Watkins Glen, N.Y. (August 20, 2026) — Motorsports history is hitting the digital track as the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) expands public access to its extensive archival collections with the launch of CONTENTdm as its official digital collections platform.
Developed by the nonprofit organization OCLC, best known for WorldCat, CONTENTdm gives the IMRRC a powerful new way to preserve, showcase and share its growing collection of digitized motorsports materials with enthusiasts, historians and researchers around the world.
The IMRRC Digital Collection currently features nearly 900 archival materials dating from 1936 to 1991, offering a fascinating look at the people, places and events that shaped motorsports history. The collection includes films, scrapbooks and photographs, with searchable records that allow visitors to explore materials by keywords, drivers, racetracks, dates and more.
The IMRRC’s ongoing digitization program combines work completed in-house with projects conducted by outside vendors specializing in the preservation and digitization of unique materials, including fragile scrapbooks and historic film.
As the official repository for the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) archives, the IMRRC is also working to digitize additional SCCA photographs and make them available through the Digital Collection.
Among the projects currently underway are the digitization of Watkins Glen Grand Prix programs from 1948–1952, along with films documenting races and racetracks from across the motorsports world. New materials will be added to the Digital Collection on a rolling basis as digitization projects are completed.
Building on what Formula One World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart once said, “What has been created at Watkins Glen, a center for archives and real research, is truly unique and a tremendous asset to the whole racing community”, the IMRRC’s digitization initiative takes that vision one step further, bringing the Center’s unparalleled collection to an even wider audience.
“Digitization allows us to bring the stories preserved in our archives to an audience far beyond the walls of the Research Center,” said Margaret Lawrence, Executive Director. “It opens new doors for researchers and gives motorsports enthusiasts everywhere an opportunity to discover the people, places and moments that made racing history.”
Whether researching a legendary driver, revisiting a historic race, tracing the evolution of a favorite track or simply exploring the rich history of motorsports, visitors are invited to discover the collection at https://cdm17557.contentdm.oclc.org/.
The IMRRC also encourages motorsports enthusiasts to follow the Center on social media for announcements about newly digitized materials, featured collections and other discoveries from the archives.
About The IMRRC: Established in 1998, The International Motor Racing Research Center is a nonprofit 501 © (3) organization dedicated to preserving, collecting, and sharing history of global motorsports through our extensive collection of artifacts, films, memorabilia, and archival materials.
Connect with the IMRRC: To keep up to date on the latest IMRRC Center news visit racingarchives.org or connect on Facebook and Instagram (@IMRRC) as well as TikTok (@imrrc48)