Back to the Origins.(column)(International Motor Racing Research Center)(Column)

Byline: Kevin A. Wilson

Too much car clutter; too many books, credentials, race programs, models, photos, posters. Not enough room. Any collector of automobilia could have predicted this: The International Motor Racing Research Center at Watkins Glen, a meager five years old, already strains at its physical limits.

Attached to the town's public library, it has the expected whole bunch of books (2200), but there's much more. Films (more than 1000), videos, race programs, photographs, team records (anyone want to know Geoff Bodine's Cup car setup for the '96 race at the Glen?), press releases, magazines, the odd helmet, driving suit, goggles or gloves, art, audio recordings (on vinyl and tape), letters, autographs, etc. All that stuff dedicated racers and fans just know is too good to throw out gravitates to Watkins Glen in New York's Finger Lakes region.

"We're so young, but we've had so much success in attracting donations and acquisitions, so much international support, that we really do need to work on expansion,'' says Mark Steigerwald, the reference librarian in charge of the archives housed in a 5000-square-foot addition to the town library. Its lobby hosts many events and talks, and usually displays a car. Jochen Rindt's Lotus 49, which won the USGP here 35 years ago, was featured during this fall's Grand Prix Festival vintage races. I stopped by to see how things were going, and the answer was "busy as all get-out.'' MG racers were all over, gathered for the big Collier Cup race, and Bobby Rahal was stopping by to help run a fund-raising auction.

When Pete Lyons and I went to the Glen in 1998 for the 50th anniversary of the Watkins Glen Grand Prix, there were opening ceremonies for the IMRRC (most folk just call it the Racing Archives, which is the website name, racingarchives.org). Credit the Argetsingers and the Bishops and the Colliers and many others who had a hand in creating road racing in America and more recently set out to preserve its history. Steigerwald was still finishing his ...