Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen, set in the rolling countryside of upstate New York near the Finger Lakes, hosted the United States Grand Prix from 1961 to 1980 and became the long-time home of Formula 1 in America. Known affectionately as "The Glen," it was a fast, flowing, undulating road course beloved by drivers for its rhythm and its challenge, and it gave the championship a settled American base for two decades.

The circuit was famous for offering some of the richest prize money in motorsport, which helped guarantee strong fields and made the late-season race a coveted prize. As a traditional permanent road course rather than a stadium or street venue, it embodied an older era of Grand Prix racing, with trees, gradient and genuine speed defining every lap.

Champions and legends won here across its two decades, from Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart in the 1960s to Carlos Reutemann and Alan Jones at the end of the 1970s. By 1980, however, ageing facilities and safety concerns brought F1's stay at The Glen to a close, and the championship moved on, though the circuit endures as a fixture of American motorsport.