87-546: The Chevrolet Corvette GTP was an American Grand Touring Prototype -class sports prototype racing car which successfully participated in the IMSA Camel GT from 1984 until 1989. The car was professionally fielded in competition as General Motors ' Chevrolet Corvette C4 official factory team effort in the IMSA GTP class. Prior to 1984, Chevrolet naturally aspirated V8s and Buick turbocharged V6s were popular engines in
174-557: A naturally-aspirated , 10.2-liter 4-cam, 32-valve, V8 Big Block Chevrolet to take on large manufacturers at Le Mans. The car was slightly modified to the point that Eagle chose to rename it the Eagle 700 . Beyond the modifications necessary to house the large V8 engine internally, the car remained the same as it was run in IMSA series, including a short-tail design that GM had been developing for 1989. Hu8811-01 has been returned to its original state as
261-488: A 150-mile (240 km) race on the weekend of the Camel Continental, won by Terry Labonte, who would be a master of the circuit during its Busch Series races, winning the inaugural race, and winning three consecutive races from 1995 until 1997. The 1995 race would be the first conducted as a 200-mile (320 km) race, and became the first Busch Series race to be televised on broadcast network television, as CBS broadcast
348-571: A TV contract with IMSA to televise the entire USCC season between 2014 and 2018. Later, on September 12, 2013, Tudor was announced as the title sponsor for the series, which was named the United SportsCar Championship. On August 8, 2015, WeatherTech was announced as the new title sponsor for the series, renaming the series to the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, starting with the 2016 season. Beginning with
435-562: A V8-powered chassis design, only two of the seven were designed for V-8 engines. Although, during 1986–87, GM did install 366 CID V8 engines in two of the V6 chassis. T710-HU01 T711-HU02 T86/10-HU01 T86/10-HU02 T86/12-HU03 T87/10-HU01 T88/11-HU01 IMSA SportsCar Championship The IMSA SportsCar Championship , currently known as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship under sponsorship,
522-454: A dispute with track owner ISC. In June 2011, Tony Stewart and Lewis Hamilton participated in the "Mobil 1 Seat Swap". Stewart drove his No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevy for four laps around the circuit while Hamilton drove the MP4-23 , Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 's entry in the 2008 Formula One season . After some time, both drivers swapped cars and drove more laps around the circuit. The event was open to
609-479: A fast right-left chicane to slow speeds in the turn 3-4 Esses section. Dubbed the " Scheckter Chicane", it was eliminated in 1985. In the early 1990s, the IMSA sports cars bypassed the "Boot" in favor of the short course. NASCAR events have never used the Boot layout. The "Long/Boot" course was slightly lengthened in 1992 (see "Inner Loop" below). In the mid-2000s, the Boot segment, which had seen little use in many years,
696-583: A fire destroyed the recently remodeled Glen Club situated on top of the esses. Originally called the Onyx Club (named for the sponsor, Onyx Cologne), the Glen Club was used primarily as an upscale venue for race fans. After being recently remodeled, it was advertised as a social venue for locals for weddings, business meetings, etc. No cause could be determined, and the building was a total loss. The loss included irreplaceable, unique original motorsport artwork donated to
783-480: A left-hand turn, and back onto the old track. In addition, the circuit was widened and resurfaced. The pits and start-finish line were moved back before the northwest right-angle corner known as "The 90". In 1975, a fast right-left chicane was added to slow speeds through the series of corners in the Esses section. Despite the improvements, the circuit was unsafe for the increasingly faster and stiffer ground effect cars of
870-530: A long layoff, holding one of only three road races on its schedule (two beginning in 1988), using the 1971 Six Hours course, raced when the new section off the Loop-Chute was not finished in time. As the cars come off the Loop-Chute, instead of making the downhill left into Turn 6, the cars shot straight through the straight and headed toward Turn 10, as was the case from 1961 until 1970. NASCAR Busch Series (now called Xfinity Series ) action would arrive in 1991 with
957-489: A new control tower, which includes booths for the officials, timing and scoring, television and radio (the new position allows broadcasters to see more action from Turn 10 through the foot of the Esses), and the public address announcer on top of the new front stretch grandstand, moving the start-finish line farther ahead of the bridge, as the start-finish line is moved 380 feet (120 m) farther toward The 90 in order to accommodate
