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
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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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