Virtual Symposium

Motorsport Through Time: A Virtual Celebration of Racing History

The growing interest in the Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motorsports History has created a need for two separate events. The traditional in-person symposium has been moved to a new venue – the Harbor Hotel on Seneca Lake – and has a limited number of presentation slots, all of which are currently filled. Thus to expand the opportunities for participation, the International Motor Racing Research Center and the Society of Automotive Historians are pleased to announce a Virtual Symposium on International Motor Racing History, providing an on-line platform for presentations on all aspects of motor racing history. Authors, academic motorsport scholars, enthusiast historians, and students are invited to share their areas of historical interest with the motorsport community. This initiative is designed to provide a broad reach for those who wish to share and preserve the history of motorsports.

Pre-recording provides maximum flexibility for presenters:

• Any motorsport topic, from general interest to the narrowest of niches, is invited.
• Presentations can be made for up to 60 minutes.
• Students to seasoned researchers are encouraged to submit presentation proposals.

Gran Touring Motorsports will post the pre-recorded Virtual Symposium presentations on YouTube for viewing, and will be available below (on this page) for year-round viewing.

Potential presenters are invited to submit proposal abstracts, not exceeding 200 words, by completing and submitting the ABSTRACT SUBMITTAL FORM below, any time after June 1, 2025.

• Abstracts should summarize the content and thesis of the proposed presentation in a succinct and compelling manner and should include representative graphic images that will be used as visual accompaniments to the presentation. An estimate of elapsed time for the presentation should be included.
• Abstracts are to be submitted using the accompanying form (below).
• Submission of an abstract does not guarantee selection for the Argetsinger Virtual Symposium.
• If selected, the presenter then provides a PowerPoint slideshow of their presentation, for review and final approval. PowerPoint compilation assistance can be made available.
• Upon acceptance you will be asked to select a date to record your presentation with a moderator from either the SAH or the IMRRC. And additional “next steps” will be provided.
• Proper credit and/or permission for each image used in a presentation is required.
• Each approved presentation will be recorded via Zoom by the presenter and a Symposium administrator, converted to a YouTube video, and posted to a stand-alone section of the IMRRC website for public viewing.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that by registering for this event, you consent to have your presentation and its content distributed in the public domain, ie: YouTube, Podcasts, etc. Additionally, pre-recorded presentations may be eligible for print publication in the SAH Automotive History Review or the SAH Journal, and/or in the Journal of Motorsport Culture & History.

For additional information, please contact Symposium Administrators Duke Argetsinger of the IMRRC and Robert Barr of the SAH.

Previous Presentations

Click on the YEAR tabs below, then select and click on any thumbnail to begin playing the individual video presentations from each speaker.

8th Annual - 2024 Live-Stream Presentations

From Powder Puff to W Series: The Evolution of Women-Only Racing

Throughout its storied history, motorsports has been unwelcoming
to women. Consequently, it has been necessary for female racers to develop unique strategies to enter what has long existed as an exclusive ...masculine enclave. While entry can be facilitated through a familial relationship with a male driver, women without such connections often get their start through participation in women-only racing events. Although these races have provided women with the opportunity to enter the track, they have not been without controversy. Detractors argue that women will not be considered legitimate racers unless they compete on the same track as men. Proponents view women-only racing not only as a way to attract more women into the sport, but also as an important source of skill development, support, and community building.

This paper investigates the evolution of women-only racing, from its early introduction as a media stunt, to its current incarnation as a proving ground for serious female open-wheel racers. Informed by archival resources and motorsport scholarship, it considers how women-only racing complicates, facilitates, and liberates women’s entry, participation, and recognition in the masculine world of motorsports.

This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.netShow More

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Throughout its storied history, motorsports has been unwelcoming
to women. Consequently, it has been necessary for female racers to develop unique strategies to enter what has long existed as an exclusive ...masculine enclave. While entry can be facilitated through a familial relationship with a male driver, women without such connections often get their start through participation in women-only racing events. Although these races have provided women with the opportunity to enter the track, they have not been without controversy. Detractors argue that women will not be considered legitimate racers unless they compete on the same track as men. Proponents view women-only racing not only as a way to attract more women into the sport, but also as an important source of skill development, support, and community building.

This paper investigates the evolution of women-only racing, from its early introduction as a media stunt, to its current incarnation as a proving ground for serious female open-wheel racers. Informed by archival resources and motorsport scholarship, it considers how women-only racing complicates, facilitates, and liberates women’s entry, participation, and recognition in the masculine world of motorsports.

This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.netShow More

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John Yasenko’s purchase of the remains of the 1935 Harris FWD Speedster decades ago led him into conducting 36 years of research into the car and its creator, Benjamin F. ...Harris. John’s objective has been to document how Harris was a key figure in postwar racetrack design and development, and in transforming the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) into a national organization.

Yasenko is a lifelong car enthusiast, business owner, restorer and historian, automotive show host, and all-around jack of all trades.Show More

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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.

This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.netShow More

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E-Motorsports is less than two decades old. However, the roots of electric vehicle design date to the birth of the automobile when nearly 38% of vehicles in 1900 were electric. ...Electrics are now competing in many traditional racing events including the historic Pikes Peak Hill Climb and the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The focus of this presentation is to provide a brief overview of E-motorsports with a look at Formula-E (conceived in 2012 and sanctioned by the FIA during the 2020-21 season) and Extreme-E (conceived as a project in 2018 led by Formula E founder Alejandro Agag and former driver Gil de Ferran; it was launched in January 2019).

Highlights of recent developments and related projects will also be included, particularly those with electrification and clean energy connections

This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.netShow More

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Roberts and her husband received a collection from a Canadian race driver’s estate. David Crowther, the driver, competed from the 1960s through the late 1980s in various events, including autocross, ...rallying, and ice racing,
participating almost every weekend from January to October. The collection comprises extensive race results, news clippings, programs, and even race banquet menus, offering a remarkable glimpse into the life of an everyman driver.

Roberts’ presentation discusses how the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) supports both researchers and race enthusiasts while preserving the legacies of drivers like Crowther. Visual accompaniments will include Crowther's race helmet, photographs of him in action, and his rallying clipboard. Through these artifacts, Roberts will highlight the IMRRC's role in keeping motorsports history alive and accessible.

This presentation will not only celebrate Crowther's extensive racing career but also emphasize the importance of archival research centers in maintaining motorsport and driver heritage.

This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.netShow More

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While “Studebaker” is rarely the first name one thinks of when discussing motorsports, the company had a strong yet brief presence at the Indianapolis 500 in the early 1930s. Studebaker ...laid the groundwork with the introduction of the President’s inline eight-cylinder engine in early 1928. The advent of the Indianapolis 500’s 1930 rule changes opened the door for production-
based entries, and the President’s rugged eight powered a pair of private entries. These Studebaker-engined specials showed promise and led to the development of Studebaker’s corporate team.