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#17328701450421044-445: A new shorter tail section. In 1987 two more chassis were added to the GM racing team fleet. The first, designated T86/12, used an active suspension system that would allow the car to alter its suspension stiffness during the race. The second chassis was a 1987-specification T87/10 which retained the turbocharged V6 power plant, but also ran both a Chevrolet Corvette race-spec V8. Following
1131-425: A place where Cup Series cars would bounce high off the curbing, creating an ideal opportunity for cars to lose control and to slow cars. Other areas of the track received improvements: the exits of turn 2 (the bottom of the esses), the chicane, turn 6 (the entrance to the boot), turn 9, and turn 11 all had additional runoff areas created and safety barrier upgrades. The carousel runoff was paved, and turn 1 (the 90), and
1218-478: A short stint of problems, the duo finished fourth and seventh at Portland, followed quickly by a lone third at Sears Point. One final third came in the streets of San Antonio before Hendrick closed the season with a series of problems. However, problems at Jaguar helped Chevrolet secure second in the manufacturers championship, once again losing to Porsche. By 1988, the Corvette GTPs were becoming more consistent as
1305-461: A short tail layout and dual element rear wing. Following the successful first full season for the Corvette GTP in 1985, GM added two new chassis for 1986. Termed T86/10, the new cars featured evolved bodywork but remained essentially unchanged for the start of the season. The biggest difference was chassis HU01 sported a naturally aspirated V8, while chassis HU02 maintained the V6 power, but received
1392-652: Is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada and organized by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). It is a result of a merger between two existing North American sports car racing series, the American Le Mans Series and Rolex Sports Car Series . At its inception, the name was United SportsCar Championship , which subsequently changed to IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2016. Rolex SA 's Tudor brand
1479-413: Is needed. Race Services Inc. provides the track with volunteers to work Fire-Rescue, Medical, Grid personnel, and Corner workers to help keep drivers and spectators safe. The Argetsinger family is an advisor to the circuit. The track named the trophy for the inaugural Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix presented by Argent in honor of the late patriarch, Cameron. On Tuesday, March 6, 2007, just before 9 pm,
1566-415: Is now the third part of the four-part North American Endurance Cup series. In 1997, International Speedway Corporation became the sole owner of the course, as Corning Enterprises believed they had completed their intended goals to rebuild the race track and increase tourism in the southern Finger Lakes region of New York State. The circuit annually hosts one of the nation's premier vintage events,
1653-596: The 12 Hours of Sebring . American Le Mans CEO Scott Atherton announced the new sanctioning body would remain IMSA while Ed Bennett revealed the new titles for the series' five classes. SME Branding Senior Partner Ed O'Hara then announced the new United SportsCar Racing title and logo, a name submitted through a contest won by Louis Satterlee of Florida, a racer in the Florida Karting Championship Series. On August 9, 2013, Fox Sports 1 announced it had signed
1740-541: The 12 Hours of Sebring . This was followed by a string of failures at Charlotte, Mid-Ohio , and Watkins Glen . By mid-season Hendrick Motorsports debuted their factory-backed team with GM Goodwrench sponsorship and leading driver David Hobbs . The team did not finish any races by the end of the season, although Lee Racing did rebound to score seventh-, eighth- and tenth-place finishes for the season. Into 1986, Hendrick Motorsports and Lee Racing continued their campaign with mixed results. Although both teams failed to finish
1827-520: The Braselton -based International Motor Sports Association , and as such, both bodies would merge their premiere sports car series, the Rolex Sports Car Series and American Le Mans Series respectively, with plans to debut in 2014. On November 20, 2012, the merger committee announced that SME Branding were selected to develop the name, logo and identity of the new series. On January 8, 2013,
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#17328701450421914-637: The Formula Libre races from 1958 to 1960. Among the drivers participating were Jack Brabham , Stirling Moss , Phil Hill , and Dan Gurney . After two editions of the Formula One United States Grand Prix that were deemed less than successful ( Sebring in 1959 , and Riverside in 1960 ), promoters were looking for a new venue to become the permanent home for the United States Grand Prix. In 1961, just six weeks before
