Families, Competitors Alike Love the Opportunity to Race at Watkins Glen
By Holly Cain
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Traveling past sturdy red barns on vast green fields under bright blue skies, past roadside fresh egg, strawberry and firewood stands all working only on the honor system; beyond small, centuries-old family cemeteries located adjacent to old-fashioned wood-sided homes, many would argue this is the true heart of New York state. The setting, pure Americana.
Far from the bright lights of New York City’s famed Times Square and Broadway marquees four hours south, nestled upstate in the rolling hills alongside the Finger Lakes sits one of the most iconic auto racing destinations in the world: Watkins Glen International.
Today, the 3.4-mile road course is playing host to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the famed Sahlen Six Hours of The Glen. The longtime marquee sports car event has for decades brought in enthusiastic fans to the small but iconic village of Watkins Glen – many newcomers and many more loyal and longtime sports car devotees.
A huge banner across the two-lane road leading into the track welcomes all to this summer endurance race – an annual highlight on the IMSA schedule – whose scenic setting and distinctive vibe always delivers.
Watkins Glen International President Dawn Burlew is perpetually ready for race weekends – a calendar which also includes a popular NASCAR Cup Series race celebrating 40 years this year and just announced for next year, another sports car race weekend from SRO America.
A lifelong resident of the nearby village of Horseheads – named after a battle in America’s Revolutionary War – Burlew holds the track, the area, and the events close to her heart. She remembers when the current facility was first built in the 1980s and “the grass was taller than the guardrails.”
“This is my backyard,” Burlew said with a grin. And she’s not exaggerating.
She still lives a five-minute drive from her family’s longtime home. Literally one day after retiring from a successful career at the nearby Corning (Inc.) corporation, she started her tenure as Watkins Glen International President in January 2024 – the first woman to hold the position.
“I’m passionate about my area and staying close to my family,” said Burlew, who still cherishes watching the 5:30 a.m. sunrises across the hills and welcoming the enthusiastic crowds to a facility literally next door.
That familiarity of and lifelong love for Watkins Glen is evident. Only a couple months ago, a pair of European tourists showed up at the track midweek, detouring on a car ride from Philadelphia to Toronto. The two diehard race fans convinced Burlew to let them see the famous track they had long-appreciated long-distance. She even arranged for a pace car ride.
Not surprisingly, she’s spent substantial time this week welcoming visitors in the fan zone, handing out donuts for breakfast at her “Donuts with Dawn” event and making sure even the youngest fans are having a good time.
“There are similar crowds because they are all motor racing fans,” Burlew says of the vast IMSA and NASCAR crowds. “They are passionate about The Glen and passionate about motorsports.
“This week, the access is just incredible and I think that’s the golden ticket and why IMSA just continues to grow and grow every year.”
The trackside parking lots and car corrals are nearly as interesting as the diverse sports car paddock. They’re filled with makes and models from Porsche, Chevrolet, Ford, Lexus, Acura, Lamborghini and Ferrari among others.
The Allentown (Pa.) Area Corvette Club makes the four-hour drive from Pennsylvania to Watkins Glen for the IMSA race each year. About a dozen Corvettes in their club caravanned North this week with a designated “lead car, a middle car and caboose” – all with “mandatory walkie talkies” to communicate on the trek. They carefully park their prized cars behind the local hotel where they stay and meet up in the area’s most famous local restaurants for group dinners.
That includes a drive down Watkins Glen’s primary thoroughfare, Franklin Street, where the original 1948 race start-finish line is still painted on the street pavement. Souvenir stands crowd the sidewalks. A highlight of their trip – of anybody’s trip – is a visit to the famed Seneca Lodge for a cold brew or a good meal.
“We enjoy the race and cheer for the Corvettes, of course,” said 80-year-old David Horning, who has come to the Watkins Glen IMSA race for more than a decade.
The paddock is filled with fans marveling at not only the sophisticated design of the race cars, but that they can take advantage of the close-quarter access to both the cars and famed drivers who will race them.
Evan Gressler, 21, is making his fourth trip to Watkins Glen for the race – something he and his father Bill, 59, have now turned into tradition. Evan smiles recalling his first trip here from their Boston home when simply driving up to the track entrance, he could “hear the atmosphere.”
“I love the access; everything is literally right there in front of you,” Gressler said. “It’s like its own place, its own world almost.”
His friend, 21-year-old Sean Dandal, joined the father-son pair this week and is making his first trip to The Glen. He has also given his full approval to the full-sensory experience.
“I like fast cars and I like loud cars and there’s plenty of that here,” he said, smiling.
The drivers are equally as enthusiastic about this stop on the schedule. They seem to appreciate the region’s unique beauty, but also the town’s great historical racing significance.
Before Watkins Glen International came to be in his present form, Formula 1 held races in the downtown streets. Innes Ireland won the first ever race in 1961 driving a Lotus 21. The great Indianapolis 500 champion Emerson Fittipaldi won his very first F1 race here in 1970. His grandson, Pietro Fittipaldi, races this weekend in the No. 73 Pratt Miller Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 in Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2).
The late Tim Richmond won NASCAR’s first race at the new track in 1986 and NASCAR Hall of Famers Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are also multi-time Watkins Glen champions. New Zealander Shane Van Gisbergen won his second straight NASCAR Cup Series race here in May.
Joao Barbosa and Scott Pruett are tied for most overall IMSA wins at Watkins Glen with four each. Myers Riley Motorsports’ Felipe Fraga has three class wins among the current field, while Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing’s Ricky Taylor and Bryan Herta Autosport w/ PR1/Mathiasen driver Harry Tincknell lead this week’s field with two overall Watkins Glen trophies apiece.
Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Felipe Nasr is racing for his second overall win at The Glen this weekend – a place the Brazilian says he considers among the most special racetracks in the world.
“I love the area, I love the atmosphere here,” Nasr said. “It’s so peaceful. It reminds me of the countryside of Brazil, a lot. You’re surrounded by the trees, the forests, a huge lake nearby. It’s just beautiful.
“I appreciate it. We bring race cars to race but it’s also a great place to bring your family. I brought my fiancé here for the first time and she said the same thing, that it’s gorgeous. She really enjoys it.
“I think it’s the same impression I have every time I come here. I try to spend a little more time off the track every time, walk around town and grab a bite of dinner.
“The sports car fanbase is very strong here. I love Watkins Glen.”