Ganassi wins NSSN Champion of Champions Award

For the first time in the eight-year history of the Economaki Champion of Champions presented by National Speed Sport News, a non-driver has won the award.

Chip Ganassi, whose teams won the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400 and the Grand Am Rolex Series and IZOD IndyCar Series championships, was selected by the staff of National Speed Sport News as the winner of the award, which is named for longtime National Speed Sport News Editor Chris Economaki. The Economaki Champion of Champions is annually given to the North American racing champion judged to have had the best season on and off the racetrack.

Ganassi is recognized on the cover of the Dec. 15 issue of National Speed Sport News.

"I remember the first time I made one of the covers was in 1982 when I was the fastest rookie at the Indianapolis 500," Ganassi said. "I made the back cover and I'll never forget that. You literally wait for that thing to come out and then you look at it and say, 'Hey, there I am.' "

Other finalists for the award were Scott Bloomquist (Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series), Bryan Clauson (USAC), Larry Dixon (NHRA), John Force (NHRA), Dario Franchitti (INDYCAR) Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR), Levi Jones (USAC), Jason Meyers (WoO), Scott Pruett/Memo Rojas (Grand Am) and Tim Shaffer (All Stars).