2001-611: The United SportsCar Championship after the merger and is somewhat comparable to the old Trans Am Series . There are four classes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship series, featuring two sports prototype categories and two grand tourer classes. Some races may only use selected classes of cars, for example: Any class car may be permitted entry at Daytona , while at the Northeast Grand Prix only
2088-585: The Zippo U.S. Vintage Grand Prix . When the fiftieth anniversary of road racing in Watkins Glen was celebrated during the 1998 racing season, this event was the climax, returning many original cars and drivers to the original 6.6-mile (10.6 km) street circuit through the village during the Grand Prix Festival Race Reenactment. After a 25-year layoff, major-league open-wheel racing returned to
2175-423: The "Boot" layout (long course) and the "NASCAR" layout (short course). The first races in Watkins Glen were organized by Cameron Argetsinger , whose family had a summer home in the area. With local Chamber of Commerce approval and SCCA sanction, the first Watkins Glen Grand Prix took place in 1948 on a 6.600-mile (10.622 km) course over local public roads. For the first few years, the races passed through
2262-628: The "Loop" at the end of the backstretch. During the 1989 Budweiser at the Glen, Geoff Bodine blew a tire at the end of the backstretch. He broke into a hard spin and sailed straight off the track, crashing head-on into the barrier. In 1991, during the IMSA Camel Continental VIII , Tommy Kendall 's Intrepid RM-1 prototype crashed in the Loop, severely injuring his legs. Seven weeks later, NASCAR Winston Cup driver J. D. McDuffie died in an accident at
2349-416: The 2014 season, the track cleaned out a storage barn on track property when the original Dunlop Bridge was found. The bridge was initially used as a VIP area for Dunlop until being moved for use as the starters stand years later. It was taken down and replaced by a new starters stand during renovations in 2006. The bridge was put back up at the exit to the 90 near the original location where it once stood near
2436-685: The 2017 Le Mans Prototype LMP2 cars. Previously, the DPi's had competed against their base LMP2 counterparts in the Prototype class from 2017 to 2018. Starting in 2019 the LMP2 cars were split into a separate class. The Prototype class had originally consisted of Grand-Am 's Daytona Prototypes with the American Le Mans Series LMP2 prototypes , and the DeltaWing , before the original Daytona Prototypes, and
2523-544: The 2019 season, the series is covered exclusively by NBC Sports in the United States. The NBC broadcast network will air nine hours of coverage annually, with the majority of the coverage airing on NBCSN . CNBC and the NBC Sports app will provide supplemental coverage. Beginning with 2022, USA Network replaced NBCSN as the cable home to the series. Originally based on a Canadian series before being acquired by Grand-Am,
2610-602: The American Le Mans Series would remain unchanged, while Grand-Am's GT class will form another GT class, and be combined with the American Le Mans GTC category. The only category of cars not represented in the new series is the American Le Mans Series' P1 category. The reveal date for the new series was March 14, 2013 at the Chateau Élan Hotel and Conference Center at Sebring International Raceway , two days before
2697-440: The Boot segments were not complete, nor was the new pit area. The 1971 Six Hours race was run on the short course layout. That layout colloquially became known as the 1971 Six Hours Course. In addition, for 1971 only, the cars used the original start/finish line and the old pits. When NASCAR returned to the track in 1986, it used the short course layout. IMSA initially used the "Boot", but eventually, that series also began using
Chevrolet Corvette GTP - Misplaced Pages Continue
2784-483: The Busch-Nationwide Series race, the "Zippo 200". The NASCAR Cup Series race became known as "The Heluva Good! Sour Cream dips at the Glen". Additionally, Brad Penn lubricants of Pennsylvania (former Kendall Oil refinery) was announced as the sponsor of the annual vintage sports car weekend for 2007 and 2008. IndyCar took a six-year hiatus from the facility when the series pulled out of the Glen after 2010 due to
2871-571: The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (originally known as Grand-Am Cup) is a production-based touring car series. The series is split into two classes known as Grand Sport (GS), intended for large capacity GT-style cars, and Street Tuner (ST), consisting of smaller sedans and coupes, some of which are front-wheel drive . The IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge until 2013 supported some Rolex Series races but also headlined some of its own dates. This series continued with
