We thank all who participated in this year’s sweepstakes, our most successful to date!
The International Motor Racing Research Center and the Society of Automotive Historians present the Eighth Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History on Friday and Saturday, November 1 & 2, 2024, in the Media Center of the world-famous Watkins Glen International racing circuit in Watkins Glen, New York.
The Symposium is a unique gathering geared to independent scholars and historians, enthusiasts and the enthusiast media, motor sport participants and fans, and interested members of the general public. The two-day event is free and will be live streamed for remote viewing, courtesy of Gran Touring Motorsports. Both in-person and remote presentations will be made, which will be available post-event as YouTube recordings.
Presentation Topics:
Presentations on topics relevant to international motor sport history of all eras are welcome, including, but not limited to, the history, evolution, and development of race cars and motor sport technology; motor sport geography, oral history, and historiography; cultural, gender, media, and political histories of motor sport; and archival and museum studies. There are a limited number of presentation time slots available; submittals will be reviewed and selections will be made based on subject matter and perceived suitability for the Symposium.
To Submit a Presentation Abstract for Symposium Consideration:
Independent motor sport scholars and historians, independent researchers, and undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit abstracts, not exceeding 200 words, to the Symposium Administrators by August 2, 2024. Abstracts should summarize the content and thesis of the proposed presentation in a succinct and compelling manner and should include representative graphic images that the presenter intends to use as visual accompaniments to the presentation. The submitters must also indicate in their abstract whether it is their intention to make the presentation in person at Watkins Glen, or remotely by Zoom. Submission review, selection, and notification will be completed the week of August 19, 2024. Presenters selected should then expect to provide, within 30 days, an edited slide show (using PowerPoint software) of the graphics that will accompany their presentations for review and approval, and a final version of same by October 21st. Abstracts can be submitted in either Word or PDF documents. Presentations, including slides, video, film, or other visual techniques, must be limited to 35-40 minutes, including time for questions and answers. Presenters, in person at Watkins Glen or remotely via Zoom, will speak to the attendees at the racing circuit Media Center and simultaneously to the online live streaming viewers. YouTube videos of the presentations will be available post-event in the IMRRC online archives, while academic-focused presentations may be published in the SAH Automotive History Review and/or in the Journal of Motorsport Culture & History
For additional information, please visit the Symposium page of the IMRRC website, or contact Symposium Administrators Duke Argetsinger of the IMRRC, and Robert Barr and Chris Lezotte of the SAH.
Download the Call for Presentations.
This year’s Membership Chairperson is IndyCar driver Alexander Rossi, who made motorsport history in 2016 as the first American to win the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie since 1928.
Alexander began racing go-karts by age 10 and it didn’t take him long to find success behind the wheel. By 14 years old, he had won multiple national and international karting championships. Moving on from karting, Alexander made the jump in 2008 to becoming Formula BMW World Champion, winning the most poles and victories in series history. At 17, Alexander moved to Europe in his pursuit of F1 and, at the time, was the youngest driver to hold an F1 Super License. Six years later, in 2015, he made five F1 Grand Prix starts for Manor Racing.
Alexander moved back to the United States in 2016 to race for Andretti Herta Autosport as a rookie in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. That’s where, in his fifth start, he won the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500, coasting to the finish line without fuel. Alexander made the move to Arrow McLaren from Andretti Autosport, and over his eight seasons in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES he has compiled eight wins, seven poles and 29 podium finishes. He was remarkably consistent in his first season in papaya, with six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes.
Alexander enters his second season in the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, looking to build off his 2023 campaign with the team in which he finished ninth in the championship.
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The Center is constantly adding new materials to our Library and Archives and making them available to researchers.
The following Archival collections have been inventoried and processed recently. The material is available for researchers to use:
The David Crowther Collection
A collection of racing programs, rules/regulations, club directories and rosters, results sheets and communications with competitors dating from 1961-1982. The rules and regulations are primarily from the Canadian Automobile Sport Club, Ontario Region and include General Competition Rules, Solo Events, Rally and Ice Racing Regulations. Most of the race programs and race materials are from the Trophy Races at Harewood Acres, 1968-1970. Crowther competed in several of these Trophy Races and continued racing into the early 1980s.
The Robert Strebler Collection of Race Programs
A collection of race programs dating from 1971-2015. Venues covered include Belle Isle, Detroit; Michigan International Speedway; Road America; and the Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway. Races at the Wisconsin State Fair Speedway are particularly well covered, with several programs dating from the early 1970s from the Tony Bettenhausen 200 Mile National Championship Race and the Rex Mays Classic 150 Mile Championship. This collection was a valuable addition to our race program collection.
The IMRRC’s archived collections represent over twenty-five years of generous donations. Collectively, they document the rich history of racing. Frequently, the contents of a donation are not known until the material arrives. Descriptions of donations may be detailed, but sometimes, as with the description above, there is a lack of specificity. This is why our first priority when a donation arrives is to inventory items prior to archival housing for long-term storage. For us, this can be the most exciting step in processing a collection, uncovering treasures along the way.
The Yochum collection prior to processing. The helmet is a Cromwell helmet, made in England. Yochum’s name is written on the outer rear of the helmet.
The Don Yochum Collection, a compendium of personal racing memorabilia from Don’s racing career in the 50s and 60s, is a perfect example of this process of discovery. Looking at the unprocessed material in its banker box, there were some obvious exciting items: A brilliant blue vintage helmet and a racing suit sat on top. It wasn’t until we began the inventory that we began uncovering the story of Don, Doug, and Del Yochum, or the “3Ds” as they were known. A trio of racing brothers who frequented NY race tracks in the 1950s.
Del, Don, and Doug Yochum, known as the 3Ds, posing with the car #3D.
Among the items underneath the clothing, were the pages of an old adhesive photo album filled with images of Don, Doug and Del’s racing days. As part of the processing, the photos will be removed from the album and placed in protective housing. These items are also candidates to be digitized and made available for researchers online.
In addition to the photographs, the collection includes magazines and newspaper clippings that document Don and his brothers’ careers.
Helmet and racing clothing in temporary housing, ready to be inventoried.
Personal collections like the Don Yochum Collection are particularly valuable to the Center’s mission. Documenting the racing experience of the Yochum Brothers tells us not only about the family’s racing history, but also about racing in New York in the 50s and 60s, and – more generally – the racing careers of the many other racers mentioned in the sources. The IMRRC is honored to be entrusted with the preservation of these important motor racing artifacts.
We were saddened to hear of the passing of long-time IMRRC friend and supporter Tim Meddaugh in February. Tim was an avid racing fan and a 55-year member of the SCCA. Tim served as a flagger and chief steward for most of those years. A celebration of life will be held at a favorite destination of Tim’s, the Seneca Lodge, on April 6th, more details to follow. All are welcome.
Executive Director
Jeremy Porter, Kristie Sojka, and Ken Yohn in the audience of the Symposium.