This program will detail the origins and evolution of Studebaker-powered racers beginning in 1930 with a special emphasis on the company’s factory-backed campaigns in 1932 and 1933. Additional focus will also be placed on the technical development of the Studebaker racers as well as the post-Studebaker disposition of the team cars and their present-day status.
Sources include Studebaker’s corporate archives and image collection at the Studebaker National Museum plus period publications and race accounts. Additional data is drawn from secondary sources profiling the Studebaker team plus owner research compiled during their stewardship of the cars.Show More

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***Forged in Print: John Bond, Road & Track, and the Formation of “Car Guy” Culture. Luke Chennel

John Bond (1912-1989) and his wife Elaine bought the faltering magazine Road & Track ...in 1949. Over the course of his ownership and editorship, Bond built the magazine into a major cultural force. This presentation examines the dimensions that Bond engaged with his editorial viewpoint from a wholistic cultural lens. Bond built a durable version of car culture, the practices and values of which remain in many forms today, though under challenge from old and new trends in the automotive industry.
Bond’s version of car enthusiasm stemmed directly from two sources: his education at the General Motors Institute and his enthusiasm for European racing. Road & Track’s coverage of the foreign motorsports scene for some time was the only widely available source material for an American audience.

This presentation argues that Bond’s two decade editorship (1951-1972) of Road & Track created the foundational dimensions of traditional “car guy” culture, with its familiar and clubby atmosphere familiar to those “in the know,” but also acted in an exclusionary way to women, casual automobile and racing enthusiasts, and those who might have appreciated automobiles from other dimensions than their mechanical design or performance on certain tests.

Finally, the presentation examines Bond’s version of car culture in a contemporary light, considering the roles of the changing nature of racing and its relationship to road vehicles, the renaissance in electric vehicles, and debates about mobility in the contemporary climate.

***An Anthropological Perspective: John Bond, Road & Track, and the Formalization and Transmission of Car Culture. Ken Yohn

This presentation will explore car culture from an anthropological perspective, as a complex whole combining both behavior and the material objects integral to the behavior. This formulation of culture thus includes material artifacts, rituals, customs, language, beliefs, institutions, and techniques, among other elements. This presentation will address two main questions. As presented in Road & Track, what are the essential elements (behavior and artifacts) of car culture? Second, can we learn anything, or draw non-obvious conclusions about car culture by adopting this type of anthropological perspective?

***Woman’s Place (in Car Culture): John Bond, Road & Track, and the Evolution of Gender Representation. Kristie Sjoka

This presentation will explore the progression of gender representation within the time that John Bond owned and edited Road & Track magazine. It will examine all aspects of the publication between the years of 1951-1972, including cover art, article content, photographs, and advertising. The presentation will compare and contrast the first ten years of Bond’s editorship with the last ten years to identify any potential changes in female representation. With the historical perspective of developing gender politics of the time period, the presentation will consider whether these societal shifts had any impact on women’s representation within the pages of the publication.

This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.netShow More

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This presentation, part of an ongoing, larger body of research, explores the long, complicated, and often controversial relationship between NASCAR (the National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing) and the ...American political system. From NASCAR founder “Big Bill” France’s campaign support of then-presidential candidate George Wallace, to former NASCAR Grand National driver Tighe Scott’s arrest for allegedly attacking police officers during the Capitol Riot on January 6th, 2021, the road to Washington, D.C. has often taken a detour (usually a hard right) through Daytona Beach.

Part of this paper looks at NASCAR’s connection to various political candidates, both during campaigns and after votes have been counted (and certified). Another section of this presentation examines the use of race cars as campaign promotional “vehicles” over the years.

This paper explores the very public and very strategic alliance between political candidates and NASCAR Nation. From Jimmy Carter welcoming Grand National drivers to The White House to Ronald Reagan sharing Kentucky Fried Chicken with Richard Petty, the relationship between stock car racing and politics presents itself as a calculated combination of regional identity and popular culture-driven stereotypes.

This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.netShow More

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While men have taken the lion’s share of media attention across motorsport, there have been women who would gain substantial coverages. From Brittany Force to Hailie Deegan, women in motorsport ...have hit sport headlines on various networks and modalities. While coverage of women in motorsport may be more positive, in terms of quantity and perception (driver talent versus overt sexism, etc.), has academia had any sort of focus on women in motorsport?

The purpose of the current literature review is to summarize the current academic literature across two repositories (EBSCO Host & Google Scholar) to gain a broader understanding of this academic realm of inquiry. Various search term including Women in Racing and variants were included in the search. Initial results suggest that women in motorsport are often a part of academic research, but are less so the main focus. Using the PRISMA methodology, articles were selected from relevant criteria and reduced from a larger sample. Methods and themes from articles will be discussed.

This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.netShow More

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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?

This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.netShow More

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FULL LENGTH RECORDINGS: DAY 1, DAY 2

7th Annual - 2023 Presentations

Ricordando Giacomelli e l'Alfa Romeo che hanno quasi vinto l'ultimo GP degli SU a Watkins Glen

Remembering Giacomelli and Alfa Romeo Almost Winning the Last United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen

October 5, 1980, was a very important day at Watkins Glen International circuit. Historical ...research, including about motor racing, cannot be done with hypotheses or with “what ifs” but only with facts. However, it can indeed be conceived that the facts of that day affected many future things. This was going to be the last F1 GP at Watkins Glen. The starting grid had an unexpected pole sitter: the Alfa Romeo of Giacomelli. Those were the years of Ferrari, winner of 1979 championship, of Lotus, winning in 1978, while the age of Williams was just beginning. Alfa Romeo, although possessing ancient racing victories, was back in racing for less than 2 years. Giacomelli, an Italian driving a fully Italian car, started on the pole maintaining firmly his lead position. He kept the lead and seemed close to an extraordinary win. Suddenly, a minor electrical problem stopped him on the track and the Williams of Jones won the race. One wonders what would have been if Giacmelli had won. Perhaps Alfa Romeo’s racing efforts would not have been discontinued as happened and a second major Italian team would have stayed in Formula 1. Possibly a prestigious F1 win in the US, the major car market in the world, and eventual further successes could have improved the prospects of Alfa Romeo to remain an Italian state property and continue to progress as an independent firm.