2958-427: The Corvette GTP project, and Hendrick Motorsport did not return to IMSA GT. Peerless Racing intended to continue through the 1989 season eventually finishing only one race, in 4th place at Watkins Glen. The Peerless car then was used by Eagle Performance which outfitted the chassis with their enormous 10.2-liter (4-cam, 32-valve) V8 Big Block Chevrolet engine unit, experimenting with this new setup Eagle intended to enter
3045-473: The Corvette GTP's second victory on the streets of Palm Beach , defeating a Porsche 962 by four tenths of a second. The 1986 season would see the only two first-place finishes by a Corvette GTP during their racing career. Hendrick started 1987 the same way they had 1986, failing to finish the first race of the season, mixed with relatively strong finishes, even suffering from a fire during the Miami event. Following
3132-498: The Corvette GTP. Following testing on an older Lola T600 equipped with a Chevrolet V8, an all new car was built, identified as the T710. The first chassis was delivered to General Motors in 1984 and outfitted with a 3.4-litre turbocharged V6 built by Ryan Falconer, a destroked version of the 4.3-liter Chevrolet V6. A second chassis, known as T711 used a Chevrolet Corvette C4 -derived 5.7-liter naturally aspirated V8 developing 800 hp, and
3219-566: The DPi class (2019–2022), it features pro-am driver lineups. The class features cars built by Automobile Club de l'Ouest 's (ACO) 4 licensed manufacturers ( Riley - Multimatic , Ligier , Oreca and Dallara ) to the specifications of the FIA /ACO 2017 Global LMP2 regulations. A class that utilizes the FIA GT3 specifications that replaced the GTLM class starting in the 2022 Season. No driver class restriction in
3306-720: The DeltaWing were phased out of competition at the end of 2016, and replaced by the new DPi cars. Starting in 2023, the DPi class was replaced by the Grand Touring Prototype ( GTP ) class in an effort to further improve the racing in the Prototype class, as well as create a closer bond to the FIA World Endurance Championship . The former flagship class of the championship from 2014 to 2018 before splitting into two separate classes in 2019, featuring cars built to which included classes of prototypes carried over from
3393-570: The FIA GT series staged a 500 km race of three hours with some USRRC entrants after USRRC canceled the last two rounds of their season before their six-hour event at the track. The following year, the six-hour race returned once again with the newly founded Grand American Road Racing Association (Grand-Am) sanctioning the event. The event is now sanctioned by IMSA with the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship . The six-hour race
3480-532: The GT Daytona Pro (GTD Pro) and GT Daytona (GTD) are entered. Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) and Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) classes are compatible with regulations for the 24 Hours of Le Mans . The flagship class of the championship that replaced the DPi (Daytona Prototype International) class starting in 2023, featuring cars built to IMSA's LMDh and Automobile Club de l'Ouest 's Le Mans Hypercar regulations. A class introduced since 2019 after being split from
3567-574: The GTD Pro class. A class since 2016 that uses same specification cars as GTD Pro, but at least 1 silver or bronze driver must be in a team. And more than 1 platinum driver in a team is prohibited. There were five classes formerly used in the IMSA SportsCar Championship series, featuring four sports prototype categories and one grand tourer class. The former flagship class of the championship from 2019 to 2022, featuring cars built to IMSA's Daytona Prototype International regulations, which are based upon
Chevrolet Corvette GTP - Misplaced Pages Continue
3654-663: The GTP class for privateer teams. General Motors (GM) saw the opportunity to enter the IMSA GT Championship for themselves in the 1984 season in competing against Jaguar , Porsche , Nissan and Mazda , but more importantly to expand and explore the limits of the V8 and V6 engine programs. General Motors' Chevrolet Corvette C4 race engineering team developed the car partnering with Lola Cars International , who had previous experience building cars for Mazda, to build their own chassis dubbed
3741-470: The Grand Prix era, as it was extended from 2.35 mi (3.78 km) to 3.377 mi (5.435 km) by the addition of four corners in a new section called the 'Boot' or 'Anvil'. The new layout departed from the old course near the south end into a curling downhill left-hand turn through the woods. The track followed the edge of the hillside to two consecutive right-hand turns, over an exciting blind crest to
3828-611: The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, this class of prototypes features cars built according to ACO's 2020 LMP3 Generation II ruleset specifications from manufacturers such as Ligier , ADESS , Ginetta & Duqueine Engineering. The class was removed after the 2023 season due to the growth in grid sizes. A continuation of the ALMS GT class, it consisted of cars matching the ACO's GTE specification and competed in
