This presentation explores the evolving relationship between motorsports and its fans, tracing the journey from the early days of in-person attendance to today’s globally connected, media-rich experience. Beginning with the spectacle of early 20th-century racing events that drew massive crowds, the fan experience expanded dramatically with the first radio broadcast of the 1922 Indianapolis 500 and the televised debut of motorsport at London’s Crystal Palace Circuit in 1937. These early innovations laid the groundwork for a media revolution that would eventually allow fans to follow races live from virtually anywhere in the world. As traditional media matured, racing grew in popularity and commercial viability. In recent years, social media has redefined how fans engage with the sport by introducing real-time updates, behind-the-scenes content, and direct interaction with drivers and teams. While not without controversy, social platforms have injected new energy into motorsports and have proven instrumental in attracting a younger, more diverse audience.

While traditional media persists as a core aspect of fan experience both at the track and beyond it, the continuing developments of the digital age have redefined the fan experience. This presentation examines how technological milestones, public policy, commercial developments, digital growth, and changing societal norms have reshaped fan engagement across the sport’s history and how they might influence the sport going forward.

Bio

Lucas Laager is a Motorsport Management major at Belmont Abbey College. Before attending BAC, Lucas graduated from Roger Williams University where he majored in History. While at RWU he authored his thesis on the development of safety in motor racing with a focus on Formula One and Le Mans, and participated in original research about free and enslaved people of color in the local area, which has been published in the Rhode Island Genealogical Society Journal Rhode Island Roots. Lucas is also a member of the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society.

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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. And has been Edited, Remastered and Produced in partnership with the Motoring Podcast Network.

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Since first presenting at the Argetsinger Symposium, Belmont Abbey College’s Motorsport Management program has expanded its multi-year pedagogical approach to motorsport education. While the curriculum remains rooted in the origins of stock car racing, it now reflects a broader and global perspective—incorporating lessons from the evolution of Formula 1, sports car racing, dirt racing, drag racing, and multiple other disciplines.

This update highlights significant developments, including the launch of the nation’s first Master of Arts in Motorsport Management and the Accelerate Abbey summer program, which introduces high school students to the sport’s diverse historical and professional landscape. We also discuss the expansion of archival resources through a generous donation from historian Donald Capps, a direct outcome of prior Argetsinger Symposium connections.

Attendees will gain insight into how Belmont Abbey’s curriculum uses motorsport history—across continents and categories—as a lens for critical thinking, cultural understanding, and professional development. The session will explore our lessons learned, evolving strategies, and vision for preparing the next generation of motorsport professionals.

Bio

Quinn Beekwilder is an assistant professor and coordinator of the Motorsports management degree at Belmont Abbey College. Having worked for a decade at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he wanted to give back to the Motorsport program at Belmont Abbey that got him there in the first place. He has a unique perspective of being one of the first graduates of the program and is able to address concerns and direct the program for the greater benefit of current students. Motorsports history has always been a passion of Mr. Beekwilder. The approaches he takes to the courses are crafted to focus on the historical development of NASCAR while incorporating experimental activities to support the curriculum. The students refer to Mr. Beekwilder as “the fast van driver.”

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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. And has been Edited, Remastered and Produced in partnership with the Motoring Podcast Network.

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“Studebaker” is seldom the first marque that comes to mind when speaking of sports cars, yet in the early 1950s, the company’s Proving Ground hosted some of the nation’s largest SCCA gatherings. In the early 1960s, Studebaker invaded the Bonneville Salt Flats in a series of “engineering tests” to promote the company’s new high-performance models. This presentation will examine both events in detail; it will profile the attendees, both human and automotive, contemporary press coverage, and the impact of Studebaker performance initiatives on the company’s fortunes.

Bio

Andrew Beckman has been with the Studebaker National Museum since 1999 and currently serves as Archivist. He previously worked at the Sheboygan County Historical Society in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and the Wade House State Historic Site in Greenbush, Wisconsin. Mr. Beckman hails from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and holds a BA in History from the University of Wisconsin- Green Bay. In 2004, he completed the Modern Archives Institute at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C. In 2009, he earned his mid-level certificate in Collections Preservation from the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies in Mount Carroll, Illinois. Mr. Beckman is the author of The Studebaker National Museum: Over a Century on Wheels, and Studebaker’s Last Dance: The Avanti, and is a columnist for the Studebaker Drivers Club magazine, Turning Wheels.
In addition to his duties at the Studebaker Museum, Mr. Beckman is a member and Past President of the Society of Automotive Historians. He also serves as a commentator for The Henry Ford Museum’s Motor Muster and Old Car Fest.

