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.
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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.