If you’ve ever stood at the top of the Esses at Watkins Glen International, you know that sound. It isn't just a roar. It’s a physical weight that hits your chest when a pack of stock cars or IMSA prototypes dives into that uphill climb. People call this place "The Glen," but for anyone who actually follows the sport, it’s basically the Vatican of North American road racing. It sits up there in the Finger Lakes region of New York, surrounded by wineries and waterfalls, looking somewhat peaceful until the engines start.
The race at Watkins Glen is weirdly different from your standard NASCAR oval experience. Honestly, it’s probably the most European track we have that still feels distinctly American. It started on actual dirt and paved streets back in 1948, which is just wild to think about now. Cameron Argetsinger, the guy who basically birthed the idea, just wanted to see Ferraris and Alfas tearing through his local village. They literally raced past the courthouse. You can still drive the original 6.6-mile street circuit today, though I wouldn't recommend doing 100 mph past the local park like they used to.
The Evolution of the Concrete Jungle
The transition from public roads to a permanent circuit in 1956 saved the event. It had to happen. Racing on streets is romantic until someone gets hurt, and a tragic accident in 1952 made it clear that the "street" era was over. The permanent track was a masterstroke of design. It’s fast. It’s terrifyingly fast. Most tracks have these massive runoff areas now where you can make a mistake and just drive back on. Not here. At The Glen, you have blue guardrails that feel like they’re leaning in, just waiting for a tire to get too close.
NASCAR didn't just show up and dominate immediately. The race at Watkins Glen was the home of the United States Grand Prix for twenty years. From 1961 to 1980, this was where legends like Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, and James Hunt came to prove they could handle American grit. But Formula 1 eventually outgrew the facility—or the facility didn't keep up with the money F1 demanded—and the track almost died. It actually went bankrupt in the early 80s. Corning Glass Works basically stepped in to save it, partnering with International Speedway Corporation to bring NASCAR to the hollowed-out shell of the facility in 1986.
Tim Richmond won that first "modern" NASCAR race. It changed everything. Suddenly, the "good ol' boys" were turning right, and the fans loved the chaos.
Why the Demographics of the Stands are Shifting
When you look at the crowd during a race at Watkins Glen, you're seeing a snapshot of how racing is trying to change. Historically, NASCAR has struggled with diversity—that's no secret. For decades, the stands at most tracks were overwhelmingly white. However, The Glen sits in a unique geographic position. You’re pulling fans from Toronto, New York City, Philadelphia, and Rochester.
According to NASCAR’s own fan engagement data from recent seasons, the road course audience tends to skew slightly younger and more urban than the traditional "South" oval demographic. While the national NASCAR fan base has hovered around 20-25% non-white in various market studies, Watkins Glen often sees a higher influx of international fans, specifically from Canada. The "Drive for Diversity" program has also started to show face on the grid. Bubba Wallace, the most prominent Black driver in the series, has had to learn the nuances of road racing here, which is a massive departure from the short tracks of his youth.
Daniel Suárez, a Mexican-born driver, actually took his first career Cup win at a road course (Sonoma), and his presence has noticeably increased the Hispanic fan turnout at New York's premier track. You’ll see the "Daniel’s Amigos" shirts scattered through the grandstands. It's a slow shift. Realistically, racing is still an expensive sport with high barriers to entry, which affects racial and socioeconomic participation across the board. But the race at Watkins Glen acts as a bridge. It feels less like a regional fair and more like a global sporting event.
The Technical Nightmare of the "Inner Loop"
Let’s talk about the "Bus Stop."
Drivers hate it and love it. Formally called the Inner Loop, this chicane was added in 1992 after a series of horrific accidents at the end of the backstretch, most notably the one that took the life of JD McDuffie in 1991. You’re coming off a long, high-speed straightaway, and suddenly you have to hop curbs like a madman.
If you get it right, you gain a tenth of a second.
If you get it wrong, you’re nose-first into a barrier.
The Glen is one of the few places where "track limits" aren't just a suggestion policed by sensors; they're policed by gravity and physics. You can't just wide-open-throttle your way through the carousel. It requires a delicate touch. You’ve got to balance the car on the edge of a knife while dealing with elevation changes that make your stomach drop.
What Actually Happens During a Race Weekend
It is loud. It is dusty. It is usually incredibly hot.
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Most people don't realize that the race at Watkins Glen is a multi-day endurance test for the fans, too. You aren't just sitting in a seat for three hours. If you're doing it right, you’re camping in the infield. The "Bog" used to be this legendary, lawless place in the 70s where people literally burned buses for fun. The authorities have cleaned it up since then—thankfully—but that spirit of "anything goes" still hums under the surface.
You’ll see $500,000 motorhomes parked next to rusted-out trucks with tents in the back. That’s the magic of it.
The stats for the modern era are dominated by "road course ringers," or at least they used to be. It used to be that NASCAR would bring in specialists just for this one weekend. Now, guys like Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson have become so good at road racing that the specialists can't keep up. Chase Elliott, in particular, has turned the race at Watkins Glen into his personal playground, winning back-to-back in 2018 and 2019. His 2018 win was massive—his first ever—and the fans literally pushed his car to victory lane after he ran out of gas.
Looking Toward the Future of the Glen
There’s always talk about whether F1 will ever come back. Probably not. The "Grade 1" FIA certification required for F1 would likely strip away the character that makes the track great. It would mean more pavement, more runoff, and less of the "blue hell" guardrails.
But the track isn't stagnant. We’re seeing more electrification in the support series. We’re seeing better accessibility. The economic impact of a single race weekend at The Glen is estimated to be over $200 million for the New York region. That’s a lot of pressure on a small town of 2,000 people.
If you're planning on going, you need to understand that this isn't a "show up at green flag" kind of place. You go for the history. You go because you want to see if the current generation of drivers can handle the same turns that Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart tackled, just with 3,400 pounds of American steel instead of a light-weight open-wheeler.
How to Experience Watkins Glen Properly
Don't just buy a grandstand ticket. That's the biggest mistake rookies make.
- Walk the track. Go to the "Laces" or the "Toe" of the boot (if they’re using the long course configuration for IMSA). Seeing the elevation change in person is the only way to respect how hard these drivers are working.
- Visit the International Motor Racing Research Center. It’s in the town of Watkins Glen, not at the track. It’s a quiet building full of every book, map, and photo ever taken of the circuit. It’s where the "soul" of the race lives.
- Check the weather twice. The Finger Lakes create their own micro-climate. It can be 90 degrees at the start/finish line and raining at the back of the track.
- Watch the "over-unders." Because the track is so narrow, passing usually happens by "setting someone up." Look for a driver who takes a wide entry into Turn 1 to get a better exit for the uphill climb. That's where the race is won.
The race at Watkins Glen remains a cornerstone of the schedule because it refuses to be easy. It's a high-speed chess match played with sledgehammers. Whether it's the diversity of the crowd or the sheer terror of the Esses, it represents the best of what American racing can be when it stops turning left.
To get the most out of the next event, book your accommodation in Horseheads or Elmira at least six months in advance. If you're looking for the best view without a pass, the Jackie Stewart Grandstand offers a sightline of the start, the pit exit, and the entry into the primary passing zone. Monitor the official NASCAR or IMSA apps for live telemetry during the race, as seeing the brake pressure and gear shifts in real-time makes the complexity of the Inner Loop much more apparent. Stand near the fence during a restart; the sound of forty cars downshifting simultaneously into Turn 1 is a sensory experience you won't find at any other track in the world.