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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. And has been Edited, Remastered and Produced in partnership with the Motoring Podcast Network.

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Mr. Carlson will share updates on efforts at Revs Institute to enhance opportunities to acquire, preserve, and provide access to archives and library resources that document the history and culture of automobiles and motorsports. Highlights will include the new Archives and Research Center and the use of innovative technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to support metadata creation, enhance discovery, and foster more useful research tools.

Bio

Arthur Carlson is the Director of Archives and Research Center Operations at Revs Institute, in Naples, Florida. He is committed to utilizing emerging technologies to enhance access and discovery of archival resources. He recently presented on digital archival repositories at the 2024 International Dickens Symposium in Birmingham, UK.

Slides

Swipe left or right (or use the arrows/dots) to navigate through the presentation slides as you follow along with the episode.

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. And has been Edited, Remastered and Produced in partnership with the Motoring Podcast Network.

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This presentation will discuss some of findings from Ms. Goodman’s recent work on “Rolling 20s, Roaring Art: French Automotive Mascots,” an award-winning exhibition at Revs Institute. In the process of compiling her research into a literature review, Lauren found that these small objects embody some of the big conundrums facing automobile heritage today. Could these little sculptures point us in the right direction?

Lauren hopes her short talk will spark a lively discussion during the Q&A.

Bio

Lauren Goodman is the Associate Curator of Exhibitions at Revs Institute in Naples, Florida. She is passionate about the history of women in motorsport and the preservation of historic cars. She presented at the 2022 Symposium on Lucy O’Reilly Schell; Schell’s team Maserati 8CTF is permanently on display at Revs.

Slides

Swipe left or right (or use the arrows/dots) to navigate through the presentation slides as you follow along with the episode.

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. And has been Edited, Remastered and Produced in partnership with the Motoring Podcast Network.

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In the late 19th century, cities constructed ornate opera houses as civic symbols of their cultural sophistication, and the performance of operas there provided the members—and aspiring members—of the upper crust of society with a venue in which to see and be seen.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries a Formula 1 Grand Prix has come to symbolize the arrival of a country on the international scene along with providing a stage on which the fashionable and famous—and aspiring fashionable and famous—can see and be seen. What can the symbolic transformation of grand opera suggest about the future of motor racing?

Bio

Skip McGoun is the William H. Dunkak Emeritus Professor of Finance at Bucknell University and was a long-term Visiting Professor at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia and at the University of Donja Gorija in Montenegro. He has presented and published on the history and culture of finance as well as automobile history and culture and served as Area Chair of the Vehicle Culture Section of the Popular Culture Association.

Slides

Swipe left or right (or use the arrows/dots) to navigate through the presentation slides as you follow along with the episode.

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. And has been Edited, Remastered and Produced in partnership with the Motoring Podcast Network.

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The postwar era of Grand Prix racing was notable for the high number of Italian racers killed in accidents. Yet little attention has been paid to the role of racing “martyrs.” This presentation will examine how the Italian Fascist regime presented dead drivers as martyrs to several causes.

These causes were (1) the progress of national industry; (2) the triumph of Italian sporting achievements on an international scale, and (3) Fascism’s project of building a new civilization based on speed and daring. As Dr. Baxa will argue, inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche’s dictum to “live dangerously,” the Fascist regime turned tragedies into transcendent moments.

Bio

Paul Baxa is Professor of History at Ave Maria University in Florida. Parts of his most recent book, Motorsport and Fascism: Living Dangerously have been presented at past Argetsinger Symposia. He was privileged to have presented at the first symposium in 2015.

Slides

Swipe left or right (or use the arrows/dots) to navigate through the presentation slides as you follow along with the episode.

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. And has been Edited, Remastered and Produced in partnership with the Motoring Podcast Network.