The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), presents the Seventh Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing. Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.Show More

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Remembering Giacomelli and Alfa Romeo Almost Winning the Last United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen

October 5, 1980, was a very important day at Watkins Glen International circuit. Historical ...research, including about motor racing, cannot be done with hypotheses or with “what ifs” but only with facts. However, it can indeed be conceived that the facts of that day affected many future things. This was going to be the last F1 GP at Watkins Glen. The starting grid had an unexpected pole sitter: the Alfa Romeo of Giacomelli. Those were the years of Ferrari, winner of 1979 championship, of Lotus, winning in 1978, while the age of Williams was just beginning. Alfa Romeo, although possessing ancient racing victories, was back in racing for less than 2 years. Giacomelli, an Italian driving a fully Italian car, started on the pole maintaining firmly his lead position. He kept the lead and seemed close to an extraordinary win. Suddenly, a minor electrical problem stopped him on the track and the Williams of Jones won the race. One wonders what would have been if Giacmelli had won. Perhaps Alfa Romeo’s racing efforts would not have been discontinued as happened and a second major Italian team would have stayed in Formula 1. Possibly a prestigious F1 win in the US, the major car market in the world, and eventual further successes could have improved the prospects of Alfa Romeo to remain an Italian state property and continue to progress as an independent firm.

The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), presents the Seventh Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing. Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.Show More

Now Playing

The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), presents the Seventh Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium ...established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing. Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.Show More

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A long-time fan of open-wheel racing, William T. Walker Jr. was introduced to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 by the broadcasts of Sid Collins. He grew fascinated ...by the careers of his cousins Pete Kreis and Rex Mays, both Indy drivers. He earned his BA and MA from the University of Virginia. After teaching at Lamar University and the University of New Orleans, he served as associate vice president at Virginia Tech, Gettysburg College, and William & Mary.

Since retiring, Walker has returned to an enduring love — researching and writing narrative history books. His first book was Betrayal at Little Gibraltar, a study of a World War I battle published by Scribner in 2016, followed by The Last Lap, the story of the fast lap and strange death of Pete Kreis. He lives in Staunton, VA.

The possibility of drivers dying by suicide on the track has long been acknowledged, sometimes alleged, but seldom proven. It remains a forbidden topic, because drivers are unwilling to admit any weakness, much less depression. The case of Pete Kreis, however, offers an opportunity to examine a case which resulted in two purposeful deaths at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Pete raced at Indy from 1925 to 1934, when he and his riding mechanic died in Turn One. A “coroners’ jury” of Indy drivers, track officials, and other experts could not identify any obvious cause for the accident, calling it “the strangest death in all racing history.” After 50 years of research, Walker reached the conclusion that Pete took his own life. The results of his investigation were published in The Last Lap: The Mysterious Demise of Pete Kreis in the Indianapolis 500 (Octane Press, 2023).

The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), presents the Seventh Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing. Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.Show More

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Elton G. “Skip” McGoun is an Emeritus Professor of Finance at Bucknell University and a former visiting professor at the University of Donja Gorija in Montenegro. He has presented and ...published on both finance history and culture and automobile history and culture and served as area chair of the Vehicle Culture Section of the Popular Culture Association.

McGoun examines Formula One on-track and on-vehicle sponsorships through the post-WWII period to show the evolution of the cultural appeal of the series.

The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), presents the Seventh Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing. Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.Show More

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Dr. Karl-Heinz Mertins holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and a doctorate degree in mechatronics/ag engineering from the Technical University Berlin, Germany. He has over 35 years of engineering ...and business experience in Europe and the United States, with focus on product innovation and new business incubation, using cross-disciplinary methods and cross-cultural sensitivities. His work includes experimental work on intelligent mobile equipment and wind energy systems at the Corporate Engineering Division of Deere & Company. His enthusiasm for F1 began in the year 1961.

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? What if Francesco De Virgilio and Ettore Zaccone Mina had been tasked with designing a compact V6 engine for the 2.5-liter GP formula that could take on a rather conventional Mercedes W196? What if Josef Mickl’s aerodynamic knowledge would have been applied to create downforce? Would lessons learned from pre-war Silver Arrows and the untimely Cisitalia Grand Prix project, when blended with elements of Lancia’s passionate engineering culture, have accelerated the rear-engine revolution in F1?

The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), presents the Seventh Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing. Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.Show More

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Richard Haynes is professor of Media Sport in the Division of Communications, Media and Culture at the University of Stirling, Scotland. He is author of seven books on sport and ...communications including the award-winning history BBC Sport in Black and White (Palgrave 2016) and his forthcoming book with Raymond Boyle Streaming the Formula 1 Rivalry: Sport and the Media in the Platform Age to be published by Peter Lang in 2024.

Based on archival and biographical research and interviews with British journalists, broadcasters and communications managers, this presentation provides an analysis of the transformations in media relations in Formula One from 1960s onward. The paper explores the professional careers of leading British journalists and broadcasters of F1 to explore how media relations have changed over time. We conclude with some thoughts on how F1 in the era of Liberty Media, is bringing new opportunities for F1 across different platforms, transforming again the media relations of the sport.

The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), presents the Seventh Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing. Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.Show More

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Rob Dyson is a New York based businessman and retired professional racing driver with a long association with Watkins Glen International and the International Motor Racing Research Center. Following completion ...of his licensing school at Watkins Glen in 1974, Dyson began competing in amateur SCCA competition. In 1981 he won the Sports Car Club of America’s GT2 national championship.

Dyson began racing professionally in IMSA GTO and the SCCA Trans-Am Series in 1982. The following year, to support his professional racing efforts, Dyson founded the Dyson Racing Team, which over the next few years grew to be one of America’s premier sports car racing teams. From it base in Poughkeepsie, over the course of nearly four decades the team won 19 championships, 72 race victories, started 72 times from the pole and achieved 224 podium finishes. Among the team’s notable accomplishments is a pair of overall victories in America’s premier endurance race, the Rolex 24, at Daytona International Speedway.

The team fielded cars during the heyday of the IMSA Camel GT, winning its first time out with a Porsche 962 at Lime Rock Park. Under Dyson’s leadership the team went on to successfully field entries in Indy car, the World Sports Car Championship, the United States Road Racing Championship, the American Le Mans Series (where the team scored two championships), the Rolex Sports Car Series, and the Pirelli World Challenge, where the team scored Bentley’s first-ever North American race victory.

During his 21 seasons as a professional racing driver Dyson drove in 92 races, scoring four overall race wins (including the 1997 Rolex 24 at Daytona) and a total of 18 podium finishes. Dyson continued to compete episodically in professional racing through 2007 and today remains active driving his collection of vintage Indy cars in a variety of demonstration events. Dyson’s personal historic Indy car collection ranges from a 1913 Isotta Fraschini tipo IM to Johnny Rutherford’s 1978 Budweiser McLaren M24B, and includes the 1961 Kimberly Cooper Climax, the first successful rear-engine car to compete in the 500.