3915-451: The Six Hours sportscar race also began using the full "Boot" layout. By that time, nearly all facility improvements were completed. The pits and start/finish line were permanently moved to the new pit straight. In 1973, French driver François Cevert , a previous winner at the Glen, died in a crash during practice at the 1973 United States Grand Prix . This led course officials in 1975 to add
4002-404: The abandonment of the project at the end of 1988 by General Motors, Peerless Racing purchased a new Corvette GTP from the factory, and it was campaigned in a partial season effort in 1989. After that season the decision was made to take Peerless' car into international racing, entering the 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans . The car was used as a platform for 'Eagle Performance Engines' in an attempt to use
4089-449: The bane of many professional media members during those years with many uncomplimentary things published and broadcast about its inadequacies, especially the lack of insulation, air conditioning, few (if any) amenities that other facilities had, which resulted in race control moving to the new control tower at the start-finish line in 2006. Plans were made to move the new media center back to allow an entire 43-car NASCAR grid. Other changes to
4176-415: The car in the 24 Hours of Le Mans which was not successful as the car did not qualify in the night qualifying session due to an electrical problem, thus marking the end of the Corvette GTP. In total, seven cars were built under the Corvette GTP program. Each chassis has a different designation and number, the '10' in the chassis number indicates a car designed for GM's turbocharged V6, while '11' indicates
4263-683: The day after the first Saturday in July. However, the race was eliminated from the schedule after the 2001 season, only to return in 2005 as an undercard to the Nextel Cup race. A pair of incidents in 1991 resulted in a massive overhaul of the circuit's safety. During the IMSA Camel Continental VIII, Tommy Kendall 's prototype crashed in Turn 5, severely injuring his legs. Seven weeks later, NASCAR Cup Series driver J. D. McDuffie died in an accident at
4350-404: The esses were paved in the winter of 2006–07. Augmenting what was already in place along the front stretch, additional high safety fences were installed on the overpasses crossing the service roads at the top of the esses and just out of the boot immediately after the exit of turn 9. Another overhaul for 2006 made fundamental changes to the circuit for the first time since 1992. Officials installed
4437-432: The facility by several artists and other racing memorabilia. Glen officials were quoted in local media stories as being adamant that the loss of the Glen Club would not affect the 2007 racing schedule. For 2007, Watkins Glen International again improved the facility, specifically the track surface. All of turns 1 (the "90"), 5 (the "Loop-Chute") and 6 (entry turn into the "Boot") were repaved. A temporary "Glen Club" replaced
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#17328701450424524-462: The first three races of the season, Hendrick took the first victory for the Corvette GTP at Road Atlanta for Doc Bundy and Sarel van der Merwe. However, by that time Lee Racing abandoned their effort. Hendrick continued and had a fourth-place finish at Charlotte, seventh at Lime Rock , and third at Mid-Ohio . A third Corvette GTP Lola chassis entered the season in May and campaigned by Hendricks would take
4611-469: The following season in 2019. This was a one-make spec class in which all cars that drivers and teams used were Oreca FLM09 LMPC's powered by 6.2L Chevrolet V8 engines which made 430 hp each. This class would be used from the 2014 season until the end of the 2017 season. Introduced in the 2021 season, having been in the IMSA Prototype Challenge category as one of the feeder series to
4698-712: The heart of the town with spectators lining the sidewalks. However, after a car driven by Fred Wacker left the road in the 1952 race, killing seven-year-old Frank Fazzari and injuring several others, the race was moved to a new location on a wooded hilltop southwest of town. The original course is listed in the New York State Register and National Register of Historic Places as the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Course, 1948–1952 . The second layout (4.600 miles (7.403 km)) began use in 1953 and also used existing roads. The Watkins Glen Grand Prix Corporation
4785-432: The infrastructure included the purchase of adjoining property. Most of Bronson Hill Road was incorporated as a service road to the facility. A new section of Bronson Hill leading up from NY 414 was built as the main ingress road to the facility, bending south at Gate 6 and continuing to County Road 16, just south of the credentials and sheriff's office buildings. Track safety also is constantly changing, and constant training
