Watkins Glen International , dubbed "The Glen ", is a car race track located in Watkins Glen, New York, on the southern tip of Seneca Lake. It has long been known worldwide as the home of the US Formula One Grand Prix, held for twenty years in a row (1961-1980), but the site has been home to street racing in almost every class, including the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, Energy Monster NASCAR Cup Series, International Motorcycle Sports Association and IndyCar Series.
Initially, public roads in the village were used for race courses. In 1956, a permanent circuit for the race was built. In 1968 the race was extended to six hours, to 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. The current circuit layout is more or less the same since 1971, although the chicane was installed at Esses that climbed in 1975 to slow the car past this bend, where there was death during training at the 1973 US Grand Prix. The Chicane was removed in 1985, but Another chicane called "Inner Loop" was installed in 1992 after a fatal accident during the NASCAR Winston Cup event last year.
This circuit is known as a racing road in Mecca of North America and is a very popular place among fans and drivers. The facility is owned by International Speedway Corporation.
This circuit has also become a music concert venue: Summer Jam 1973, featuring The Allman Brothers Band, Grateful Dead and The Band and attended by 600,000 fans, and two Phish festivals: Super Ball IX in 2011 and Magnaball in 2015.
Video Watkins Glen International
Layout
The Watkins Glen International racing course has undergone several changes over the years, with five public layouts widely recognized throughout its history. Currently, two different layouts are used - the "Boot" layout (long course) and the "Six Hours 1971" layout (short course).
Public road
The first race at Watkins Glen was initiated by Cameron Argetsinger, whose family has a summer home in the area. With the approval of the Chamber of Commerce and SCCA sanctions, the first Watkins Glen Grand Prix took place in 1948 on a 6.6 mile (10.6 km) course above a local public road. For the first few years, the race went through the heart of the city with a spectator lining the sidewalk, but after a car driven by Fred Wacker left the road in the 1952 race, killing seven-year-old Frank Fazzari and injuring several others, the race was moved to a new location on a hilltop wooded southwestern city. The original 6.6 mile (10.6 km) course is listed in the New York State Register and List of National Historic Sites as the Grand Prix Grand Prix of Watkins, 1948-1952.
The second layout 4.6 miles (7.4 km) began to be used in 1953 and also used the existing road. The Watkins Glen Grand Prix Corporation was formed to manage spectators, parking, and concessions. This arrangement lasts three years.
Grand Prix Course
The first permanent course was built on 550 hectares, part of which overlaps with the previous road. It was designed by Bill Milliken, and professor of engineering from Cornell University. The layout measured 2.35 miles (3.78 km). This course is used from 1956-1970. In 1968 the race was extended to six hours.
Short Courses
The circuit underwent a massive improvement for the 1971 season. The "Big Bend" and turns leading to it were eliminated, and replaced with a new straight pit. Holes and start/end lines are moved to this new place. "The 90" now turns one instead of turn 8.
When 1971 Six Hours of Watkins Glen arrived in July 1971, the overall renovation of the circuit was unfinished. The short course has finished, but the Boot segment is incomplete, nor is it a new pit area. The 1971 Six-Hour race is run in a short course setting, and the layout is known everyday as the 1971 Six Hours Course. In addition, for 1971 alone, the car used the original start/end line and the old hole.
When NASCAR returned to the track in 1986, they chose to use the short course system. IMSA initially used "Boot", but eventually, the series also began using the shorter 1971 layout.
This short course was slightly extended in 1992 (see "Deep Circle" below).
Long Course ("Boot")
The most significant change to the unfinished track for Six Hours was in 1971, but finished on time for the Formula One race that fall. The start-finish line is moved to the new pit as planned. The new segment known as "Booting" finished on time for the race. At the end of the backstretch, after the Loop-Chute, the cars sweep left onto a new four-turn complex that departs from the old layout, wriggling to the left down the forest. The track follows the edge of the hill to the two right-to-right bends, above the blind peak which pulls the turn right, down and up to the left to rejoin the old track. Its unique shape as legs gives it the nickname "Boot."