Named chairman of the board of directors of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 2021 following a decade as a member of the board, Dyson is guiding the institution through its $89 million transformational renovation as it charts its future path as the repository of the history and related artifacts of America’s oldest active and most storied racing facility.

In 2011 Dyson donated to the IMRRC the historic archives of National Speed Sport News, America’s premier motorsports news publication since the late 1930s.

Dyson is the chairman and chief executive officer of Dyson-Kissner-Moran Corporation, a privately-owned international holding company.

The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), presents the Seventh Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing. Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.Show More

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Al Isselhard is a retired mechanical designer of test equipment for Eastman Kodak Co. and has enjoyed the automobile world in several capacities. He is a big supermodified race fan, ...collector of tired British sports cars, serious but non-professional race photographer, past crew member on a SCCA race team, race memorabilia and petrolania collector, retired road rallyist and a supporter of the IMRRC.

Superstitions, both good and evil, common and rare, affect all classes of people and their place in life and have been passed along generation after generation. Auto racing, from its very beginning, is not immune from superstitions - many of which can be described as bizarre and are present in today’s auto racing world.

The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), presents the Seventh Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing. Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.Show More

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Buz McKim, formerly historian at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC, is a distinguished figure in the motor sports world and a much sought-after speaker at motorsports gatherings. ...Mr. McKim served as director of archives for International Speedway Corporation and as coordinator of statistical services for NASCAR. He is the author of The NASCAR Vault: An Official History Featuring Rare Collectibles from Motorsports Images and Archives.

McKim’s Legends of Racing Radio Show is a hugely popular forum for enthusiasts of the sport. Buz McKim was our Keynote Speaker for two prior Argetsinger symposia.

Mr. McKim’s presentation explores the racing career of NASCAR’s iconic founder William “Bill” France and the origins of NASCAR in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Big Bill’s exploits are legendary and his captivating and sometimes overwhelming style belie his extraordinary contribution to the evolution of professional motor racing in America. McKim’s presentation is a deeply informed and sympathetic portrayal of the man and his accomplishments.

The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), presents the Seventh Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing. Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.Show More

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Don Capps has been a member of the SAH Board of Directors since 2014 and is now the immediate past president of the Society. He is a member of the ...Historians Council of the IMRRC and is the co-chair of the Symposium. Capps began following motor sports at an early age while attending races with his father at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta. In addition to motor racing, military and civil aviation and military history have also been lifelong interests that formed early on. Capps holds graduate degrees from the University of South Carolina and George Mason University and has taught history at both the high school and college levels, the latter being The Citadel. He was a faculty member of the Defense Model & Simulation University and spent over three years in Southwest Asia with the Program Executive
Office for Simulation Training and Instrumentation.

Don is currently engaged in research surrounding the sport and contests sanctioned by the AAA from its beginning, including the American national auto racing championships, until the Contest Board ceased operations at the end of the 1955 season.

The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), presents the Seventh Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing. Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.Show More

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Dr. Mark D. Howell has been involved with motosports his entire life. As a teenager, he tagged along with the NASCAR Modified pit crew of Brett Bodine, who raced out ...of Howell’s hometown of Dallas, PA. He earned a BA and MA from Penn State, and a Ph.D. in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University. His dissertation evolved into From Moonshine to Madison Avenue: A Cultural History of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, published by The Popular Press/University of Wisconsin Press in 1997.

Howell is professor of communications at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City. He lives with his wife and son (and two dogs) in the village of Suttons Bay on Lake Michigan.

This presentation examines the 2023 alliance between Leidos, the international high-tech engineering firm, and NASCAR to build a “Next Gen” Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). The paper looks at the adaptation of motorsports culture by the aerospace industry as space exploration grows more privatized and commercialized. Additionally, the presentation looks at the history of NASA’s LRV program and how astronauts saw their rovers through the context of automobile racing. Both Leidos Dynetics and NASCAR are relying on particular language, imagery, and historic legacies to justify their partnership while trying to earn NASA’s new LRV contract by the end of November 2023.

The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), presents the Seventh Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing. Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.Show More

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Preston Lerner is a freelance writer who has covered racing for the past four decades. For many years, he was a regular contributor to Automobile Magazine and Road & Track. ...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 examines the safety, commercial and technological developments that transformed racing from 1964 to 1973.

Lerner’s presentation covers the early – and often controversial – efforts of TV to bring automobile racing into American living rooms. In 1961, a segment from the Indianapolis 500 time trials was broadcast as part of ABC’s new Wide World of Sports program. During the next few years, racing coverage was expanded to include Formula 1, Le Mans, NASCAR and even USAC dirt-track races. Television dramatically expanded the reach of the sport, which, in turn, attracted major commercial sponsors. By the 1970s, racing had been transformed into the global commercial engine we know today. Yet from the beginning, enthusiasts had a love-hate relationship with ABC. On one hand, TV coverage confirmed that racing was a legitimate sport rather than a tawdry carnival sideshow. On the other, serious fans found the broadcasts puerile and sensationalistic. The camerawork was shaky, the commentary insipid and the focus on accidents infamously morbid. Coverage of the fatal wrecks of Lorenzo Bandini and Roger Williamson inspired widespread disgust that led to improvements in safety. This was an unintended consequence, but it was a product largely of television’s unblinking eye.

The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), presents the Seventh Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. The Symposium established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing. Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.Show More

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6th Annual - 2022 Presentations

6th Annual - 2022 Presentations

IMRRC Symposium 2022 - Trevor Lister - Truth is the Daughter of Time

Trevor Lister entered the University of Canterbury on a public service scholarship, graduating with a double degree in Physics and Mechanical Engineering. On graduation, he worked in the Ministry of ...Transport in the setting and administration of Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, primarily on natural gas and LPG vehicle standards. This led to a secondment to a national research and development organization where he was responsible for research on a wider range of alternative motor vehicle fuels. It led also to an international consultancy in that area, including a stint as the New Zealand delegate to the International Natural Gas Vehicles Association.

Upon completion of that work, he returned to his foundation automotive design skills and his motorsports hobby. At which point he became an inspector and certifier on other peoples' projects, as well as designing, building and racing his own cars. In semi-retirement, he took up teaching and tutoring pre-apprenticeship students in Mathematics, Science and Automotive Engineering.

In full retirement, he assumed the role of editor of the newsletter of The Classic Motor Racing Club of New Zealand. That is when, searching for newsletter stories, he came across the work of Donald Capps, and their common interest in old Maseratis. The upshot of working together on the histories of these cars became the main point in the presentation to this symposium.

It appears that Maserati in the 1950s identified their competition cars by their engine numbers, not their chassis numbers, and that this process allowed for the individual cars to have carried more than one identity. This has implications for the provenance of these cars.

