Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen International is in Dix, New York, just south-west of the village of Watkins Glen at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The circuit is run clockwise. Before it opened in 1956, races in and around the village had been held on public roads, starting in 1948.

The first permanent track was designed by Bill Milliken together with engineering professors from Cornell University. It measured about 3.78 km and stayed in use until 1970. Ahead of the 1971 race it was extended to 5.435 km with a new four-corner section known as the Boot. The track was also widened and resurfaced, and the pits and the start and finish line moved to a new straight. After François Cevert died in practice for the 1973 race, a fast right-left chicane was added to the Esses in 1975. It was known as the Scheckter Chicane and was removed later.

Formula One visited Watkins Glen for 20 consecutive years from 1961 to 1980. The 1961 United States Grand Prix, the final round of that season, was won by Innes Ireland in a Lotus. Jim Clark and Graham Hill each won three times here, and Carlos Reutemann twice. The Drivers' Championship was settled at Watkins Glen in 1970, 1974 and 1977. The final Grand Prix took place in 1980 and was won by Alan Jones for Williams. From 1981 the race was no longer on the calendar.

Besides Formula One, the venue hosted a number of other racing series. In 1992 an extra chicane was built on the back straight after several serious crashes, and the IndyCar Series returned to Watkins Glen in 2005.