Legends of Motorsports Momentum Continues to Build at Watkins Glen
Fickle Weather Fails to Dampen Spirits of Historic Racing Faithful
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 14, 2010) – Legends of Motorsports, a Bobby Rahal Signature Event, completed the second outing of its inaugural season at historic Watkins Glen International. A celebration of all things 1970’s, the weekend featured live music, disco dance parties, autograph sessions, a fan forum and beautiful historic cars from across the country, including a full field of F5000 cars.
Though rain and fog caused delays in Sunday’s schedule, it never stopped fans from getting an up-close look at the cherished cars that chose to compete in Legends of Motorsports’ sophomore event; cars like the Can-Am race-winning 1968 McLaren M6-B driven by Robert Ryan, or the 1974 Porsche 911 RSR which David Friedman drove to the IMSA GT race victory. Porsche, which was the featured marque, also collected wins in Group C with Zak Brown behind the wheel of a 1986 Porsche 962 and in Thunder and Lightning, where Rob Hurley won in a 1966 Porsche 911. Formula 5000 was the only race that had to be cancelled due to dense fog. The win was awarded to Saturday’s qualifying race winner, Steve Davis in a 1969 Eagle Mk5. Marc Giroux closed out the weekend with a Formula Libre win in a 1997 Lola T97/20.
“It was unfortunate that the weather did not cooperate on Sunday,” said series co-founder and 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal. “That was the only glitch this weekend. We had an amazing field of cars come out for our second event and the spectators really enjoyed the live music, autograph sessions, track touring and fan forum.”
Legendary drivers complemented the legendary cars and played a big role in the weekend. In addition to Rahal himself, Sam Posey, Bobby Brown and Doc Bundy were also on hand, as was celebrated Porsche driver Vic Elford, who served as the event Grand Marshal.
“Even with the rain and the fog it’s been a wonderful weekend,” Elford, the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring winner said. “The public is receptive and everyone is enjoying it.
“Legends of Motorsports is getting people more involved. It’s more fan friendly, more user friendly. I think it’s going to be great.”
A fan forum led by Elford was one of many activities open to spectators at Watkins Glen. Track touring was offered as were autograph sessions and paddock tours. The Fan Zone featured children’s’ activities, live music, wine tastings and a movie tent playing classic racing films. To re-create the 70’s, a Grateful Dead cover band played Friday evening and a Disco Dance Fever party took place Saturday night, complete with a costume contest where the best dressed male and female, Dr. Allan Robbins and Lisa Eblocker, were each awarded a trip to Orlando.
“I spent a lot of time in the campgrounds speaking with our fans and they absolutely loved this weekend,” said Michael Printup, President of Watkins Glen International. “It was a great event because it featured Bobby Rahal and a rolling museum of truly classic race cars. This event was really a homecoming for many of the cars as they raced here in their prime during the 1960s and 1970s. There really is nothing better than having these historic cars on our legendary road course.”
Legends of Motorsports will keep riding the wave of positive momentum into its third event at Circuit Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada, July 9 – 11. There, surrounded by the Laurentian Mountains, in the resort village of Tremblant, Legends of Motorsports will celebrate the “Legends of Quebec” as well as the Ferrari marque.
For full race results and video from the Legends of Motorsports weekend at Watkins Glen International or to register for future races, visit www.legendsofmotorsports.com. A full gallery of imagery from the weekend can be found at www.flickr.com/legendsofmotorsports.
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About Legends of Motorsports
Legends of Motorsports is a premium race series owned by Historic Motorsports Productions LLC (‘HMP’). Specifically, Legends of Motorsports is an annual series of premium historic racing events and related lifestyle experiences staged at historic North American venues. Based in Zionsville, Indiana, HMP’s principal owners are racers and businessmen Bobby Rahal, Peter Stoneberg and Zak Brown. Additional equity investors in HMP include Spire Capital Partners and Just Marketing International, which provides comprehensive strategy, marketing, public relations, and event logistics services to the venture. For more information, please visit HMP on the web at www.legendsofmotorsports.com or by calling (317) 344-1998. Follow Legends of Motorsports:
Twitter (Legends_Msports)
Facebook (www.facebook.com/LegendsofMotorsports)
FlickR (www.flickr.com/legendsofmotorsports)
About Watkins Glen International®:
Located in Upstate New York, Watkins Glen International’s rich history started over 60 years ago, when the first post- World War II road race ran on the village streets in 1948. For 30 years, “The Glen” became a household name in the world of motorsports hosting prestigious racing series such as Can-Am, Trans-Am and CART. Formula 1 ran at the historic track for almost 20 years (1961-1980), during the U.S. Grand Prix when racing became legendary. Today events taking place at the renowned road-course continue to make history. For the tens of thousands of fans that visit The Soul of American Road Racing each year, the excitement of watching an event at the premier road racing facility in North America is an experience that lasts. Visit www.TheGlen.com for tickets and more information.
