Formula One raced at Watkins Glen for 20 years, 1961-1980. This was a still early time in post-war F1, when nearly everything was smaller scale, sponsorship was just beginning, a DIY ethos ruled the paddock and US media attention was limited. Yet these 20 years mark a crucial midway point between the Glen’s original road racing and the modern, corporatized F1 that has now developed into a global media spectacle. To mark 75 years of Watkins Glen motorsports, this presentation offers a sketch of this distinctive time and place, with emphasis on the local community engagement that made those glorious 20 years of F1 possible.

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.

Bio

Dr. James Miller has a longtime interest in media technology, and this led him to the historical study of the automobile as an under-appreciated site of media consumption. From there, the highly digitalized modern race car presented itself as a possible precursor of future mobility. This was also an excuse to intellectualize the pleasure of motorsports, which has resulted in a connection with the IMRRC and membership in the International Motor Press Association. Miller is professor emeritus of communications at Hampshire College, a former member of the graduate faculty at UMass Amherst and a member of the Porsche Club of America.