Watkins Glen is a small New York village of less than 2000 people located at the south end of one of New York's Finger Lakes, Seneca Lake. It is a small town, but a famous one known worldwide. In 1948, Cameron Argetsinger wanted a place to road race his new MGTC and convinced the city leaders to close off the main street of town and surrounding roads to allow sports cars to race on a 6.6 mile circuit. Argetsinger was successful and racing in Watkins Glen continues to this day . . . but not on public roads.
It is a long trip by slow boat to Watkins Glen. One must head west on the Erie Canal, then south on the Cayuga Canal to the north end of Seneca Lake, then 37 miles south on the lake to Watkins Glen. The biggest challenge for Last Dance was not the distance; it was fitting under the bridges. A number of the bridges on Cayuga Canal are just 15' 6" above the water. Last Dance is 15' 6" tall. And, New York bridges do not have height gauges like the bridges along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, so it is impossible to determine the actual height of the bridge with ever-changing water levels.
The Village of Watkins Glen celebrates its racing history every day. Artful murals depicting the original races on the old street course adorn downtown buildings.
The downtown sidewalks are a walk of racing fame with the names of successful drivers in the Grand Prix races carved in granite.
All of the east-west streets are identified with a street sign in the shape of a cartoonish race car. They love race cars in Watkins Glen.
Once a year the city hosts a huge festival to celebrate its racing history. Over 30,000 people descend on this tiny village with 1000 cars on display and numerous activities in town. In this image, an MGTC that raced in the 1948 inaugural event leads a group of race cars on the beginning of two laps around the old street course . . . at lower than race speeds.
The old course is much more challenging than it appears on a map of the track. It has tight corners, blind corners, and many elevation changes. There is over 500 feet of elevation change from the start-finish line in front of the courthouse to the stone bridge at the western end. More elevation change in 3 miles than in the entire state of Florida. The racers in 1948 were a courageous lot.
The same weekend as the festival also has vintage races at the Watkins Glen International Speedway, just a few miles outside the village. Mini's were the featured car for this year's races.
Watkins Glen is also home to the International Racing Library which has the largest collection of books and documents on automobile racing. The changing car display had the Maserati which lead the first lap of the first race in 1948 and the OSCA that won the last race on the street course in 1952. Both beautifully restored cars.
Directly across from the courthouse, and in the center of the old street race course. lies Watkins Glen State Park, reason enough in itself to visit this area. This beautiful gorge filled with waterfalls became an international tourist attraction in the late 19th century and it still lours visitors from around the world. There is so much to share from a walk through this park for just a mention in a post about Watkins Glen, that it needs its own post.
Montuor Falls is a village less than 10 miles south of Watkins Glen, a village filled with waterfalls. One is in an old section of town located between two houses. Shequaga Falls is a spectacular scene. The area around Watkins Glen is filled with drives that pass by waterfalls.
Few cruising boats make the long trip down Lake Seneca to Watkins Glen due to the low bridges, the long distance, the lack of natural coves for anchoring, or the lack of marinas for mooring. Challenging in many ways, but a challenge, when met, provides many rewards and memories.
If the racing aspect of Watkins Glen interests you, there are some posts on the automobile blog which go into much more detail. They may be accessed through the links below:
Grand Prix Festival
The Original Street Course
MG History at the Glen
