This presentation explores the sociocultural significance of 1965: one year when new technologies emerged, ambitious plans took shape, and history was made across multiple fronts in motorsports and space exploration.
The discussion highlights groundbreaking motor racing events as well as significant space explorations of 1965. It also acknowledges the innovators who reshaped international motorsports sixty years ago – individuals and achievements that stand as defining forces in a pivotal year for motor racing history.
Dr. Howell proposes that the past six decades of motorsports and crewed space exploration were directly shaped by the innovations, inventions, and intentions of 1965. It was a year that showcased the exceptional talents of Fred Lorenzen, Frank Borman, Jim Clark, Ed White, Dan Gurney, Jim Lovell, and others, all while establishing a benchmark for the technological and competitive advances that followed. What was accomplished during 1965 continues to influence the areas of both motor racing and space exploration to this day.
Bio
Dr. Mark D. Howell has been involved with motorsports his entire life (thus far). He earned a BA in English in 1987 and an MA in American Studies in 1990 from Penn State, then earned a Ph.D. in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University in 1995. His dissertation evolved into From Moonshine to Madison Avenue: A Cultural History of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, published in 1997. In 2014, Howell co-edited (with Dr. John Miller of Longwood University) Motorsports and American Culture: From Demolition Derbies to NASCAR.
Howell’s full-time job since August of 1997 has been as a Professor of Communications at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City. He spent two years before NMC as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of American Thought and Language at Michigan State University. Mark has also taught advanced courses for Tiffin University, Oakland University, Ferris State University, and Davenport University. Dr. Howell is on the Board of Directors of the Society of Automotive Historians, and is editor of the SAH’s Automotive History Review.
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.
Other episodes you might enjoy
Joe will discuss the evolution of the IMRRC since its founding in 1998 and its mission to collect, share, and preserve the history of motorsports. The presentation will focus on the Center’s current digitization efforts and what to expect in 2026 and beyond. Particular emphasis will be placed on the varied photograph, scrapbook, and film collections at the IMRRC.
Bio
Joe Schill began his professional career as a high school social studies teacher before going back to school to get a library science degree. His first job as an archivist was at the Rakow Research Library at Corning Museum of Glass (2019-2024). He is passionate about history in general and is always happy to discuss the fascinating history of Upstate New York. Joe has been head archivist at the IMRRC since September 2024.
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.
Other episodes you might enjoy
People refer to “the Watkins Glen effect,” which seems to have two distinct meanings. As Cameron Argetsinger expressed in 2007, “racing remains an economic engine not only for Watkins Glen, but for the entire upstate New York region.” This Watkins Glen “effect” was to establish racing as economically successful sports tourism with the potential to be emulated elsewhere.
Jim Miller presenting at the 2025 Argetsinger Symposium, photo courtesy Bob Barr, SAH
The other meaning may be more interesting to motorsport historians: As the originator of post- war road racing in the US, did Watkins Glen directly influence the founding and operation of other pioneering tracks like Bridgehampton, Lime Rock and Elkhart Lake? This study explores the earliest years of each track to determine whether Watkins Glen can be credited for their remarkably similar development.
Bio
James Miller is professor emeritus of communications at Hampshire College and a former member of the graduate faculty at UMass Amherst. A senior researcher at the IMRRC, he is a member of the International Motor Press 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.
Other episodes you might enjoy
For the past half-century, the FIA has been the principal driver behind efforts to make racing safer. It wasn’t always so. Although the SCCA required seat belts in 1957, the FIA didn’t follow suit until 1972. From the dawn of road racing, conventional wisdom held that drivers should jump out of the cockpit when a crash was imminent – a technique perfected by Masten Gregory. This myth was conclusively exploded by a largely forgotten British physician by the name of Michael Henderson, who conducted crash investigations for the RAF. In 1968, Henderson – who moonlighted as a club racer and freelance journalist – wrote Motor Racing in Safety, the foundation text on the subject. At the same time, he fitted his own race cars with four-point harnesses augmented with an anti-submarine strap inspired by parachute design. This put him in touch with the redoubtable Terence “Dumbo” Willans, a record-setting parachutist who tested ejection seats for the RAF. Willans later went into business with another club racer, John Fenning. By 1969, six-point Willans harnesses were found in almost every car on the F1 grid. The battle for seat belts had been won almost before it started.
