Racing through the streets!

Racing through the streets!. . , "The old circuit, [with] its varied corners and surfaces, made it unsurpassed as a challenge to car and driver.", With these words, Cameron R. Argetsinger, designer of the original road race circuit in Watkins Glen, described the arduous 6.6-mile course used for the first post-World War II American road races held in the village on October 2, 1948. The brick memorials on either side of Franklin Street in front of the Schuyler County Court House mark the location of the start-finish line for the premier Watkins Glen Sports Car Grand Prix. This inaugural race sparked a long history of hosting motorsports events and the racing community in the village of Watkins Glen and the surrounding area. Race officials waved green and checkered flags at this start-finish line from the first race in 1948 to 1952. Race participants drove the challenging course through the village, around the famous gorge in Watkins Glen State Park, and over rural roads to finish here on this spot., A heartbreaking accident at the start of the second lap of the 1952 Grand Prix killed a seven-year old local boy, Frank Fazzary, and injured 12 other spectators on the crowded race route through the village. The following year the road course moved outside the village's downtown, relocating to rural, town-maintained roads until a purpose-built track, now known as Watkins Glen International, opened four miles outside of Watkins Glen in 1956., Every race season from April to October, participants and spectators enjoy car club events, drivers' schools, product testing, and professional and amateur competitions held on the renowned track. Racing series such as Can-Am, Trans Am, Formula Libre, and Formula 5000, in addition to races sanctioned by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), IndyCar, International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), and Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA), have formed the track's diverse annual schedule. The United States Grand Prix, part of the prestigious international Formula One series, ran on the track from 1961 to 1980. It featured some of the greatest race drivers in the world including Mario Andretti, Jackie Stewart, Stirling Moss, Phil Hill, Mark Donohue, Francois Cevert, and Emerson Fittipaldi.