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.Show More

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Trevor Lister entered the University of Canterbury on a public service scholarship, graduating with a double degree in Physics and Mechanical Engineering. On graduation, he worked in the Ministry of ...Transport in the setting and administration of Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, primarily on natural gas and LPG vehicle standards. This led to a secondment to a national research and development organization where he was responsible for research on a wider range of alternative motor vehicle fuels. It led also to an international consultancy in that area, including a stint as the New Zealand delegate to the International Natural Gas Vehicles Association.

Upon completion of that work, he returned to his foundation automotive design skills and his motorsports hobby. At which point he became an inspector and certifier on other peoples' projects, as well as designing, building and racing his own cars. In semi-retirement, he took up teaching and tutoring pre-apprenticeship students in Mathematics, Science and Automotive Engineering.

In full retirement, he assumed the role of editor of the newsletter of The Classic Motor Racing Club of New Zealand. That is when, searching for newsletter stories, he came across the work of Donald Capps, and their common interest in old Maseratis. The upshot of working together on the histories of these cars became the main point in the presentation to this symposium.

It appears that Maserati in the 1950s identified their competition cars by their engine numbers, not their chassis numbers, and that this process allowed for the individual cars to have carried more than one identity. This has implications for the provenance of these cars.

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.Show More

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Dr. Timothy Robeers is currently working as a research & marcom manager at b2sense in Brussels, Belgium. Following a career in academia, he remains affiliated with the Department of Communication ...Sciences at Antwerp University, Belgium and combines extensive expertise in market and communication research, social and environmental sustainability, and their applications in motorsports and media. Besides having participated as a driver and team-owner in rally raids across Africa, Dr. Robeers has also consulted for a range of motorsport businesses and organizations including Formula E and the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Additionally, he is a co-founder and assistant editor for the Journal of Motorsport Culture & History.

Mike Stocz is a senior lecturer of Sport Management & Leadership at the University of New Hampshire. He is one of the founding members and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Motorsport Culture & History. Mike's previous works have included a bottom up framing analysis of the Tony Stewart-Kevin Ward Jr. incident on Facebook, as well as explorations of legal issues in K-12 sport administration, an economic funding model for college athletics, and a textual analysis of the American Outlaws fan group in the digital space.

Kate Sullivan is an assistant professor in Strategy & Enterprise in Scotland's Heriot-Watt University, where she teaches a range of entrepreneurship and management courses as well as conducts research as a well-being and performance psychologist. She has also worked in the classic car industry for more than a decade. Ms. Sullivan personally holds several regional land-speed records.

In the roundtable, she explores the forgotten history of alternative power vehicles in motorsport, demonstrating that the current concerns over the environmental impacts of auto racing - and the attendant hand-wringing over its future - are far from new. Showing how alternative power vehicles have been part of society's need for speed from the beginning, she will suggest how to harness this worry to instead create new buzz for racing.

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.Show More

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Quinn Beekwilder is an assistant professor and coordinator of the Motorsports management degree at Belmont Abbey College. Having come from a decade of working 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."

Dr. Trey Cunningham is associate professor and chair of the Department of Sport and Motorsport Management at Belmont Abbey College. The college offers a four-year undergraduate academic program designed to prepare aspiring professionals and leaders for a career in the motorsport industry. The presentation will discuss Belmont Abbey College's pedagogical approach to introducing and reinforcing the history of motorsports throughout the entire curriculum. Moreover, Dr. Cunningham's presentation will discuss the many perceived lessons learned and ever-evolving adjustments made along the way in the Department's efforts to successfully prepare students to become lifelong learners of the history of Motorsports.

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.Show More

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Lauren Goodman received her MFA in screenwriting from the College of Motion Pictures Arts at Florida State University. While volunteering at the Revs Institute in Naples, Florida, she encountered one ...of two Maseratis entered by Lucy Schell in the 1940 Indy 500. Ms. Goodman's research into Lucy's time in France as a team owner and principal has been presented at Revs Institute. Her writing draws heavily on history and the lives of women whose achievements have been overlooked. Presently, she is developing Lucy's story into a feature-length project. Ms. Goodman's presentation will highlight Lucy's role in motor racing history and her contributions to the sport.

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.Show More

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Mark Howell is a professor of Communications at Northwestern Michigan College. Prior to NMC, he was a visiting assistant professor in the Department of American Thought and Language at Michigan ...State University.

As a Motorsports historian, Dr. Howell has published numerous articles and two books: From Moonshine to Madison Avenue: A Cultural History of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series (1997) and Motorsports and American Culture: From Demolition Derbies to NASCAR (2014).

Since 2011, he has been a Senior Writer for frontstretch.com, where his essays appear every Wednesday during the racing season. Dr. Howell also spent three years (2001-2003) as a part-time crew member with Brett Bodine Racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and has worked closely with drivers Hut Stricklin, Kenny Wallace, and Todd Bodine.

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.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.

The symposium is named in honor of Michael R. Argetsinger (1944-2015), an award-winning motorsports author and longtime member of the Center's Governing Council.Show More

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Dr. Mario Felice Tecce received his M.D. and PhD. at the University of Naples, Italy, and is currently full professor of Biochemistry at University of Salerno. Besides his molecular research ...about cancer mechanisms, he explored race car driving as a major reference paradigm of pursuing the best and of free will exercise. Having a strong interest and deep passion for car racing, he analyzed Formula One seasons of the last 50 years and suggests that race car driving can be a major example of general life choices between good and bad in a joint competition to pursue the best possible.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.

The symposium is named in honor of Michael R. Argetsinger (1944-2015), an award-winning motorsports author and longtime member of the Center's Governing Council.Show More

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Gordon Eliot White is a retired newspaper correspondent who covered Washington, D.C., Europe and the Far East for the Chicago American and other newspapers for 34 years. After he retired ...from news-paper work he became the Smithsonian Institution's auto racing advisor, following a sport he had enjoyed since 1939. He since has written seven books on the history of American open-wheel racing, including a history of Fred Offenhauser and the Offenhauser racing engine. He has served as the unofficial historian of the Harry A. Miller Club and as curator and archivist of more than 12,000 drawings, tracings and blueprints of Miller's cars and engines, as well as of thousands of documents covering the history of American racing since early in the 20th century. His presentation will address Harry Miller's impression on American racing as well as how aficionados rediscovered him after he had been all but forgotten and, over the past 40 years have un-earthed and restored many of his cars.

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.Show More

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Buz McKim, formerly historian at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., is a distinguished figure in the motorsports world and a much sought-after speaker at motorsports gatherings. Mr. ...Kim served as director of archives for International Speedway Corporation and as coordinator of statistical services for NASCAR. He is the author of The NASCAR Vault: An Official History Featuring Rare Collectables from Motorsports Images and Archives.