Bio
Preston Lerner is a freelance writer who has covered racing (and many other subjects) for the past four decades. For many years he was a regular
contributor to Automobile Magazine and Road & Track. Mr. Lerner is also the author or co-author of six books, most recently Shelby American: The Renegades Who Built the Cars, Won the Races, and Lived the Legend. The material used in “Television Turns Its Gaze on Motorsports” is drawn from his upcoming book, The Deadliest Decade, which will examine the safety, commercial, and technological developments that transformed racing from 1964-1973.
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.
Other episodes you might enjoy
On EWAL, we have an opportunity to bring a piece of Le Mans to you, sharing in the Legend of Le Mans with guests from different eras of over 100 years of racing. We’re delighted to introduce 91-year-old William S. Jackson, one of the co-founders of the Society of Automotive Historians, who isn’t just a veteran of motorsports. From being drafted during the Cold War to racing alongside legends like Carroll Shelby and Sterling Moss, Bill’s journey to Le Mans is a tale of grit, ingenuity, and unexpected grace. On this special Veteran’s Day episode, we’re taking you back to 1958 to a time when racing was raw, personal, and deeply intertwined with the world’s shifting tides. You’ll hear how a flunked college career turned into a military path that led him to Germany, where a chance friendship with a former Luftwaffe pilot changed his view of war, peace and humanity. And you’ll ride shotgun as Bill recounts his time behind the wheel of a 1935 BMW 315 restored with reverence and raced with heart on the hallowed grounds of Le Mans.
Bio
Like most of us, William S. Jackson, became involved with automobiles at an early age. During the early 1950’s, he was a member Penn State University’s hot rod club, and in the mid-50’s he was racing in SCCA events with a Jaguar 120-M and some Morgans. After his military service, he completed his degree at Penn State and began a lifelong career in journalism. His editorship of major vintage car clubs magazines during the 1960’s and 70’s gives Bill credit as one the founders who launched the then-fledgling “old car hobby” turning it into the vibrant community and economic powerhouse that it is today.
Bill is a charter member of the Society of Automotive Historians, founded in October of 1969. And during the Annual SAH Awards Banquet in 2023 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Bill presented his Auto-Biography to the banquet audience, including his recollections of the early days of the SAH; and the following recording was made by Bill, from that same script, in 2024.
Slides
Swipe left or right (or use the arrows/dots) to navigate through the presentation slides as you follow along with the episode.
REGISTER TO BE PART OF THE NEXT EWAL EVENT!
To learn more about or to become a member of the ACO USA, look no further than www.lemans.org, Click on English in the upper right corner and then click on the ACO members tab for Club Offers. Once you become a Member you can follow all the action on the Facebook group ACOUSAMembersClub; and become part of the Legend with future Evening With A Legend meet ups.
Other episodes you might enjoy
When James Miller attended F1 races at the Glen during the 1970s, it was for fun. Now they have become the focus of social and historical analysis. In fact, the 20 years of Formula One here (1961-1980) are a worthy subject: they afford a case study of the transitional racing era between the near amateurism of the 1950s and the increasingly commercial, globalizing periods that followed. Most especially, F1 at Watkins Glen is anomalous. How to explain a Finger Lakes village hosting the mostly European “pinnacle of motorsport” – and be remembered by Jackie Stewart as “the most nostalgic US Grand Prix that Formula One ever had?” One answer is the unusual collaboration between patrician enthusiasts, community leaders and the volunteer spirit of a small town, an effort that began in 1948 with the first race through local streets and roads.
Bio
James Miller is professor emeritus of communications at Hampshire College and a former member of the graduate faculty at UMass Amherst. A senior researcher at the IMRRC, he is a member of the International Motor Press 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.
Other episodes you might enjoy
Like most of us, William S. Jackson, became involved with automobiles at an early age. During the early 1950’s, he was a member Penn State University’s hot rod club, and in the mid-50’s he was racing in SCCA events with a Jaguar 120-M and some Morgans. After his military service, he completed his degree at Penn State and began a lifelong career in journalism. His editorship of major vintage car clubs magazines during the 1960’s and 70’s gives Bill credit as one the founders who launched the then-fledgling “old car hobby” turning it into the vibrant community and economic powerhouse that it is today. BECOME A MEMBER OF THE SAH.
