Watkins Glen Grand Prix Course, 1948-1952 National Register of Historic Places Listing

Nothing but raw speed. In 1948, a local law school graduate named Cameron Argetsinger persuaded the village of Watkins Glen to close its streets for a sports car race, resurrecting European-style road racing on American soil. Drivers practically flew over a brutal 6.6-mile circuit of public roads. It was incredibly dangerous. They raced over asphalt, dirt, loose gravel, and a stone bridge, even bouncing across New York Central railroad tracks. Spectators stood inches from the passing cars, lining the sidewalks of Franklin Street. No guardrails existed.

That first race in October 1948 drew twenty-three cars. Frank Griswold won. He drove a pre-war Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B, roaring past cheering crowds who had never seen anything like it. But the party ended badly in 1952. Fred Wacker's Allard J2 brushed the Franklin Street curb, plunging into the crowd. The crash killed seven-year-old spectator Thomas Cooney and injured twelve others, which forced organizers to abandon the street course forever. The era died instantly. Still, those original six-point-six miles defined modern American road racing.