Mr. McKim's presentation explores the origins of modified stock car racing in the illegal distribution of untaxed adult beverages, or "moonshine." He recounts the development of NASCAR in 1949 and its evolution in the 1950s from a truly "stock" competition to a manufacturer-supported testing ground for advances in the engineering and design of American automobiles. Mr. McKim's talk describes the irony of how the automotive engineering modifications inspired by "wild country boys" led to all-around improvements in automotive technology.

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.Show More

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Joseph Freeman is an automotive historian, writer, publisher, vintage racer, and racing car collector, well known in the racing world for his expertise on automotive subjects and as owner of ...the award-winning publishing house Racemaker Press of Boston. His talk will cover the history of some of the earlier champion race drivers who but for a stroke of bad luck, and unfortunate last-minute mistake, or just the intervention of fate, were never able to win America's greatest race, the Indianapolis 500. Mr. Freeman's reflections are on his recent book: Second to One: All but for Indy.

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.Show More

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Elton "Skip" McGoun is an emeritus professor of finance at Bucknell University and a 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 automotive history and culture and served as area chair of the Vehicle Culture Section of the Popular Culture Association. He considers the two senses of the word "Sports" - competition and recreation - and their relative roles in the creation of the class of vehicles known as "Sports Cars."

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.Show More

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James Miller's engagement with Formula 1 includes chatting about race strategy with Nikki Lauda at the 1977 US Grand Prix, where Lauda won his second world championship. Now it involves ...at-home viewing of real-time, in-car camera images on a flat screen TV.

Dr. Miller is professor emeritus of communications at Hampshire College. He has studied new media as a Fulbright researcher in Paris and a visiting professor at MIT's Media Lab.

The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies.

The symposium is named in honor of Michael R. Argetsinger (1944-2015), an award-winning motorsports author and longtime member of the Center's Governing Council.Show More

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The Motoring Podcast Network: Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory http://www.motoringpodcast.net

► Check out our membership program ...and go VIP at: https://www.patreon.com/join/gtmotorsports
►► Other cool stuff: https://www.gtmotorsports.org/linksShow More

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All of the production, recording, live-stream, post-production, technology support, editing and podcasting work for the IMRRC Symposium starting in 2022 has been provided by the team at The Motoring Podcast Network (a division of GTM). Proud members of the IMRRC & the SAH and contribute volunteer time and resources to help grow the success of this conference. Please consider supporting their work via Patreon.

Thank YOU for your support!

We would like to thank our sponsors and volunteers for the continued support of the Annual Argetsinger Symposium. If you’d like to contribute to the success of this event, please don’t hesitate to reach out to research@racingarchives.org for more information.

The IMRRC, in conjunction with the Society of Automotive Historians, will soon be launching a Virtual Symposium on International Motor Racing History that will provide an on-line platform for presentations on aspects of motor racing history by authors, academic motorsport scholars, enthusiast historians, and students who wish to present their research and findings to the motorsport community.  This initiative is designed to provide a broader reach for those who wish to participate in our mission to share and preserve the history of motorsports.  It is a separate but complementary adjunct to the IMRRC’s Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History which is held annually in Watkins Glen and for which 2025 presentation slots are no longer available.

Our partner Gran Touring Motorsports will post YouTube videos of the pre-recorded Virtual Symposium presentations on a separate page of the IMRRC website, as well as on their own social media platform, for year-round viewing.  A wide range of motorsport topics are welcome, from subjects of general interest to the narrowest of niches and all serious candidates, from students to seasoned researchers are encouraged to submit presentation proposals.  An announcement of the Virtual Symposium, explaining the process and requirements for potential presenters to submit abstracts of their proposed talks, will be provided soon on the IMRRC website and social media outlets.

Pre-recorded presentations may be eligible for print publication in the SAH Automotive History Review or the SAH Journal, and/or in the Journal of Motorsport Culture & History

Two-Day Event Provides Insights into the History of Motorsports

Presenter Quinn Beekwilder discusses the current state of motorsport research with Symposium cofounder Don Capps.

The Eighth Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History was held on November 1 and 2 at the Media Center at Watkins Glen International.  Hosted jointly by the International Motor Racing Research Center and the Society of Automotive Historians, with support from WGI and the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, the Symposium provides a forum for motor racing scholars, journalists and writers of motor racing history to present their research findings and share projects with each other and racing enthusiasts, both in person and through live-streaming of the event.  Topics are wide-ranging, and the well attended, two-day event included topics such as “Perspectives on Motorsport Journalism, 1952-1972,” presented by faculty from McPherson College; “The Best Year of Our Lives – the Rebirth of Postwar European Motorsports,” presented by Professor Elton G. McGoun of Bucknell University; and “Studebaker at Indianapolis,” presented by Andrew Beckman, Archivist at the Studebaker National Museum.  In all, experts and avid enthusiasts of motor racing history gave 19 additional talks.

Keynote speaker Lyn St. James who celebrates 50 years in racing this year.

8th Annual – 2024 Live-Stream Presentations

From Powder Puff to W Series: The Evolution of Women-Only Racing

Throughout its storied history, motorsports has been unwelcoming
to women. Consequently, it has been necessary for female racers to develop unique strategies to enter what has long existed as an exclusive ...masculine enclave. While entry can be facilitated through a familial relationship with a male driver, women without such connections often get their start through participation in women-only racing events. Although these races have provided women with the opportunity to enter the track, they have not been without controversy. Detractors argue that women will not be considered legitimate racers unless they compete on the same track as men. Proponents view women-only racing not only as a way to attract more women into the sport, but also as an important source of skill development, support, and community building.

This paper investigates the evolution of women-only racing, from its early introduction as a media stunt, to its current incarnation as a proving ground for serious female open-wheel racers. Informed by archival resources and motorsport scholarship, it considers how women-only racing complicates, facilitates, and liberates women’s entry, participation, and recognition in the masculine world of motorsports.

This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.netShow More

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Throughout its storied history, motorsports has been unwelcoming
to women. Consequently, it has been necessary for female racers to develop unique strategies to enter what has long existed as an exclusive ...masculine enclave. While entry can be facilitated through a familial relationship with a male driver, women without such connections often get their start through participation in women-only racing events. Although these races have provided women with the opportunity to enter the track, they have not been without controversy. Detractors argue that women will not be considered legitimate racers unless they compete on the same track as men. Proponents view women-only racing not only as a way to attract more women into the sport, but also as an important source of skill development, support, and community building.

