WATKINS GLEN — Evel Knievel’s mesmerizing leaps and stunts made for must-see TV and captured global attention throughout the 1970s and ‘80s. Despite his passing almost 18 years ago at the age of 69, Knievel remains an icon whose legacy will be promoted this weekend at Watkins Glen International by Rick Ware Racing.
RWR team owner Rick Ware, a Los Angeles native who grew up amid Southern California’s car culture, which included everything from hot rods at Pomona, stock cars, sports cars and Indy cars at Riverside, and motorcycles that ripped around the dirt at Ascot, saw Knievel’s rise to prominence in person and in real time.
Today, as an owner who fields entries across multiple motorsports disciplines, Ware ensures that Knievel’s place in Americana remains strong. He secured a marketing partnership with the Knievel Family and is using Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at The Glen to promote the soon-to-be-opened Evel Knievel Museum in Las Vegas.
“Evel Knievel didn’t just ride a motorcycle — he flew it,” said Ware in a press release, owner of the No. 51 Ford Mustang Dark Horse that his son, Cody, drives in the Cup Series. “I remember watching him jump buses, fountains, anything you could line up in front of him, and he made it a must-see event every time. I didn’t just see it on television, I was there. His career was filled with jaw-dropping moments that people will never forget. Being able to promote the Evel Knievel Museum in Las Vegas through our race team is our way of keeping those legendary feats front and center.”
Following Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen, one more racing suit gets added to the collection — Cody Ware’s firesuit, which mimics the iconic design of Knievel’s leathers and will be worn in Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen.
“Never in a million years would I have ever thought a firesuit of mine would be in any museum, let alone the Evel Knievel Museum,” said the 29-year-old Ware, who will make his 130th career Cup Series start on Sunday. “To have just a fraction of a percent of all the history that will be in the Evel Knievel Museum is a true honor. It will be a really cool opportunity to see it in person when it opens in the spring.”
While the plaques below Knievel’s suits will list how far he traveled when he purposely sailed himself through the air, Ware aims to keep the anecdotes of his firesuit simple and, most importantly, grounded.
“We want to keep at least two wheels on the ground throughout each lap at The Glen,” Ware said.
The 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course and its undulating layout rewards the aggressive.
“Watkins Glen has a lot of elevation changes, more so than other road courses we visit,” Ware said. “It’s definitely a place where the commitment factor and the confidence level have to be high.
“You have a lot of elevation change in the first couple of corners,” Ware continued. “You get a little bit of a break from that going through the bus stop and then into the carousel, but then you have a lot of elevation change going into the short chute.”
Before becoming a Cup Series regular, Ware raced sports cars. On his way to becoming the 2014 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Rookie of the Year, Ware scored his first victory at Watkins Glen.
“We ran the full course in the Super Trofeo cars, so it was definitely a little bit different from the Cup car,” Ware said. “I think the long course is just a little too technical. There are a couple of places where it’s really slow through there that just wouldn’t make for great racing in a Cup car, so it’s the right call running the short course at Watkins Glen. We just run the carousel straight into the short chute, and I think that layout is way better for stock cars.
“There’s nothing like racing a stock car at Watkins Glen. It’s definitely the most fun car to drive there, for sure.
“Almost every corner is an opportunity for passing. It’s a very wide track with a lot of grip. You can run offline fairly easily at Watkins Glen, so turn one, going into the bus stop, going into the carousel, going into the lefthander after the short chute, you have a lot of opportunities to pass around the whole racetrack. To be able to do that is what makes racing at Watkins Glen so good.”