The new layout including "Boot" measured 3.377 miles (5,435 km). With its intrinsic link to the Formula One race, it becomes known everyday as a Grand Prix Circuit .
For 1972, the Six Hours sports car race also began to use the full "Booting" layout. At that time, almost all facility improvements have been completed, and the pit and start/finish are permanently transferred to the new pit pit.
In 1975, a right-left chicane was quickly added on the 3-4 Esses turn section (called "Chicane Scheckter") to slow the speed through a series of angles. The chicane was eliminated in the 1980s.
In the early 1990s, IMSA sports cars began to pass "Boot" for the sake of short courses. To date, NASCAR events have never used the Boot layout. The course "Length/Boot" was slightly extended in 1992 (see "Inner Loop" below). In the mid-2000s, the Boot segment, which has seen little use over the years, has been reproduced and upgraded. When the IndyCar Series returned to Watkins Glen starting in 2005, they chose to use the Boot segment. Full repetition of the course takes place in 2015, and in recent years, there is renewed interest and appreciation for the full Grand Prix Course layout. Considerations have been made for NASCAR to start using Boot.
Inner Circle
After a serious collision succession occurred in the "Loop" at the backstretch end, major changes were made to the track layout. During 1989 Bud in Glen, Geoff Bodine blew a tire on the backstretch tip. He bursts in hard, and sails straight from the track, crashing into obstacles. In 1991, during IMSA Camel Continental VIII, Intrepid RM-1 prototype Tommy Kendall crashed on the Loop, severely injuring his leg. Seven weeks later, NASCAR Winston Cup racer J. D. McDuffie died in an accident at the same location during the 1991 Budweiser at The Glen.
In reaction to the collision, for the track officials in 1992 built a bus stop along the back straight before arriving at the Loop. Nicknamed "Inner Loop", it leads to what is now called, "Outer Circle." This addition slightly improves the spinning distance for both layouts.
Maps Watkins Glen International
History
Watkins Glen Grand Prix
Along with the annual SCCA race, this track hosted the first professional race (NASCAR Grand National Division) in 1957. It hosted its first international event with the Formula Libre race from 1958-1960. Among the participating drivers were Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss, Phil Hill, and Dan Gurney.
United States Grand Prix
After two unreliable editions of the US Formula One Grand Prix (Sebring in 1959 and Riverside in 1960), the promoters were looking for a new place to become permanent homes for the US Grand Prix.
In 1961, just six weeks before the scheduled date for another falling Formula Libre race, Argetsinger was tapped to prepare Watkins Glen for the final round of the Formula One World Championship. While much of the necessary preparations have been made, the new pit is built to meet European standards of the pit box with the top cover.
Seven American riders participated, and the race was won by British rider Innes Ireland in Lotus-Climax with American Dan Gurney driving the Porsche 718 in second place. After winning the Driver World Championship and Constructor and still mourning the death of Wolfgang von Trips at Monza, Ferrari decided not to compete in the US GP. Ferrari's decision not to travel to the United States for the final round of the season eliminated Hill's chances to participate in his home race as the newly crowned World Champion, and Hill emerged just as Grand Marshal.
The US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen is rapidly becoming an autumn tradition when large crowds of racing fans flock to Upstate New York each year amidst the spectacular autumn colors of the region. The race also includes the most popular on the global Grand Prix calendar with teams and racers due to early money and prizes often exceed other races combined. The race received the Primary Primary Association award for best and best organized GP in the 1965, 1970, and 1972 seasons.
One USGP fixture at Watkins Glen is a starter for the race, Richard Norman "Tex" Hopkins. Wearing a lavender suit, clenching a big cigar in his mouth, and giving it a job, Hopkins is the best known starter in the Grand Prix race. After the cars took their places, Hopkins walked across the front of the grid with his back to the field, turned, and jumped into the air while waving a national flag to start the race. At the end, he will meet the winner in the same way, this time waving the checkered flag as the car passes the line.
