Watkins Glen International
| The Glen | |
|---|---|
  Long course at Watkins Glen International
|
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| Location | Watkins Glen, New York |
| Time zone | UTC−5 / −4 (DST) |
| Coordinates | 42°20′13″N 76°55′38″W / 42.33694°N 76.92722°WCoordinates: 42°20′13″N 76°55′38″W / 42.33694°N 76.92722°W |
| Capacity | 38,900 |
| FIA Grade | 2 |
| Owner | International Speedway Corporation |
| Operator | International Speedway Corporation |
| Opened | permanent circuit in 1956 |
| Former names | Watkins Glen Grand Prix Circuit |
| Major events |
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at The Glen NASCAR Xfinity Series Zippo 200 at The Glen IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen IndyCar Series Indy Grand Prix at The Glen Formerly: Formula One United States Grand Prix (1961–1980) NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (1996-2000) |
| Grand Prix Course (with Inner Loop) (1992–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt and concrete |
| Length | 3.40 mi (5.43 km) |
| Turns | 11 |
| Lap record | 1:22.5259 (Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing -No.9 Chevrolet- Chevrolet, 2016, IndyCar Series) |
| Short Course (with Inner Loop) (1992–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.454 mi (3.949 km) |
| Turns | 8 |
| Lap record | 1:05.437 (David Porter, Pescarolo 01 Judd, 2015, LMP1) |
| Grand Prix course (1971–1974, 1986–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 3.4 mi (5.4 km) |
| Turns | 11 |
| Lap record | 1:34.161 (Drake Olson, Eagle HF-89, 1990, IMSA) |
| Grand Prix course (with Esses Chicane) (1975–1985) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 3.4 mi (5.4 km) |
| Turns | 11 |
| Lap record | 1:33.291 (Bruno Giacomelli, Alfa Romeo 179, 1980, F1) |
| First permanent course (1956–1970) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.35 mi (3.78 km) |
| Turns | 8 |
| Lap record | 1:02.74 (Jacky Ickx, Ferrari 312B, 1970, F1) |
| Original public road course (1948–1952) | |
| Surface | Asphalt, cobbles, concrete, wood, dirt, steel |
| Length | 6.6 mi (10.622 km) |
| Turns | 28 (approximately) |
| Website | www |
Watkins Glen International (nicknamed "The Glen") is an automobile race track located in Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. It was long known around the world as the home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for twenty consecutive years (1961–1980), but the site has been home to road racing of nearly every class, including the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the International Motor Sports Association and the IndyCar Series.
Initially, public roads in the village were used for the race course. In 1956 a permanent circuit for the race was built. In 1968 the race was extended to six hours, becoming the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. The circuit's current layout has more or less been the same since 1971, although a chicane was installed at the uphill Esses in 1975 to slow cars through these corners, where there was a fatality during practice at the 1973 United States Grand Prix. The chicane was removed in 1985, but another chicane called the "Inner Loop" was installed in 1992 after a fatal accident during the previous year's NASCAR Winston Cup event.
The circuit is known as the Mecca of North American road racing and is a very popular venue among fans and drivers. The facility is currently owned by International Speedway Corporation.
The circuit also has been the site of music concerts: the 1973 Summer Jam, featuring The Allman Brothers Band, the Grateful Dead and The Band and attended by 600,000 fans, and two Phish festivals: Super Ball IX in 2011 and Magnaball in 2015.
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