RACING IN NEW YORK STATE
The Wayne & Debra Freihofer Gallery - Second Floor
the 1950 Allard J2 in front of the museum - november 2020
Mark kinser wirtgen sprint car
1950 Allard j2 “Spike” in 2020.
The history of automobile racing in New York State dates back to 1896. It was then that six cars competed in the first auto race in State history. The race covered the distance from New York City to Irvington-on-Hudson and back, averaging 10 miles per hour. Around the turn of the 20th century, New York State served as one of the most popular starting or finishing points for cross-country endurance runs. Several of these were won by New York State build and based cars, like the 1908 New York to Paris race, won by the Thomas Flyer built in Buffalo. From then the Vanderbilt Cup became the pinnacle of racing in New York State.
Then in 1948, a sleepy town in Upstate New York gave racing the post-war revival it needed. Watkins Glen became the epicenter of road racing in the United States with the debut of the Watkins Glen Grand Prix. The Grand Prix eventually morphed into what is today’s Watkins Glen International.
The Museum honors the legacy of Racing in New York State by educating the public about the numerous races, drivers, cars and innovations that have all deep ties to New York.
VEHICLES CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY:
1935 Maserati V8RI “Poison Lil”
1950 Allard J2 “Spike”
1973 RCA MK IV Froumla Vee
1974 Carlin Black Label McLaren M16C/D IndyCar #73 - Driven by David Hobbs
1979 Budweiser McLaren M24B #4 - Driven by Johnny Rutherford
1985 STP Pontiac NASCAR - Driven by Richard Petty
1990s Mark Kinser Sprint Car
2009-2011 Dyson Racing Lola B09/86 -
American LeMans champion car
The Bridge Ford Midget race car
Please note: Some cars in the Museum may be removed from exhibit without notice, please call if you are coming to see a specific automobile/motorcycle.
The Allard’s original owner and racer, Erwin Goldschmidt, on the cover of sports car illustrated in 1958
1935 Maserati v8ri “posion ‘lil”