6 Hours of Watkins Glen

The Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen is a sports car endurance race held annually Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York.

History

Along with the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring, the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen served as an American round of the World Sportscar Championship from 1968 to 1981, traditionally held during the summer. When the FIA chose not to return with the World Championship to the United States in 1982, the event was not held again until 1984, this time as an event for the American IMSA Camel GT Championship.

Under the control of IMSA, the event was radically altered and shortened. In the 1984 running, a break was actually held after three hours before the race began again and completed the next three hours. This event became known as the Camel Continental. A second event later in the year was also held lasting for just three hours or 500 kilometers, and was known as the New York 500. The Continental was modified once more in 1985, this time running sports prototypes in one three hour event, and grand tourer cars in a second three hour event. By 1986, the event was shortened altogether, and became a single 500 mile race, then shortened once more in 1987 to just 500 km.

For several years IMSA kept the Continental as a 500 km race for prototypes in the summer, and the 500 km New York 500 for grand tourers in autumn. IMSA chose to drop the New York 500 in 1992, retaining the Continental as an event just for prototypes until 1995. In 1996, IMSA chose to return the Watkins Glen event to its historic format and run the Six Hours at The Glen, combining prototypes and grand tourers once again.

By 1998, Watkins Glen had been bought by International Speedway Corporation, and the new owners chose to schedule the Six Hours as part of the new United States Road Racing Championship. This championship change was however short lived as the USSRC folded during the 1999 season prior to their second running at Watkins Glen, leaving no race held that year. In the wake of USRRC's collapse, the Grand American Road Racing Championship took control of the event, and have retained the Six Hours since 2000 as part of the Rolex Sports Car Series.

Race winners

ix hour winners

All races ran for six consecutive hours, except in 1984, when two three hour heats were run. The two heats were combined to declare an overall winner.

External links

* [http://www.theglen.com/ Watkins Glen International]
* [http://www.grand-am.com/rolex/ Rolex Sports Car Series]