Motorsports found its way into the village of Watkins Glen back in 1948. Cameron Argetsinger, a student at Cornell University who stayed at his father’s house on Seneca Lake, came up with the idea of a road race using local roads and pitched the idea to the regional Chamber of Commerce. Officials were pleased with the notion and greenlit the move to obtain an SCCA sanction.
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For nearly five years since the Watkins Glen Grand Prix was held through the heart of the village. In 1953, a new layout was mapped to enhance racing safety but the alternate course failed to fulfill its purpose and left building a permanent road course as the only solution. The new track was located on 550 acres of land and was constituted at a length of 2.4 miles.
No roads were shared with the village and the circuit remained exclusively for racing. This spread its fame across borders and soon, in 1957, the NASCAR Grand National Division walked into town. The track also hosted the final round of the Formula One World Championship in 1961 which took its popularity to new heights. It has since been a staple and preferred venue for multiple global racing series.
The longest stretch that NASCAR raced in the Glen was between 1986 and 2019. The successful visits led the officiating body to purchase the track’s majority stake from Corning Enterprises in 1997 via its subsidiary, International Speedway Corporation (ISC). After a brief break, the road course returned to the Cup Series schedule in 2021 and has now become a part of the playoffs for the first time.
Other interesting details about NASCAR racing in the Glen
The track is one of the quickest circuits on the calendar with the NextGen cars traversing at speeds of 125-130 mph during races. It carries challenging elevations and turns which make it one of the tougher ones to navigate. Albeit, the beautiful views all around are considered one of the better elements.
The length of the track varies according to the chosen course design. NASCAR opts for the 2.4-mile circuit while the entire track is 3.4 miles in length. In its current form, Watkins Glen International lies at an overall area of 1,800 acres. It can accommodate up to 38,900 fans permanently but the capacity exceeds 100,000 during major events.
The upcoming Cup Series race will be the 41st time NASCAR’s premier tier races on it. It will be the second race of the 2024 playoffs and will be a significant step towards determining who races in the Championship 4 at Phoenix. The 90-lap event is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 15.
