Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course
Status unknownStatus unknown Closed, but nobody has checked how much of the site survives, or the exact spot was never found.
Also known as Glen Drag-way (planned)
- Nathan Hughes set a track record of 123.967 MPH on August 11, 1957
- A planned $890,000 Glen Drag-way got NHRA sanction in 1970 but was never built
- Raced
- 1957-58
- State
- New York
- What's left
- How much of the site survives hasn't been checked yet.
- First race
- July 1, 1957
- Track
- 1/4 mile
- Location
- Straightaway of the Watkins Glen Grand Prix course
- People
- John Nellis, strip manager (1958)
- Frank Smalley, president, Watkins Glen Drag-Way, Inc. (planned strip) (1969-72)
- Sanction
- NASCAR
- Elevation
- 1,593 ft (486 m)
- Coordinates
- 42.33737, -76.92686
On July 1, 1957, Watkins Glen held the first of eight NASCAR-sanctioned quarter-mile drag races on its straightaway, and a track record of 103.333 MPH was set. The July 14 meet planned 30 classes and about 100 entries. On August 11, Nathan Hughes of Corning won Master Eliminator for top time with a track record of 123.967 MPH in his Arden-powered Merc. Another race followed on August 25. NASCAR named John Nellis of Geneva strip manager in 1958, when trophies were given in 26 classes.
In 1969 plans were announced for a first-class strip called Glen Drag-way, a quarter mile northeast of the grand prix course, to open in 1970. Frank Smalley was president of Watkins Glen Drag-Way, Inc. Money was raised, land cleared and test holes bored, and NHRA granted sanction in 1970 when the project had barely left the drawing board. The $890,000 strip was then hoped to be done in 1972, but it was never built.
Background
Watkins Glen International, known as The Glen, sits just southwest of the village at the south end of Seneca Lake. It opened in 1956 to replace races held on public roads, hosted the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix every year from 1961 to 1980, and is owned by NASCAR today.