Prior to the 1971 race, the course experienced the most significant change from the Grand Prix era, as it extended from 2.35 miles (3,78 km) to 3,377 miles (5,435 km) by the addition of four corners in a new section called 'Boot' or 'Anvil'. The new layout departs from the old road near the southern end to a curve that bends to the left through the forest. The track follows the edge of the hillside to the two right bend in sequence, past the blind peak which pulls to the left turn, and back to the old track. In addition, the circuits were widened and reappeared, and both pits and start-finish lines were moved back before the right-hand corner to the northwest known as "The 90" and in 1975, the right-left chicane was quickly added in the Esses section to slow down through a series of angles.
Despite the repairs, the circuit became unsafe for the faster and rigid automobiles of the late 1970s and some horrific, sometimes fatal accidents (such as those that took the lives of Helmut Koinigg and FranÃÆ'§ois Cevert). The increasingly rowdy segment of the crowd began to tarnish its image as well. Finally, in May 1981, a few months after Alan Jones won the 1980 race for Williams, the International Sports Sports Federation issued a race from his schedule because the track failed to pay the $ 800,000 debt to the team.
American road race
The Glen hosts various other events throughout the Grand Prix year: from Can-Am, Trans-Am, IROC, and Endurance Sports car races, to the Formula 5000 and CART series, this race reinforces the reputation of the circuit as a major road racing facility in the United States. From 1968 to 1981, the "Six Hours of The Glen" endurance race featured top racers like Mario Andretti, Jacky Ickx, Pedro RodrÃÆ'guez and Derek Bell. Various races are sometimes shown together on the same weekend (eg, Six Hours and Can-Am) and attract a sizable crowd, but without the Formula One race, the circuit is struggling to survive. Finally declared bankrupt and closed in 1981.
Remodeling
For two years, the track was not well maintained and only some SCCA were attended without the audience. In 1983, Corning Enterprises, a nearby Corning subsidiary, partnered with International Speedway Corporation to buy a track and renamed it, Watkins Glen International.
The renovated lane, with the chicane at the bottom of Esses removed, reopened in 1984 with the return of IMSA with Camel Continental I, which will be done until 1995, with the last two years under the name "The Glen Continental" after Withdrawing camels from IMSA. (The event was numbered with Roman numerals.)
In 1986, NASCAR's top series returned to Watkins Glen after a long layoff, holding one of only three road races on his schedule (two starting in 1988), using the 1971 Six Hours course, racing when new sections of the Loop-Chute unfinished on time. When the cars came out of Loop-Chute, instead of descending to Turn 6, the cars darted straight, and headed for Turn 10, just as it did from 1961 to 1970.
The NASCAR Busch Series series (now called Xfinity Series) will arrive in 1991 with a 150-mile (240 km) race on Camel Continental weekend, won by Terry Labonte, who will be the circuit master during his Busch Series race, winning his first race, and won three consecutive races from 1995 to 1997. The 1995 race will be the first to be performed as a race of 200 miles (320 km), and became the first Busch Series race to be broadcast on television on network broadcast television, as CBS broadcast the race directly until TNN took over in 1997.
Only twice - 1998 and 1999 - did a regular rider the Busch Series win the race. The first seven races were won by Winston Cup Series (Now Nonsense Energy Monsters Series Monster) regular drivers, sometimes referred to as "Buschwhackers", during their off-week. In 1998, the race against the Cup race in Sonoma, California, dispelled the idea, and remained that way until 2000. In 2001, the race took place the day after the first Saturday in July.
The race was eliminated from the schedule after the 2001 season, however, only to return in 2005 as an undercard to the Nextel Cup (now Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series) race.
A pair of incidents that occurred in 1991 resulted in massive improvements to circuit security. During the IMSA Camel Continental VIII, Tommy Kendall's prototype crashed at Turn 5, severely injuring his leg. Seven weeks later, the NASCAR Cup Series racer J. D. McDuffie died in an accident at the same location at Bud 1991 in Glen. Trajectory officers added a chicane bus stop to straight back in the spring of 1992.
