I'm headed to the Glen in June. First time there.

Where are the best views to be found around the course? Anything I should watch out for?

Wife is coming as well, so camping is out. We have a B&B a few miles away.
Zach

You really want to see the entire track but its a long walk, and there are areas where you can't get close enough for a good view of the action.
Watching a pack of cars coming up the hill, out of the esses and headed for the bus stop chicane is the most exciting IMO as that's the highest speed part of the track.
If the long course is being used, watching cars come down the hill and through the boot laces is pretty good.
The infield grandstand between the last two turns should offer some exciting views as well.
More of the track is probably visible from the main straight grandstands than any other vantage point but the action mostly occurs at either end of the straight, not in the middle.

I agree with Chris...there are grandstands at the top of the esses to watch and are a really good vantage point.
there is a tunnel between the last two turns that puts you near the heel of the boot, then another that gets you into the inside of the 'boot' area, so you can get to where Chris said about watching them come down the hill into the boot (called the laces of the boot)

there are also grandstands just outside the track at the last turn before going onto the front straight that are pretty good.

Be prepared to walk a lot. The track is HUGE

But the BEST vantage point is behind the wheel of a car Watkins Glen is one of the greatest tracks to drive...anywhere....if you have any chance to get touring laps or anything like that...take it!

From inside a 914 Race Car

What dates? I'm there for Potomac PCA DE June 19, 20, 21.....

My car was underpowered for this event, and Watkins Glen is a horsepower circuit.
I had about 140 fhp, the MG more than 160.
Nationally competitive F Prod 914-4 engines can put out in excess of 180.
The black & white 914-6 had more than 200 fhp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmwlAK7k10A

Man, you had me squirming in my chair...and my right foot was pressed as far as it could go! Amazed at how deep you can get into turns. 914s ROCK!

See

My third race ever was at Watkins Glen, when Papa Smurf had a 2L/6 engine.
Chris looks (and I'm sure is..) much faster than me!

Sorry for the poor video...Sony Handycam...way before HD.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET-56tOjFi0

If you want to experience what its like to go FAST around Watkins Glen....Here's Leh Keen in a PCA race. He did not qualify so he started in the back. Remember, these guys are the fast cars!!
Chris, not sure if you've seen this...very entertaining. Notice some of his passes..."YOU CAN'T DO THAT" I tell myself sometimes when I watch this!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyM-egecTlw

I'll be there June 25-28th for the 6 hour Tudor race.
Birthday present from my awesome wife. :-)

Zach

F1 Watkins Glen '66,the sound was awesome,the place out in the wilds.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6K78YKA9UE
Nice lap. Never get tired of that drive.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=watkins+glen...339%3B229%3B164
https://www.google.ca/search?q=watkins+glen...ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ
https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Watkins+Gl...c40c4181091258b

Friend took the blimp from Akron to the Glen a few years later as his dad was at Goodyear.
The same Lotus was on display in the British Exhibit at Expo67 the following summer.
(Anyone know what the rules are regarding RC microcopters at race events?)

Complete trust.

I can tell you about the Track too, but since I'm originally from there I can tell other things. Exercise your knee and walk the Watkins Glen Gorge, visit some of local wineries. The Watkins Glen International Racing Research Library is cool (I'm a Member) - get a Map of the original Circuit there and then go drive it! Boat Tours on Seneca Lake, Corning Glass Museum, my parents old house where I grew up, etc

TC is exactly right. We used to go up to the Glen for vacation long before we got into cars...in fact, one of the times we were there we stayed at a little motel and a bunch of Porsche's came in at the end of the day. I started talking to the guys and they were at this thing called a 'Drivers Ed' weekend up at the track...I didn't even know there WAS a track!! We were there for the wineries....who knew???

Even now, when we go for a race (pro or club) we go a day or so early to visit some of our favorites, walk the Glen Gorge, and eat at some of the cool new restaurants in town. Area is getting some awesome craft breweries too!!

Enjoy!!

Being a competitor, I never realized just how good the spectator vistas were there; over 20 years at the track and I never left the paddock or pits! But a few years ago we did a Koni/Continental race the same weekend as IndyCars and I spent the Sunday checking out the place.

Wicked cool.

Turn 1 outside bleachers are excellent for seeing cars come out of T11, down the front straight, into T1 and through T2 and into the Esses.

The bleachers on driver's right in the Esses are a great place to watch them come out of T2 and set up a pass into the Bus Stop ("Chicane", "Inner Loop", whatever).

The downstream end of the Bus Stop is wicked cool, you get to watch them set up a pass on the straight and then take it going into the chicane...and then see if they can hold into to it existing the chicane and into/through the Outer Loop.

Walk/drive through the tunnel into the Boot, and walk around its perimeter. Plenty of good spot to see them going through the ankle, into and through the toe, up through the sole and heel.

Bleachers on driver's right for exiting the boot (or coming through the Short Course), then T10/T11.

Earth berms driver's left T11 (either from driving inside the boot or across the T11 bridge) to watch them come out to T10, through T11, and down the front straight.

Finally, the front straight bleachers give you a good view of T10/11, front straight, T1, and some limited viz of T2 through Esses.

Personally, I prefer to wanted the whole track during the day and check out all these places. Each has its own plusses and it's a fantastic spectator track. Wish they'd bring back F1!

That was fun to ride along.
He appeared to trust his equipment totally - based on how close he got to others under braking - yet at the same time, didn't seem to be driving all that hard.

This is why Leh now gets paid to drive...races the Weathertech Porsche....
Man among boys...though in that video I think he was only like 24ish

Are there any spots where you can sit on a hill or get a vantage not blocked by fences for photography?

We are going to head up Thursday, and probably spend Friday touring the area (winerys, gorge, etc). Head to the track Saturday and scout for spaces and watch the race Sunday.

Zach

There are fences (FIA & Nascar mandated) everywhere. You can get high enough in the grandstands to get shots with a good lens. To get closer you need a Press/Photo Pass.

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