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The OPEC Oil Embargo had a profound influence on sport, travel, and recreation throughout the U.S. In 1974, many feared racing could be banned for the first time since World War II. Competitors, spectators, fans, and the motorsports industry hoped normalcy would return to American motorsports as the 1975 season began.

Normalcy, however, did not play out in 1975. Both on and off the track, lasting changes in how American motorsports was sanctioned, where events would take place, and how it reached the masses was markedly different in 1979 than when the first green flag waved in January 1975.

The NASCAR Winston West Series was no exception. In 1975, the winningest champion in Series history tacked on a sixth and final title before suddenly semi-retiring to the family farm. Meanwhile, an age-defying lumberman who began racing in 1945 was still getting warmed up.

A 41-year-old journeyman Californian picked up his first championship in 1977—only to win again in 1979. One of the most prolific Canadian stock car drivers of all-time won his first race, and a one-time Series champion made a monumental impact at California’s iconic Riverside International Raceway—in a fraction of a race.

Normalcy? What a time it was!

Dan Simone presenting at the 2025 Argetsinger Symposium, photo courtesy Bob Barr, SAH

Bio

Daniel J. Simone earned his Ph.D. in American History from the University of Florida in 2009. From 2010-2015, Dr. Simone taught World History and Environmental History at Monmouth University. Curator of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, and held that position through 2021. The following year, he was tabbed to assist the New York Historical Society Museum & Library, where he co-processed the Women’s Sports Foundation Collection and developed content for digital exhibition. Dr. Simone is on the editorial board of the Journal of Motorsport Culture & History and serves on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Voting Committee.

Slides

Swipe left or right (or use the arrows/dots) to navigate through the presentation slides as you follow along with the episode.

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. And has been Edited, Remastered and Produced in partnership with the Motoring Podcast Network.

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The Eastern Museum of Motor Racing (EMMR) not only serves as a steward of motorsports history but also as an example of how institutional memory preserves and shapes community heritage. This presentation explores the unique story of the Latimore Valley Fairgrounds in Adams County, Pennsylvania, which first gained prominence in the 1920s and 1930s as a local fairground and operational dirt speedway.

Drawing on archival records, oral histories, and community recollections, the presentation will trace the fairgrounds’ early role in regional motorsports and its subsequent decline. The narrative then shifts to the 1980s, when members of EMMR revived the dormant track, reimagining it as one of the nation’s first dedicated vintage race car exhibition tracks. This groundbreaking effort not only safeguarded the physical site but also transformed Latimore Valley into a dynamic venue where history is experienced through live demonstrations.
This presentation examines the importance of institutional memory—how a museum’s collective knowledge, rooted in personal experience and preserved documentation, guides decisions about preservation, programming, and community engagement. It explores how EMMR has leveraged institutional memory to connect multiple generations of motorsports enthusiasts and create continuity between past and present.

Bio

Alison Kreitzer is Director of Collections at the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing in York Springs, Pennsylvania. She earned her Ph.D.
in the History of American Civilization from the University of Delaware in 2017.

Slides

Swipe left or right (or use the arrows/dots) to navigate through the presentation slides as you follow along with the episode.

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. And has been Edited, Remastered and Produced in partnership with the Motoring Podcast Network.

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Mark Raffauf’s career in motorsports embodies the ideal combination of a successful motorsports professional who has embraced the writing of history. Mark is both a fine historian and has been a key player in the success of the IMSA series from its inception to the current day.

His early career coincided with the extraordinary accomplishments of John Bishop, founder of IMSA, former President of SCCA and one of the key founders of the IMRRC in Watkins Glen. Mark’s keynote address, laced with engaging anecdotal tales and an accurate, factual description of the series, covers his own colorful career in motorsports and the emergence and remarkable success story of IMSA racing over the course of more than forty years.

Bio

Mark Raffauf, currently IMSA’s Senior Director of Competition, has held IMSA positions through many iterations of IMSA and Grand-Am, including being the second president, in overall management, technical and car regulation development, as well as event, circuit, starting, and racing operations. He is the author, with Mitch Bishop, of IMSA 1969-1989: The Inside Story of How John Bishop Built the World’s Greatest Sports Car Racing Series and IMSA 1990-1999: The Turbulent Years of American Sports Car Racing.