This paper investigates the evolution of women-only racing, from its early introduction as a media stunt, to its current incarnation as a proving ground for serious female open-wheel racers. Informed by archival resources and motorsport scholarship, it considers how women-only racing complicates, facilitates, and liberates women’s entry, participation, and recognition in the masculine world of motorsports.

This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.netShow More

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John Yasenko’s purchase of the remains of the 1935 Harris FWD Speedster decades ago led him into conducting 36 years of research into the car and its creator, Benjamin F. ...Harris. John’s objective has been to document how Harris was a key figure in postwar racetrack design and development, and in transforming the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) into a national organization.

Yasenko is a lifelong car enthusiast, business owner, restorer and historian, automotive show host, and all-around jack of all trades.Show More

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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.

This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.netShow More

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E-Motorsports is less than two decades old. However, the roots of electric vehicle design date to the birth of the automobile when nearly 38% of vehicles in 1900 were electric. ...Electrics are now competing in many traditional racing events including the historic Pikes Peak Hill Climb and the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The focus of this presentation is to provide a brief overview of E-motorsports with a look at Formula-E (conceived in 2012 and sanctioned by the FIA during the 2020-21 season) and Extreme-E (conceived as a project in 2018 led by Formula E founder Alejandro Agag and former driver Gil de Ferran; it was launched in January 2019).

Highlights of recent developments and related projects will also be included, particularly those with electrification and clean energy connections

This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.netShow More

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Roberts and her husband received a collection from a Canadian race driver’s estate. David Crowther, the driver, competed from the 1960s through the late 1980s in various events, including autocross, ...rallying, and ice racing,
participating almost every weekend from January to October. The collection comprises extensive race results, news clippings, programs, and even race banquet menus, offering a remarkable glimpse into the life of an everyman driver.

Roberts’ presentation discusses how the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) supports both researchers and race enthusiasts while preserving the legacies of drivers like Crowther. Visual accompaniments will include Crowther's race helmet, photographs of him in action, and his rallying clipboard. Through these artifacts, Roberts will highlight the IMRRC's role in keeping motorsports history alive and accessible.

This presentation will not only celebrate Crowther's extensive racing career but also emphasize the importance of archival research centers in maintaining motorsport and driver heritage.

This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.netShow More

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While “Studebaker” is rarely the first name one thinks of when discussing motorsports, the company had a strong yet brief presence at the Indianapolis 500 in the early 1930s. Studebaker ...laid the groundwork with the introduction of the President’s inline eight-cylinder engine in early 1928. The advent of the Indianapolis 500’s 1930 rule changes opened the door for production-
based entries, and the President’s rugged eight powered a pair of private entries. These Studebaker-engined specials showed promise and led to the development of Studebaker’s corporate team.

This program will detail the origins and evolution of Studebaker-powered racers beginning in 1930 with a special emphasis on the company’s factory-backed campaigns in 1932 and 1933. Additional focus will also be placed on the technical development of the Studebaker racers as well as the post-Studebaker disposition of the team cars and their present-day status.
Sources include Studebaker’s corporate archives and image collection at the Studebaker National Museum plus period publications and race accounts. Additional data is drawn from secondary sources profiling the Studebaker team plus owner research compiled during their stewardship of the cars.Show More

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***Forged in Print: John Bond, Road & Track, and the Formation of “Car Guy” Culture. Luke Chennel

John Bond (1912-1989) and his wife Elaine bought the faltering magazine Road & Track ...in 1949. Over the course of his ownership and editorship, Bond built the magazine into a major cultural force. This presentation examines the dimensions that Bond engaged with his editorial viewpoint from a wholistic cultural lens. Bond built a durable version of car culture, the practices and values of which remain in many forms today, though under challenge from old and new trends in the automotive industry.
Bond’s version of car enthusiasm stemmed directly from two sources: his education at the General Motors Institute and his enthusiasm for European racing. Road & Track’s coverage of the foreign motorsports scene for some time was the only widely available source material for an American audience.

This presentation argues that Bond’s two decade editorship (1951-1972) of Road & Track created the foundational dimensions of traditional “car guy” culture, with its familiar and clubby atmosphere familiar to those “in the know,” but also acted in an exclusionary way to women, casual automobile and racing enthusiasts, and those who might have appreciated automobiles from other dimensions than their mechanical design or performance on certain tests.

Finally, the presentation examines Bond’s version of car culture in a contemporary light, considering the roles of the changing nature of racing and its relationship to road vehicles, the renaissance in electric vehicles, and debates about mobility in the contemporary climate.

***An Anthropological Perspective: John Bond, Road & Track, and the Formalization and Transmission of Car Culture. Ken Yohn

This presentation will explore car culture from an anthropological perspective, as a complex whole combining both behavior and the material objects integral to the behavior. This formulation of culture thus includes material artifacts, rituals, customs, language, beliefs, institutions, and techniques, among other elements. This presentation will address two main questions. As presented in Road & Track, what are the essential elements (behavior and artifacts) of car culture? Second, can we learn anything, or draw non-obvious conclusions about car culture by adopting this type of anthropological perspective?

***Woman’s Place (in Car Culture): John Bond, Road & Track, and the Evolution of Gender Representation. Kristie Sjoka

This presentation will explore the progression of gender representation within the time that John Bond owned and edited Road & Track magazine. It will examine all aspects of the publication between the years of 1951-1972, including cover art, article content, photographs, and advertising. The presentation will compare and contrast the first ten years of Bond’s editorship with the last ten years to identify any potential changes in female representation. With the historical perspective of developing gender politics of the time period, the presentation will consider whether these societal shifts had any impact on women’s representation within the pages of the publication.

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This presentation, part of an ongoing, larger body of research, explores the long, complicated, and often controversial relationship between NASCAR (the National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing) and the ...American political system. From NASCAR founder “Big Bill” France’s campaign support of then-presidential candidate George Wallace, to former NASCAR Grand National driver Tighe Scott’s arrest for allegedly attacking police officers during the Capitol Riot on January 6th, 2021, the road to Washington, D.C. has often taken a detour (usually a hard right) through Daytona Beach.

Part of this paper looks at NASCAR’s connection to various political candidates, both during campaigns and after votes have been counted (and certified). Another section of this presentation examines the use of race cars as campaign promotional “vehicles” over the years.

This paper explores the very public and very strategic alliance between political candidates and NASCAR Nation. From Jimmy Carter welcoming Grand National drivers to The White House to Ronald Reagan sharing Kentucky Fried Chicken with Richard Petty, the relationship between stock car racing and politics presents itself as a calculated combination of regional identity and popular culture-driven stereotypes.