4872-412: The job everything he had. Once the cars had taken their places, Hopkins strode across the front of the grid with his back to the field, turned, and jumped into the air while waving the national flag to start the race. He would similarly meet the winner at the finish, this time waving the checkered flag as the car crossed the line. Before the 1971 race , the course underwent its most significant changes of
4959-486: The late 1970s. A few horrendous, sometimes fatal accidents occurred (such as those that claimed the lives of Helmut Koinigg and François Cevert ). Increasingly rowdy segments of the crowd began to tarnish its image as well. Finally, in May 1981, several months after Alan Jones had won the 1980 race for Williams , the International Auto Sports Federation removed the race from its schedule because
5046-445: The new Peerless Racing squad, using the newest Corvette GTP chassis. Peerless took fourth place at Columbus, followed closely behind by Hendrick in fifth. Hendrick closed the season with a fifth at Del Mar. Chevrolet however finished fourth in championship. The Peerless Team had such notable drivers as David Hobbs, Jack Baldwin, Jacque Villeneuve & Scott Goodyear. After the 1988 season, General Motors chose to cancel their funding for
5133-437: The new timing and scoring post. The new start-finish line also meant the starting lights used for club races were moved farther ahead, creating more action off Turn 11 as tactics changed with the later finish line, where slingshot moves could become paramount to the finish. A new media center was constructed to replace the former building, which also had been the control tower with the 1971 improvements. The aging structure had been
5220-469: The newly crowned World Champion, and Hill appeared only as the event's Grand Marshal. The United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen quickly became an autumnal tradition as huge crowds of knowledgeable racing fans flocked to Upstate New York each year amid the region's spectacular autumn leaf color . The race was also among the most popular on the global Grand Prix calendar with the teams and drivers because its starting and prize money often exceeded those of
5307-537: The old layout, curling left-hand downhill through the woods. The track followed the edge of the hillside to two uphill right-hand turns, over an exciting blind crest into a right-hand turn, down and up into a left-hand turn rejoining the old track. The new layout measured 3.377 miles (5.435 km); with its intrinsic link to the Formula One race, it became known colloquially as the Grand Prix Circuit . For 1972,
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#17328701450425394-465: The original start/finish line for the track and is now once again used for VIP use by companies on race weekends, with the company sponsoring the bridge. After the 2014 racing season, it was announced that the 2015 racing season would conclude with the NASCAR weekend in early August. This was to allow for a complete repaving of the track. The repave involved removing the entire racing surface. In some places,
5481-519: The other races combined. The race received the Grand Prix Drivers' Association award for the best organized and best staged GP of the season in 1965 , 1970 , and 1972 . One fixture of the USGP at Watkins Glen was the starter for the races, Richard Norman "Tex" Hopkins. Hopkins was the most recognizable starter in Grand Prix racing, wearing a lavender suit, clenching a big cigar in his mouth, and giving
5568-462: The permanent structure destroyed by fire at the races in 2007, which was replaced with another permanent building. New sponsors for both the INDY and NASCAR weekends were signed to multi-year deals. Camping World became the sponsor of the "Camping World Grand Prix" INDY weekend at the Glen through 2010. The NASCAR weekend at the Glen received a double shot—Zippo Manufacturing announced a three-year extension of
5655-607: The previous motorsport category series of the American Le Mans Series and the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series . These cars were Daytona Prototypes , LMP2 prototypes & the Nissan DeltaWing . Starting in 2017 the original Daytona Prototypes, and the DeltaWing were phased out of competition, and replaced by the new DPi cars. At the end of the 2018 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season this class would be split into two separate classes, DPi & LMP2 for
5742-544: The public, and it was hoped that it would renew interest in the track. Before this event, the curbs on some of the turns were changed, the white rumble strips being replaced by the more common, red-white designs seen on most road courses around the world. In July 2011, WGI hosted a Phish concert. This is the first concert that WGI has held since the Summer Jam. In October 2012, the track suffered damage from Hurricane Sandy , with damage reported to be up to $ 50,000. Prior to
