Race Tribute Events
It is said the appeal of motorsports is the involvement of many senses. Sight. Sound. Smell. Touch. The Grand Prix Festival of Watkins Glen presented by Chemung Canal Trust Company adds the thrill of memory, the joy of celebration and the spirit of community. The Festival offers a full day of activity. The links on this page should provide you with a bit of the history of road racing in Watkins Glen, as well as provide a overview of the significant Race Tribute Events which are the core of the Grand Prix Festival.
Race Circuit Map & Tour:
American road racing was revived at Watkins Glen, NY on October 2, 1948, the first road race run since before World War II. The 6.6 mile circuit ran through the village streets, starting and ending in front of the Schuyler County Court House. Follow the first link above for a guided tour of the original circuit, prominent landmarks on the circuit, and driving directions for taking a tour of the course.
Read More: View Map of the Original 6.6 Mile Course
The Original Circuit: 1948 – 1952 Self Guided Tour
American road racing was revived at Watkins Glen, NY on October 2, 1948, the first road race run since before World War II. The 6.6 mile circuit ran through the village streets, starting and ending in front of the Schuyler County Court House. To close the public roads for the event, it was necessary to have permits from six governmental entities; the state, county, village, Town of Reading, Town of Dix and the New York State Parks Commission.
It was also necessary to have a permit from the New York Central Railroad to stop the trains during the race, as the course crossed the tracks. The circuit was used for races from 1948 through 1952. Unchanged, it may be toured today as public roads. For those who were here in the early days, it is a sentimental journey. For those who have never been here, it is a lesson in motor racing history.
The landmarks listed below are also on our Map of the Original Circuit.
Map Credits
CREDITS:
1988: The Watkins-Montour Rotary Club establish the yellow brick posts at the Start/Finish line of the original circuit commemorating the 40th anniversary of the first Watkins Glen Grand Prix race.
1989: The Watkins Glen Grand Prix Historical Committee, working with the village, New York State Parks Commission and Watkins Glen International, develop the three panels of historical racing information at the Start/Finish line.
1990: Through the courtesy of the Glen Region of the Sports Car Club of America and in cooperation with the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Historical Committee, eight historical signs are placed on the original 6.6 mile circuit. The signs closely duplicate the original signs placed there in 1950 by the New York State Highway Dept.
THE GOAL of the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Historical Committee is to preserve the history of road racing at Watkins Glen, particularly the history of the 6.6 mile circuit and its relationship to the Village of Watkins Glen.
THE TOUR: Starting at the Start/Finish line on Franklin Street, drive 1/4 mile to Old Corning Hill Road, turn right, continue up the steep hill and bear to the right onto Townsend Road through White House S to School House Corner, take a sharp right downhill to cross Cornett’s Stone Bridge, and continue on following the Serpentine Road to Archy Smith’s Corner, turn right down the straight, over the railroad tracks leading to a mile long descent into the village, and turn right onto Franklin Street, back to the Start/Finish Line.
WHITE HOUSE “S” is located 1.3 miles from the start/finish line. It marks a series of uphill curves near where a white house stood in 1948. The house no longer exists. The name takes poetic license from White House Corner at the LeMans circuit in France.
THE COLLIER MONUMENT is located 2.3 miles from the start/finish line. It is a huge native granite boulder on which a bronze plaque bears the legend:
“Samuel Carner Collier 1912- 1950
crashed here while leading the Grand Prix 1950
Miles Collier 1914 -1954 Winner Grand Prix 1949″
SCHOOL HOUSE CORNER is located 2.7 miles from the start/finish line at the start of the dramatic, abrupt descent into the state park. On a knoll on the southwest corner is a structure that was once a one-room schoolhouse in 1948. Remodeled, it is now a private residence.
CORNETT’S STONE BRIDGE is 3 miles from the start/finish line. In the 1948 Junior Prix, Denver Cornett flipped his MG into the creek. He rolled it over, borrowed parts from his fellow competitors and was ready to race in the Grand Prix, finishing 7th.
ARCHY SMITH’S CORNER is located 3.7 miles from the start/finish line. The stucco house on the corner belonged to a dairy farmer named Archy Smith.
RAILROAD STRAIGHT is 4 miles from the start/finish line. It was a dirt road in 1948. Beyond the trees lining the road on the south side is a sheer cliff drop direct to the bottom of the Glen. Cars went at maximum speed on this stretch, braking for the bump at the rail road tracks, often resulting in an airborne vehicle.
FRIAR’S CURVE is 5 miles from the start/finish line, beginning the descent into the village. It receives its romantic name as it borders land owned by the Franciscan Brothers.
BIG BEND is 5.4 miles from the start/finish line. It offers a breathtaking view of Seneca Lake harbor. It offered a breath-taking experience for the driver with speeds exceeding maximum on the downhill descent.
MILLIKEN’S CORNER is 6.2 miles from the start/finish line. It was here, in 1948, that William Milliken of Buffalo overturned his Bugatti. He crawled out, unharmed, to the applause of spectators across the street.
START FINISH LINE – On Franklin Street accross the street from the courthouse is the marker showing the actual location of those first starts in 48 – 52.
Tech Inspection:
All race events begin with technical inspection, and the Grand Prix Festival is no exception. Smalley’s Garage, where the original scrutinizing was performed between 1948 and 1961, is the site for this festival reenactment event. Tech Inspection at Smalley’s Garage, located on Franklin Street (between 11th and 12th), begins at 9:30 a.m.
View Tech Inspection Reenactment Gallery
Walk of Fame:
Dedication ceremonies for new markers in the Drivers Walk of Fame begin at noon on the Courthouse lawn, adjacent to the original Start/Finish line of the race course. On-site dedications for each marker in the Walk of Fame are conducted throughout the day along the sidewalks of Franklin Street.
Walk of Fame Inductions Gallery
The Legends Speak:
Wander north on Franklin Street and then east on Fourth Street to the village’s beautiful and historic Lafayette Park before 2 p.m. to participate in The Legends Speak. This event provides spectators with a unique opportunity to listen to and engage with drivers and race officials from the early years of racing at Watkins Glen.
View Gallery of the Legends Speak
Watkins Glen Grand Prix Tribute:
Around 5:15p.m. things begin to heat up as vintage race cars begin to grid along Franklin Street. The SVRA Old Course Tribute Laps, a special race tribute honoring the SVRA and the cars that raced during the early days of street racing in Watkins Glen, will get the green flag at 5:30pm. You will feel the rumbling through the asphalt as 100 plus racing machines, representing five decades of racers, roar through the street doing laps of the original circuit!
