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Watkins Glen International
Cameron Argetsinger, a law student, dreamed of bringing the sport of racing to a place where he spent summer vacations, which is the village of Watkins Glen. In October 1948, the first road race since WWII was held in the United States and it was held here at the Glen. For five years, big name American sports car drivers brought huge crowds to the small town. In 1953, however, competition was moved to a temporary course to allow for the construction of a new 2.3 mile permanent facility, which was completed in 1956.
In 1957, Watkins Glen International welcomed it's first professional race, which was a NASCAR Grand National series event in which Buck Bucker beat Fireball Roberts to the checkered flag for the victory. In 1958, the Forumula Libre race marked the first real international competition at The Glen. In 1961, Formula 1 competitors roared into town for the first ever Watkins Glen U.S. Grand Prix, which came to be a tradition at the facility until 1980. There's no question that the 1970s brought a lot of competition, and fans, to Watkins Glen. Among the events held, the Can-Am, Trans-Am, Six Hours, Formula 5000 and CART Indy Car Series races.
In 1980, financial hardships led to the Watkins Glen competition being removed from the Formula 1 schedule. In 1981, the track went into bankruptcy and closed its doors. The next two years found the facility virtually inactive, hosting only several non-spectator event weekends. But, it wasn't long before everything started to look up at The Glen. In 1983, Corning Enterprises purchased the facility and developed a partnership with International Speedway Corporation. Together, they formed the current Watkins Glen International facility. In 1984, the facility reopened as a newly renovated track that was ready for action.
Two years following the reopening, in August 1986, cheering fans watched as Tim Richmond took the checkered flag as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, now known as Nextel Cup, reemerged at the facility. The Bud at The Glen, as each annual event was known, came to be New York State's largest and most profitable motorsports event. Some of the sport's biggest names have competed, and won, at The Glen. In 1991, the first ever NASCAR Busch Grand National race was held as Terry Labonte defeated a field of competitors to win the inaugural race.
In 1997, International Speedway Corporation became the sole owner of Watkins Glen International. The company's other holdings include Talladega Superspeedway, Darlington Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway. Watkins Glen International, after 58 years of operation, continues to be an absolute crowd pleaser.
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