5829-496: The race live until TNN took over in 1997. Only twice—1998 and 1999—did a Busch Series regular driver win the race. The first seven races were won by Winston Cup Series regular drivers, sometimes referred to as " Buschwhackers ", during their off-week. In 1998, the race went against the Cup race in Sonoma, California, eliminating the idea, and stayed that way until 2000. In 2001, the race was run
5916-632: The same since 1971, with minor modifications after the fatal crashes of François Cevert ( 1973 ) and J.D. McDuffie ( 1991 ). The site has also hosted several music concerts: the 1973 Summer Jam , featuring The Allman Brothers Band , the Grateful Dead , and The Band and was attended by 600,000 fans; and two Phish festivals: Super Ball IX in 2011 and Magnaball in 2015. The Watkins Glen International racecourse has undergone several changes over time, with five general layouts widely recognized over its history. Currently, two distinct layouts are used:
6003-495: The same site during the 1991 Budweiser at The Glen . Before the 1992 season, track officials constructed a bus stop chicane along the back straight just before the Loop. Dubbed the "Inner Loop", it led into what was now being called the "Outer Loop." This addition slightly increased the lap distance for both layouts. Along with the annual SCCA race, the track hosted its first professional race ( NASCAR Grand National Division ) in 1957. It hosted its first international event with
6090-674: The same site in the 1991 Budweiser at the Glen. Track officials added a bus stop chicane to the back straight in Spring 1992. In 1996, the Glen Continental reverted to a six-hour format, again called the Six Hours at the Glen with the IMSA format, and stayed there until a split in American sports car racing. In 1998, the race became an event sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America under their United States Road Racing Championship . In 1999,
6177-421: The same weekend (e.g., Six Hours and Can-Am) and drew sizable crowds. However, without a Formula One race, the circuit struggled to survive. It finally declared bankruptcy and closed in 1981. The track was not well maintained for two years and hosted only a few SCCA meets without spectators. In 1983, Corning Enterprises, a subsidiary of nearby Corning , partnered with International Speedway Corporation to purchase
6264-479: The scheduled date for another Formula Libre race that fall, Argetsinger was tapped to prepare Watkins Glen for the final round of the Formula One World Championship . While many of the necessary preparations had already been made, new pits were constructed to satisfy international standards of pit boxes with overhead cover. Seven American drivers participated, and the 1961 United States Grand Prix
6351-545: The series between the 2014 and 2021 seasons. Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen International , nicknamed " The Glen ", is an automobile race track in the northeastern United States , located in Dix, New York , just southwest of the village of Watkins Glen , at the southern tip of Seneca Lake . It is long known around the world as the former home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix , which it hosted for twenty consecutive years ( 1961 – 1980 ). In addition,
6438-475: The shorter 1971 layout. The short course was slightly lengthened in 1992 (see "Inner Loop" below). The most significant change to the track, a new segment known as "The Boot", was finished in time for the Formula One race in 1971. The start-finish line was moved to the new pit straight as planned. At the end of the backstretch, after the Loop-Chute, cars swept left into a new four-turn complex that departed from
6525-562: The site has also been home to road racing of nearly every class, including the World Sportscar Championship , Trans-Am , Can-Am , NASCAR Cup Series , the International Motor Sports Association , and the IndyCar Series . The facility is currently owned by NASCAR . The course was opened in 1956 to host auto races previously held on public roads in and around the village. The circuit's current layout has more or less been
6612-485: The sports car race was extended to six hours. The circuit underwent a major overhaul for the 1971 season. The "Big Bend" and the turns leading up to it were eliminated and replaced with a new pit straight. The pits and start/finish line were moved to this new straightaway. "The 90" now became Turn 1 instead of Turn 8. When the 1971 Six Hours of Watkins Glen arrived in July 1971, the overall circuit renovations were still unfinished. The short course had been finished, but
