The Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History
The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), presents the annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. The symposium is named in honor of Michael R. Argetsinger (1944-2015; below), an award-winning motorsports author and longtime member of the Center’s Governing Council.
It provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing. Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers. The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.
Key Note Address
TBD. STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES.
2025 Event Details
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The 9th Annual Argetsinger Symposium will take place at the Harbor Hotel on Seneca Lake in downtown Watkins Glen on November 21st and 22nd.
We welcome you to attend the ninth annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium is a collaboration of the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) and the Society of Automotive Historians Motor Sports Chapter (SAHMS). Gran Touring Motorsports (GTM) will live stream and record the Symposium. Watch this space for additional details.
Agenda
TBD
Symposium Day 2 (11/22)
MORNING SESSIONS
9:00 am to 9:15 am | Welcome and Introductory Remarks |
AFTERNOON SESSIONS
Reel Wheel Film Festival (11/20)
Film Festival November 20th, 5 pm to 8pm: The 18th International Reel Wheel Film Festival hosted by Tom Schmeh, former curator and a founder of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, is being held in the Elementary School auditorium adjacent to the IMRRC on Thursday, November 20th, the night before the first day of the Symposium from 5 pm to 8 pm. We encourage you, if your travel schedule permits, to join us for the event. No pre-registration is required. Featured Documentaries include:
Event Livestream
If you cannot attend the symposium in person, we are proud to offer a real-time livestream of the event via the MPN Twitch. No need to sign up, or register, just click the link. The livestream broadcast is brought to you in partnership with The Motoring Podcast Network.
Previous Symposium Presentations
Click on the YEAR tabs below, then select and click on any thumbnail to begin playing the individual video presentations from each speaker.
7th Annual - 2023 Presentations
Ricordando Giacomelli e l'Alfa Romeo che hanno quasi vinto l'ultimo GP degli SU a Watkins Glen
October 5, 1980, was a very important day at Watkins Glen International circuit. Historical ...research, including about motor racing, cannot be done with hypotheses or with “what ifs” but only with facts. However, it can indeed be conceived that the facts of that day affected many future things. This was going to be the last F1 GP at Watkins Glen. The starting grid had an unexpected pole sitter: the Alfa Romeo of Giacomelli. Those were the years of Ferrari, winner of 1979 championship, of Lotus, winning in 1978, while the age of Williams was just beginning. Alfa Romeo, although possessing ancient racing victories, was back in racing for less than 2 years. Giacomelli, an Italian driving a fully Italian car, started on the pole maintaining firmly his lead position. He kept the lead and seemed close to an extraordinary win. Suddenly, a minor electrical problem stopped him on the track and the Williams of Jones won the race. One wonders what would have been if Giacmelli had won. Perhaps Alfa Romeo’s racing efforts would not have been discontinued as happened and a second major Italian team would have stayed in Formula 1. Possibly a prestigious F1 win in the US, the major car market in the world, and eventual further successes could have improved the prospects of Alfa Romeo to remain an Italian state property and continue to progress as an independent firm.
The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), presents the Seventh Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing. Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers.
The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.[+] Show More












6th Annual - 2022 Presentations
6th Annual - 2022 Presentations
IMRRC Symposium 2022 - Trevor Lister - Truth is the Daughter of Time
Upon completion of that work, he returned to his foundation automotive design skills and his motorsports hobby. At which point he became an inspector and certifier on other peoples' projects, as well as designing, building and racing his own cars. In semi-retirement, he took up teaching and tutoring pre-apprenticeship students in Mathematics, Science and Automotive Engineering.
In full retirement, he assumed the role of editor of the newsletter of The Classic Motor Racing Club of New Zealand. That is when, searching for newsletter stories, he came across the work of Donald Capps, and their common interest in old Maseratis. The upshot of working together on the histories of these cars became the main point in the presentation to this symposium.
It appears that Maserati in the 1950s identified their competition cars by their engine numbers, not their chassis numbers, and that this process allowed for the individual cars to have carried more than one identity. This has implications for the provenance of these cars.
This episode is sponsored in part by: The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), The Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Argetsinger Family - and was recorded in front of a live studio audience.[+] Show More












All of the production, recording, live-stream, post-production, technology support, editing and podcasting work for the IMRRC Symposium starting in 2022 has been provided by the team at The Motoring Podcast Network (a division of GTM). Proud members of the IMRRC & the SAH and contribute volunteer time and resources to help grow the success of this conference. Please consider supporting their work via Patreon.
Thank YOU for your support!
We would like to thank our sponsors and volunteers for the continued support of the Annual Argetsinger Symposium. If you’d like to contribute to the success of this event, please don’t hesitate to reach out to research@racingarchives.org for more information.