The Logbook

On Friday, September 6, the 31st Annual Watkins Glen Grand Prix Festival was held in the village. The daylong event honored the years 1948-1952, when cars raced down Franklin Street and around the State Park on a public road circuit of 6.6 miles in length.

The Gordon Bennett Cup, held for cars between 1900 and 1905 was the first international racing series. Stemming from an idea by American newspaper magnate, James Gordon Bennett Jr., the Gordon Bennett Cup was set to champion the international auto industry – by allowing national automobile clubs representing France, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, the United States and Italy to nominate three entries each.

Rob Dyson, who started his racing career in 1974 at Watkins Glen International, In 1981 he won the Sports Car Club of America’s GT2 national championship, and began racing professionally in IMSA GTO and the SCCA Trans-Am in 1982.

Karl Mertins presents a “what if” story: what if Robert Eberan von Eberhorst in 1953 would have joined the newly formed Unione Automobili instead of an Auto Union that was only a shadow of its former self?

Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, was honored at a gala dinner on Thursday with the 10th annual International Motor Racing Research Center’s Cameron R. Argetsinger Award for outstanding contributions to motorsports.

The case of Pete Kreis, offers an opportunity to examine a case which resulted in two purposeful deaths at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Automotive Restoration Technology program at McPherson College was established in 1976, and since its inception the curriculum has included the study of the technical and social history of the automobile.

The auction ends on the evening of September 12th at 6:30PM, coinciding with the IMRRC Cameron R. Argetsinger Award gala honoring Zak Brown, where items will be on display.

Summer is a busy time here at the IMRRC, with larger groups as well as families and individuals discovering our archive as a destination.

Hidden within the volumes of paper documentation at the IMRRC you occasionally stumble upon “finds” of another nature.  This can turn serious research into fun and games.