6699-426: The team managed to overcome their mechanical woes, helped by the use of the naturally aspirated V8s. The season again began with an eighth-place finish at Road Atlanta be the first finish by a Corvette GTP that season. A seventh at Lime Rock and Mid-Ohio was followed by a third at Watkins Glen, tenth at Road America, and finally ninth at Sears Point. It was late in the season before the two Hendrick cars were joined by
6786-444: The track and rename it Watkins Glen International. The renovated track, with the chicane at the bottom of the Esses removed, reopened in 1984 with the return of IMSA with the Camel Continental I, which would be conducted until 1995, with the last two years under the name "The Glen Continental" after Camel's withdrawal from IMSA. (The event was numbered with Roman numerals.) In 1986, the top NASCAR series returned to Watkins Glen after
6873-511: The track as one of three road courses on the 2005 Indy Racing League schedule . In preparation, the circuit was overhauled again. Grandstands from Pennsylvania's Nazareth Speedway , which had closed, were installed, the gravel in The 90 was removed and replaced with a paved runoff area, and curbing was cut down for the Indy Racing League event. Previously, the high curbing in the chicane had become
6960-615: The track had failed to pay its $ 800,000 debt to the teams. The Glen hosted a variety of other events throughout the Grand Prix years: from Can-Am, Trans-Am, IROC , and Endurance Sports car racing, to Formula 5000 and the CART series, these races strengthened the circuit's reputation as the premier road racing facility in the United States. From 1968 through 1981 , the "Six Hours at The Glen" endurance race featured top drivers such as Mario Andretti , Jacky Ickx , Pedro Rodríguez , and Derek Bell . Different races were sometimes featured together on
7047-462: The two series' announced a preliminary class structure for the new merged series. Grand-Am's Daytona Prototype category and IMSA's P2 would combine into a single-prototype class, with allowances for the unique DeltaWing to also compete in the new class. The Le Mans Prototype Challenge class of single spec cars from the American Le Mans Series would continue as is, although the cars were to switch to Grand-Am's Continental Tires . The GT class of
7134-413: Was campaigned by Lee Racing. The cars featured bodywork similar to a Chevrolet Corvette C4 at the front, with a long pontoon-style tail featuring Corvette tail lights. Large side intakes would feed the radiators while the V6 turbocharged chassis had a snorkel built into the top of the fender to feed the turbocharger. Body evolution over the next few years included a change to the side intake and exploring
7221-509: Was formed to manage spectators, parking, and concessions ; this arrangement lasted three years. The first permanent course, known as the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course was constructed on 550 acres (2.2 km ), overlapping part of the previous street course. Designed by Bill Milliken and engineering professors from Cornell University , the 2.350-mile (3.782 km) layout was used from 1956 to 1970. In 1968,
7308-513: Was raced by Peerless Racing in the IMSA Series in Bud livery but the monster Eagle engine remains with the car as part of its racing and Corvette history. For 1985, the first Corvette GTP chassis was initially given to Lee Racing for its debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona but suffered gearbox problems and did not finish. This was followed by a seventh-place finish at Miami, then another failure to finish at
7395-495: Was repaved and upgraded. When the IndyCar Series returned to Watkins Glen starting in 2005, they used the Boot segment. The entire course was repaved in 2015. There has been a renewed interest and appreciation of the full Grand Prix Course layout in recent years. Consideration had even been made for NASCAR to start using the Boot. The most recent significant change to the course was made in 1992, after several serious crashes at
7482-579: Was the championship's title sponsor in 2014 and 2015, and since 2016 WeatherTech has served as title sponsor. The season begins with its premier race, the Rolex 24 at Daytona , the last weekend of January and ends with the Petit Le Mans , another North American Endurance Cup race, in early October. On September 5, 2012, it was announced that the Grand-Am Road Racing sanctioning body would merge with
7569-528: Was won by British driver Innes Ireland in a Lotus-Climax. American Dan Gurney driving a Porsche 718 placed second. Having already won both Driver's and Constructor's World Championships and still mourning the death of Wolfgang von Trips at the 1961 Italian Grand Prix , Ferrari decided not to compete in the United States GP. Ferrari's decision not to travel to the United States for the season's final round deprived Hill of participating in his home race as
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