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Watkins Glen, 1952
/Here's some really good video of the 1952 Grand Prix of Watkins Glen. The first half of the video is for the Queen Catherine Cup for small displacement cars. The last half of the video is from the infamous Grand Prix race that features several Allards. You will recall that this is the race where Fred Wacker accidentally hit a young boy that was standing too close to the course. This video includes footage of the cars stationary after the race was stopped.
Video: 1952 Watkins Glen
/Here's some cool color video from the infamous 1952 Watkins Glen race. The main event footage starts at the 3:00 mark...oh and you might want to turn the volume down.
The Crash - Watkins Glen 1952
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While going through our archives, I found this amazing piece of history. The photo above is a small excerpt from a full page spread in a magazine that we believe to be Life Magazine (unfortunately all we have are these pages). The story was likely published the week after the infamouos 1952 Watkins Glen Grand Prix in late September. In addition to the photo above, the story features a large, disturbing photo of the post-crash scene. To my knowledge, these photos have never been seen outside of this article. Click here or any of the photos to view the large (7MB) image. If you have any more info on this magazine, please let us know.
As you know, this accident had a dramatic effect on sports car racing in America. It highlighted how vulnerable spectators actually were and that their safety was critical. The aftermath of this unfortunate accident led to the creation of dedicated road courses and airport tracks that kept spectators at a safer distance.
Note: The story and photos have been posted without permission and will be removed upon request.
Update on 2011-08-20 05:37 by Colin
From Lindsey Parsons...
Those photos and article on the Wacker accident were indeed from page 34 and 35 of the Oct. 6, 1952 edition of LIFE magazine. If you look carefully at the picture, you will notice that Wacker's left door had been opened by the contact. At the time I was a spectator standing with friends about a quarter mile up the course on Old Corning Hill Road when the race leaders passed at full chat. Wacker's "Eight Ball" was surrounded by a bevy of Cunninghams but they all were definitely at full throttle climbing the hill. I am absolutely certain that Fred Wacker was totally unaware of the tragedy his "flick of the fender" caused back on Franklin Street. Although he appeared to be concentrating on his driving he was reaching out with his left hand on the left door trying to secure it closed when he passed us. When the cars passed from our view, he was still struggling with the door but was keeping up his position in the very rapid procession. Although I was intently watching Wacker specifically as he was a contending leader in a car I was about to order, I didn't notice any damage to the left side of the the car except for the door being unsecured. We were on the south side of the hill road so we had a a good view although a very short one of the left side of the Allard when it passed. I did wonder about that later but figured that I was so interested in Wacker's efforts to secure the door, I simply didn't notice what damage was done to the left rear fender. It couldn't have been much however as it clearly was not effecting the car's performance as it would have been if it was contacting the tire. As I recall, it was some time before we actually heard the reason the race so abruptly ended. One of the nearby flagmen heard it on the race radio he had with him.
Allard Register #56
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Click here or the image above to dowload issue #56 of the Allard Register. We hope you enjoy!
Video: Allards at Smalley's Garage Tech Inspection - Watkins Glen 2010
/Special thanks to the Allard Owners Club for sharing this link!
Video: Allards Preparing to Drive the Watkins Glen Old Course
/Special thanks to the Allard Owners Club for sharing this link!
Video: Allards Powering Up Old Corning Hill at Watkins Glen
/Special thanks to the Allard Owners Club for sharing this link!
Video: The Watkins Glen Old Course in a K3
/Video of Don Barron in his K3 driving the Old Course tour at the 2010 Watkins Glen Vintage Grand Prix. Special thanks to the Allard Owners Club for sharing this link!
The Glen in Ten - Recap
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(Click here to view David Hoopers photo gallery)
(Click here to view Peter Bowmans photo gallery)
Twenty-two Allards and upwards of fifty Allard owners, family members, and enthusiasts gathered at Watkins Glen on the 2nd weekend of September. Overseas visitors included Mike and Diana Knapman, David Hooper and Pat Lee from the UK; and Rob and Margie Boult from New Zealand.
Allards Rule at Watkins Glen
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By Bill Pollack
On September 10th twenty-two Allards assembled in this small village in upstate New York. They came from all over the United States, Canada and Great Britain with individuals from as far away as New Zealand. The gathering was to celebrate the victory sixty years ago by a J2 Allard driven by Erwin Goldschmidt. Allards have long since been an endangered species. Many of these Allard owners purchased their cars twenty or more years ago and the vehicles had become a part of the family. This exceptional group of people shared the Glen and its magnificent racing machines from vintage Sprites to 600 horsepower McLarens. As a guest of the Allard Owner’s Club I was privileged to experience this grand event. The following are some of my recollections of three exciting days.
Recollections from the 1952 Watkins Glen Grand Prix
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By Ed Reed
Reading about the plans underway for an Allard Gathering at Watkins Glen this September, in the Allard Register, brought back memories of the first time I attended the Grand Prix back in 1952, as a spectator. Little did I realize it would be the last year of the original road course.
Mark Your Calendars, the Allard's are Gathering at Watkins Glen!
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Plans are underway for an Allard Gathering at Watkins Glen this September to celebrate Erwin Goldschmidt’s win 60 years earlier. His car, along with many other Allards will be there to celebrate the event. Andy Picariello is organizing the event which will take place during the SVRA’s U.S. Vintage Grand Prix Festival this September 10-13. Many Allard special events will take place throughout the weekend, including a drive on the Old Course and a special display at the track. All Allard owners are encouraged to attend with their cars, whether racing or not. If you are interested in attending, please email Andy at afpic@cape.com with your contact information and if you intend to bring your car for race or show. Andy needs to get the SVRA an initial head count soon (for lodging and track space), so if you are interested, please contact him now (this is not a formal commitment!). Organizing an event like this takes a lot of work, so if you’d like to help Andy, please let him know! We look forward to seeing you there!
Click here if you are interested in attending!
Additional information:
Watkins Glen Web Site
Event Web Site
SVRA Web Site