In 1996, Glen Continental returned to the six-hour format, and was once again called the Six Clocks in Glen with the IMSA format, and stayed there until parted in American sports car racing. In 1998, the race became an event approved by Sports Car Club of America under the United States Road Racing Championship. In 1999, the FIA ​​GT series held a 500 km three hour race with some USRRC entrants after USRRC canceled their last two rounds of the season before their six-hour event on the track. The following year, the six-hour race returned once again with the newly-established Grand American Road Racing Association (Grand-Am) supporting the event. The event is now approved by IMSA with SportsTech SportsCar Championship. The six hour race is now the third part of the four-part American Endurance Cup series.
In 1997, International Speedway Corporation became the sole owner of the course, as Corning Enterprises believes that they have completed the goal intended to rebuild racing tracks and improve tourism in the Finger Lakes region in southern New York State.
This annual circuit hosted one of the country's premier vintage events, the US Vintage Zippo Grand Prix. When the fiftieth anniversary of road racing at Watkins Glen was celebrated during the 1998 racing season, the event was the highlight, returning many of the original cars and drivers to the 6.6 mile (10.6 km) circuit through the village during the Grand Prix of the Racing Festival Festival.
After a 25-year layoff, the major league open-wheel racing returned to the track as one of three road courses on the Indy Racing League 2005 schedule. In preparation, the circuit was overhauled again. Grandstands of Virginia's Nazareth Speedway, which has been closed, installed, pebbles on The 90 has been removed and replaced with an asphalt runoff area, and restrictions are cut down for Indy Racing League events. Previously, high curbs on the chicane had become the place where the NASCAR Cup Series Monster Energy cars would bounce high from restraint, creating an ideal opportunity for cars to lose control, and slowing down the car. Other areas of the path are also recovered: exits from turn 2 (bottom part of essay), chicane, turn 6 (entrance to trunk), turn 9, and turn 11 all have additional overhead areas created and safety barrier upgrades. Carousel run off paved, as well as convert 1 (90) and paved essays in winter 2006-07. By adding what is already along the front stretch, an additional high security fence is installed on the flyover across the service lane on the ice and just out of the trunk immediately after the turnout 9.
Another reshuffle for 2006 made fundamental changes to the circuit for the first time since 1992. Officials installed new control towers, which include booths for officials, time and ratings, television and radio (the new positions allow broadcasters to see more action from Turn 10 through legs Esses), and public address announcers over the new front tribune, moving the start-finish line further ahead of the bridge, as the start-finish line was moved 380 feet (120 m) farther to The 90 to accommodate the time and scores of the new scores. The new start-finish line also means the start lights used for club races are moved further forward, creating more action from Turn 11 when tactics change with the upcoming finish line, where slingshot moves can be paramount to finish. A new media center was built to replace the previous building, which is also a watch tower with the 1971 increase. The aging structure has been the bane of many professional media members during those years with many unused things published and broadcast about its drawbacks, notably the lack of isolation, AC, some (if any) facilities have other facilities, resulting in a control race moving to a new control tower in the start-line was completed in 2006. Plans were made to move the new media center back to allow 43-car NASCAR full-fledged. Other changes to infrastructure include the purchase of adjacent properties. Most Bronson Hill Roads are included as a service road to the facility. A new section of Bronson Hill leading from NY 414 was built as the main entrance to the facility, bending south at Gate 6 and on to District 16 Road, just south of the sheriff's office building and the sheriff.
Track security is also constantly changing and constant training is required. Race Services Inc. provide pathways with volunteers to work Fire, Medical, Networking and Angle officers to help keep drivers and spectators safe.
The Argetsinger family is an advisor to the circuit, and the track is named trophy for the premiere Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix presented by Argent in honor of the late patriarch, Cameron.
