visiting watkins glen

A walk through the streets of Watkins Glen in 1950 would have revealed this Simca 8. Photo by Frank Shaffer.

In this article we have combined recent images of the town of Watkins Glen as it is today with never before published photos of a walk through the town in 1949 and 1950.

By Pete Vack with historic photos by Frank Shaffer

Visiting Watkins Glen is taking a walk—and a drive–through the history of American sportscar racing. Through the efforts of the late Cameron Argetsinger, road racing in U.S. began right here; you can tour the original, dangerous, yet beautiful circuit, virtually unchanged in 59 years. The original and complete circuit consisting of public roads has been not only preserved but protected under the National Register of Historic Places.