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While men have taken the lion’s share of media attention across motorsport, there have been women who would gain substantial coverages. From Brittany Force to Hailie Deegan, women in motorsport ...have hit sport headlines on various networks and modalities. While coverage of women in motorsport may be more positive, in terms of quantity and perception (driver talent versus overt sexism, etc.), has academia had any sort of focus on women in motorsport?

The purpose of the current literature review is to summarize the current academic literature across two repositories (EBSCO Host & Google Scholar) to gain a broader understanding of this academic realm of inquiry. Various search term including Women in Racing and variants were included in the search. Initial results suggest that women in motorsport are often a part of academic research, but are less so the main focus. Using the PRISMA methodology, articles were selected from relevant criteria and reduced from a larger sample. Methods and themes from articles will be discussed.

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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?

This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.netShow More

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FULL LENGTH RECORDINGS: DAY 1, DAY 2

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (Oct. 11, 2022) – The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), in partnership with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), will present the Sixth Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History.

This academic symposium will be held on Friday, Nov. 4 and Saturday, Nov. 5, in the Media Center at the Watkins Glen International race track. The IMRRC will host a reception, sponsored by the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, at the Research Center at 610 South Decatur Street in Watkins Glen on Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. All events are free and open to the public, who are welcome to attend any or all sessions. This year’s Symposium will be live-streamed thanks to the generous assistance of Gran Touring Motorsports. A detailed schedule, presenter bios, descriptions of presentations, and a link to the live stream are available at racingarchives.org.

The two-day program will feature a keynote address, “Moonshine and Its Connection to the American Auto Industry,” by Buz McKim, renowned NASCAR historian, on Saturday afternoon. Friday’s schedule includes a panel discussion hosted by Dr. Michael Stocz of the University of New Hampshire and other scholars on motorsports and its intricate
relationship to the media. A related presentation on Formula One and the media, “F1: From Circus to Media Spectacle” will be made by noted historian James Miller of Hampshire College. A unique perspective on motorsports will be offered by Mark Howell, Professor of Communications at Northwestern Michigan College, who will explore the connections between musicians and motorsports in his presentation “Living Loud and Living Fast.” Friday’s topics will include a presentation on lessons learned in teaching motorsports history by Professor Trey Cunningham, Chair of the Department of Sport and Motorsport Management at Belmont Abbey College. In addition to the keynote address, Saturday’s schedule features a morning presentation by Gordon Eliot White, oval track expert and author of authoritative works on Miller and Offenhauser race cars, on “Harry Miller: The Man and the Cars.” The afternoon session will feature “Fifty Years After Title IX – On and Off the Track: A Roundtable on Women in Motorsports,” moderated by Dr. Daniel J. Simone of the New
York Historical Society Museum and Library, formerly curator of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. A broad range of other aspects of motorsports history and culture will be explored in the two-day event by scholars from around the world, including presentations by experts from Australia, Italy, Belgium and the United Kingdom.

The annual symposium began in 2015 and is named in honor of the late Michael R. Argetsinger, an award-winning motorsports author and longtime member of the IMRRC’s Governing Council. He was also a competitive driver for nearly 45 years, competing in more than 400 races at 54 different circuits in seven countries. Michael was the son of Jean and Cameron  Argetsinger, who revived motor racing in the United States following World War II.

About The International Society of Automotive Historians (SAH)

The International Society of Automotive Historians encourages research into any aspect of automotive history. The SAH actively supports the compilation and preservation of papers, organizational records, print ephemera and images to safeguard, broaden and deepen the understanding of motorized, wheeled land transportation through the modern age and into the future. For more information about the SAH, visit autohistory.org.

About the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC)

Located in one of the premier racing towns in America, the IMRRC’s collection spans continents, eras, and race series, embodying the speed, drama and camaraderie of amateur and professional motor racing throughout the world. The Center welcomes serious researchers and casual fans alike to share stories of race drivers, race series, and race cars captured on its shelves and walls and brought to life through exhibitions and special events. The IMRRC is free and open to the public, no appointment necessary, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. More at racingarchives.org.

Download the Full Press Release.

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (Oct. 31, 2019) – The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), in partnership with the Society of Automotive Historians and the Popular Culture Association’s Vehicle Culture Area, will present The Cultural Turn Meets the First Turn: Writing Motorsports History at the fifth annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History.

This academic symposium will be held on Nov. 8-9 in the Media Center at the Watkins Glen International race track. The IMRRC will host a reception at the Research Center at 610 South Decatur Street in Watkins Glen on Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. A detailed schedule for the weekend may be found at racingarchives.org. All events are free and open to the public, who are welcome to attend any or all sessions. The two-day program will feature a keynote address, Writing Motorsports History, by Dr. John Heitmann, Professor Emeritus at the University of Dayton on Saturday afternoon. Friday’s schedule includes three panels whose topics include an examination of the legacy of Juan Manuel Fangio; the exploits and real life of Britain’s first Speed Queen, Dorothy Levitt; and a consideration of the challenges encountered in presenting racing history to various generations, among others.

Saturday’s schedule includes the keynote address as well as two panels and a roundtable discussion entitled, Looking Forward: Writing about Motor Sports History and Culture, moderated by Col. H. Donald Capps, chair of the Society of Automotive Historians International Motor Sports History Section and member of the IMRRC Historian’s Council; and Dr. Pat Yongue, Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Houston, an expert on women in racing and a member of the Society of Automotive Historians International Motor Sports History Section.

Saturday’s panel topics will include the relationship between NASA and motorsports; moonshine and its relationship with the American auto industry; and a look at motorsports’ intricate and symbiotic relationship with media broadcasting, among others.

The annual symposium began in 2015 and was originally named in honor of Jean S. Argetsinger, a founder of the IMRRC. In 2017, Jean asked that the symposium be renamed for son Michael, an award-winning motorsports author and longtime member of the IMRRC’s Governing Council, who died in 2015.

The International Society of Automotive Historians encourages research into any aspect of automotive history. The SAH actively supports the compilation and preservation of papers, organizational records, print ephemera and images to safeguard, broaden and deepen the understanding of motorized, wheeled land transportation through the modern age and into the future. For more information about the SAH, visit autohistory.org.

The Popular Culture Association is a group of scholars and enthusiasts who study popular culture, writing, sharing and publishing in the field in a diverse array of subject areas, including vehicle culture. The mission of the International Motor Racing Research Center is to collect, preserve and share the global history of motorsports with all racing fans from the casual spectator to the serious researcher. Visitors are welcomed to the Center to see the On the Grid display car, browse the library, enjoy displays from the collection and watch 25
Years at Speed: The Watkins Glen Story with Brock Yates, a film on the early history of racing at the Glen in the Center’s theater. The staff is on hand to share their passion for motorsports with all racing enthusiasts. Admission is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 610 South Decatur Street in Watkins Glen.