On March 6, 2007, just before 9 pm, the fire destroyed the newly renovated Glen Club located on top of the essay. Originally called the Onyx Club (named for sponsorship, Onyx Cologne), Glen Club is used primarily as an upscale place for race fans. Having been recently renovated, it is being advertised as a social place for locals to use for weddings, business meetings, etc. No cause can be determined and the building is total loss. The disadvantages include original and indispensable original motorsport artwork donated to the facility by several artists along with other racing memorabilia. Official Glen was quoted in local media stories as insisting that the loss of Glen Club would not affect the 2007 racing schedule.
For 2007, Watkins Glen International again made improvements to the facility, particularly the surface of the track. All turns 1 ("90"), 5 ("Loop-Chute") and 6 (entry changed to "Boot") are repeated. "Glen's Club" temporarily replaced the permanent structure destroyed by fire in the 2007 race that was replaced by another permanent building. New sponsors for INDY and NASCAR weekends have signed multi-year contracts. Camping World became the sponsor of the INDY "World Camping Grand Prix" weekend in Glen until 2010. NASCAR weekend in Glen received double shots - Zippo Manufacturing announced a three-year extension of the Busch-Nationwide Series race, "Zippo 200". The NASCAR Cup Series Race is known as "The Heluva Good! Sour Cream dips in Glen". In addition, Brad Penn's lubricant from Pennsylvania (formerly of the Kendall Oil refinery) was announced as a sponsor of the weekend annual vintage sports car for 2007 and 2008. IndyCar took six years off from the facility when the series was pulled out of Glen after 2010 due to a dispute with the owner of the ISC.
In June 2011, Tony Stewart and Lewis Hamilton participated in "Mobil 1 Seat Swap". Stewart is driving a Chevy No. Cars. 14 Cars 1 for four rounds around the circuit while Hamilton drove the MP4-23, the entry of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes in the 2008 Formula One season. After some time, the two drivers swapped cars and drove more rounds around the circuit. The event is open to the public and is expected to renew interest in the track. Prior to this event, the curves in some of the turns were changed, the white rolled strips replaced by the more general, red-and-white design seen in most road programs around the world.
In July 2011, WGI held a Phish concert. This is the first concert held by WGI since Summer Jam.
In October 2012, the track was damaged by Hurricane Sandy, with reported damage of $ 50,000.
Before the 2014 season, the track cleared the storage warehouse on the path property when the original Dunlop Bridge was discovered. The bridge was originally used as a VIP area for Dunlop until it was moved to be used as a starting point a few years later. It was lowered and replaced by a new starter stand during renovation in 2006. The bridge was reassembled at the exit to 90 near the original location where it once stood near the original starting line for the track and is now again used for VIP use by the company on the weekend of the race with the company sponsoring the bridge.
After the 2014 racing season, it was announced that the 2015 racing season will end with NASCAR weekend in early August. This is to allow retraction of the track. The repave involves the removal of the entire surface of the race. In some places, the trajectory was lowered to a dirt road bed. It is funded not only by International Speedway Corporation, but with grants from New York State.
In March 2015, due to the success of their previous concert, Phish said they will perform another concert at WGI at the end of August.
In August 2015, with repaving already taking place in Boot, NASCAR announced that they are considering running a full Grand Prix Course.
2016 will see the return of IndyCar racing to Watkins Glen, with tracks being added to the schedule after the collapse of plans for a street race in Boston. It was held over the Labor Day weekend and used the full layout: ICS officials also negotiated with WGI to race there permanently.
Recordings
Energy Monster NASCAR Cup Series records
* from minimum 10 starts.
Deaths
See also
- List of Formula One circuits
- List of Champ Car circuits
- List of NASCAR racing tracks
References
External links
- Watkins Glen International
- Watkins Glen International race results at Racing Reference
- Brief History of Road Racing at Watkins Glen
- GP Encyclopedia, Circuit: Watkins Glen
- A trackpedia guide to move this path
- Watkins Glen International Page at NASCAR.com
- Watkins Glen Grand Prix Fest
- Tracing history and other info
- 1948-1952 Watkins Glen Grand Prix Circuit Map
- Photos from previous and current events at Watkins Glen International
- Race Services Inc. Organization for course workers at WGI
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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