Bill is a charter member of the Society of Automotive Historians, founded in October of 1969. And during the Annual SAH Awards Banquet in 2023 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Bill presented his Auto-Biography to the banquet audience, including his recollections of the early days of the SAH; and the following recording was made by Bill, from that same script, in 2024
This episode is sponsored in part by: The Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), And has been Edited, Remastered and Produced in partnership with the Motoring Podcast Network. JOIN THE SAH TODAY!
Other episodes you might enjoy
World War II in Europe left both victorious and vanquished countries devastated; yet within weeks of the end of hostilities on September 9, 1945, an automobile race was held in Paris’ Bois de Boulogne. This presentation addresses the questions: where did the financial and material resources for an active post-war racing program come from, and perhaps even more importantly, why were they expended in what many might regard as a non-essential- or perhaps even frivolous – activity?
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.
Other episodes you might enjoy
The new 2.5-liter F1 of 1954 raised the bar for engineering excellence and cost of entry to the pinnacle of motor racing. With Mercedes-Benz leaving the shadows of WWII and becoming an accepted participant in motor racing again, the Grand Prix community had to anticipate a full-out effort of a new generation of Silver Arrows. Indeed, new standards were set with a series of W196 variants born out of vast corporate resources, supported by component suppliers like Continental, Bosch, and Esso.
In this story, the imaginary Italian “Unione Automobili,” previously formed of national legacy manufacturers other than Fiat, takes on the role of the Auto Union AG of the 1930s as an antagonist of Mercedes-Benz and promoter of the mid-engine layout. A probabilistic SWAT analysis reveals what it will take to beat the mighty opponent from Stuttgart. This is the start for a motley crew of Austrian and Italian engineers lead by Robert Eberan-Eberhorst to create a victorious challenger. The prescribed engine configuration is a compact V6 in homage to the Lancia brand. Breaking with Italian traditions, emphasis is put on chassis development where innovations in tires, brakes, and aerodynamics will provide decisive competitive advantages.
Bio
Dr. Karl-Heinz Mertins (“K-H”) holds degrees in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in mechatronics/ag engineering from the Technical University Berlin, Germany. In more than 35 years of engineering and business experience in Europe and the US, he focused on product innovation and new business incubation, applying cross-disciplinary methods with cross-cultural considerations. His work included experimental work on intelligent mobile equipment and wind energy systems in multinational corporations and start-ups. His enthusiasm for F1 goes back to the 1961 season.
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.
Other episodes you might enjoy
Nazi Germany turned the automobile’s high speed into a propaganda tool for its technical and industrial supremacy. With its domestic motor industry having fallen behind the US and France, the political establishment pushed for dominance in Grand Prix racing, launched an automobile for the masses, and developed a wide network of motorways. Connecting racing cars, high speed, and the motorways was the Rekordwoche, an annual event launched in 1936 to conquer the highest speeds on a motorway.
The last edition in 1939 was a relatively low-key event, shadowed by the prior year’s sensational Mercedes-Benz speed record and Bernd Rosemeyer’s death. Nevertheless, the propaganda machine aptly broadcast the speeds reached on an arrow-straight, level and wide 10 km motorway stretch north of Leipzig, purpose-built for the Rekordwochen and the conquest of the World Land Speed Record by a German driver on a German car on German soil.
Bio
Aldo Zana is an Italian motor historian and journalist. He started writing articles for motor magazines in the mid-sixties as a freelance editor of Autosprint and Rombo weeklies, developing an inclination towards history and historic cars and races. Since the late Eighties, he has become a regular contributor to Italian and foreign historic car magazines; his recent automotive books include a history of the Sports-Prototype FIA World Championship; the lives and races of Italian drivers; the motor racing scenario of the Fifties; and the story of the forgotten Milano car shows 1901-1947. Zana is a long-time member of SAH and Aisa (Italian Association of Motor Historians), former member of the History and Museum Commission of ASI (Italian National Historic Car and Bike Association) and Ugis, the Italian guild of science journalists.
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.
Other episodes you might enjoy