POSTCARD FROM America

JOHN OREOVICZ reports on a knife-edge finish for Acura in the Watkins Glen 6 Hours, while NASCAR hops the border to Mexico

- JOHN OREOVICZ

This month’s Postcard... comes datemarked Watkins Glen, a scenic village in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York. It’s best known for the racetrack now called Watkins

Glen International, which hosted the United States Grand Prix from 1961-80. ‘The Glen’ was a popular destination for the F1 crowd; its position in the latter part of the schedule created a laid-back atmosphere and end-of-term vibe, and a purse considerably richer than any other F1 race certainly didn’t hurt.

When Bernie Ecclestone transformed the economics of Formula 1, Watkins Glen was unable to maintain its position on the calendar. IndyCar, in the early stages of the CART era, failed to catch on. That left it down to NASCAR to save the iconic racetrack. The Bud at The Glen Cup Series race inaugurated in 1984 and quickly grew in popularity, NASCAR’s road course equivalent to Talladega in terms of the scope of its camping scene.

For some 30 years, Watkins Glen was one of only two road races on the 36-race Cup schedule. The France family’s International Speedway Corporation wing (now folded into NASCAR) has now managed the track for more than 40 years, and the NASCAR event on the 2.45-mile original short course is joined by a six-hour IMSA sports car race on the full 3.45-mile circuit.