for his work with the publication, as well as on television as a motorsports commentator for ABC and CBS. Corinne Economaki, 46, never aspired to join her father at the newspaper.

"I've never worked for another paper," she said. "I had a lot of marketing-type jobs (including marketing airplane parts as well as direct mail projects). Then I managed restaurants. I worked my way up the old fashioned way, with hard work. I started as a dishwasher.

"I had very minimal exposure to motorsports. I would occasionally go to a race and that was about it.

"Being in restaurant management is a seven day a week job at 10 to 15 hours a day. I loved the restaurant business, but I had done it for seven years. I was burnt out and tired."

By coincidence, Jerry Gappens, then the associate publisher of NSSN called her to ask if she would be interested in interviewing for a job at the paper. Her father was not involved in the interview or hiring process. He wanted Corinne to be hired on her own merits, if Gappens thought she was good enough to hire.

Fourteen years ago last November, Corinne hired on at the newspaper as an advertising coordinator. She sold ads, set the type, did the "dummy," classifieds and billing. "I took the job because it was good timing, not because I was dying to do it," she said.

"I thought I would have more structure and less turmoil and some semblance of a normal life, which is not the way it turned out to be," she said, laughing. "After six months, my biggest surprise was that I didn't know what I was doing. I was so far under water. It was all I could do to keep from going down for the third time. "Some time in the second year, I knew what was going on in the business and industry. Then I found my grasp of the company, without any formal training."

Later, after Gappens departed to join the staff of Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Corinne was promoted to associate publisher, which includes administrative operations duties. Eleven years ago, she was promoted to publisher.

She oversees the paper's staff and operations. During the summer of 1997, she oversaw the move of the National Speed Sport News headquarters from its longtime home base in New Jersey to Charlotte, N.C. She made several appearances on CNN/fn network's "The Most Toys" program, discussing business in motorsports.

She does not foresee having the dual roles of newspaper publisher and motorsports commentator that her father had for decades. "I'll never be able to do what he did on camera," Corinne said. "So many people can and want to, but it takes tremendous homework. I don't think I have the ability for TV that Chris had. Being a contributor to a program like I was on CNN though, is well within my capabilities."

What are her future goals for National Speed Sport News? "We want to continue to be known as a national newspaper telling it like it is," she said. "We have a reputation as the industry's 'bible' that can only get stronger. What's happening off the track today is more important than ever. Five years ago, you'd have to look long and hard to find a business story in NSSN. Now we may have four or five business stories a week."