Making History at Watkins Glen - First raced upon its city streets, the village of Watkins Glen, New York has been hosting auto racing since 1948. Initially staged on a 6.6-mile street circuit, the same course was utilized through 1952, but was then closed due to an errant car leaving the track during the race that year, killing a number of spectators. In 1953, a new purpose-built racetrack was built on 550 acres of land that overlapped the original track. From that point forward, Watkins Glen International (as the venue is now known) has been a globally recognized motor racing circuit with the likes of Formula 1 (the USGP of Formula 1 ran there from 1961 through 1980), Can-Am, Formula 500, Trans-AM and CART all holding races at “The Glen”. Open wheel racing disappeared from the Watkins Glen circuit 25 years ago, finally returning in 2005 when the Indy Racing League IndyCar series placed the facility on it predominately oval-based racing series schedule.

On Sunday, July 8, 2007, the IndyCar Series returned to Watkins Glen to run a 60-lap, 204-mile race on the 11-turn, 3.37-mile roadcourse, stop 10 of the 17-race IndyCar tour. Leading the field at the start of the race was Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves, followed closely by Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti. The top three would run in the same order up to lap 15, when the leading trio all hit pit toad at the same time. Castroneves got out of his pit stall first, beating his two rivals back out onto the course. A handful of laps later, it would all go very wrong for Castroneves when he clobbered the wall and obliterated his car. He climbed from the shattered machine unscathed, but his race was certainly run. On lap 25, the race went back to green, with the eighth, ninth and 10th place cars of Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti, respectively, charging through pack in an effort to get to the front. By lap number 43, Target Chip Ganassi Racing racer Scott Dixon was out in front and leading the way, followed by IndyCar points leader Franchitti and Penske Racing’s Sam Hornish Junior. With 10 laps remaining and dark, ominous storm clouds gathering over the Watkins Glen circuit, Dixon continued to lead the way, while Hornish has moved into second. When the white flag was waved, it was beginning to spit down rain, yet Dixon kept charging, finishing off the final lap and winning the race over Hornish by over six seconds. It was Dixon’s third consecutive win at Watkins Glen International. Hornish was second overall, while Andretti Green Racing teammates Franchitti, Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti rounded out the top five.