WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — As the NASCAR Cup Series makes its annual stop at Watkins Glen International this weekend, fans and drivers alike are celebrating the unique atmosphere that the track offers. The event kicks off Friday night with the Truck Series and culminates on Sunday with the Cup cars taking to the track.
Fans are drawn to Watkins Glen for more than just the racing. T.J. Hine, who was the tenth camper in line to enter the speedway, said, “I was tenth in line I only live half hour away, and you can’t really beat it I mean I want to be here early to have a good time and see everyone park in the campers.”
NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar, who drives the #77 car, echoed the sentiment, noting the enthusiasm of the fans. “I mean, you could tell when, really early in the weekend, you could tell how much they enjoy or want to be there when you see all the campers set up. And you know, they’re obviously very excited and passionate about racing,” he said.
For many, the event is about reconnecting with friends and making new ones. Jeff Salerno, a regular attendee, described the scene: “It’s kind of I’m not gonna say a free for all I just mean like people are just everywhere wandering around and everyone just kind of goes in and pops in for a half an hour and says hi and takes off.”
Ali Sharpe, a diehard NASCAR fan who has been attending for a decade, said, “We just love the Glen and so we’ve been to some other racetracks but the Glen is just a different atmosphere. We have neighbors that we can’t connect to every year we come and we have said for many years that they’re more like family than friends here.”
Despite a decline in NASCAR’s national viewership and attendance since its peak in the early 2000s, fans at Watkins Glen feel the track attendance remains strong. NASCAR reports an average attendance of around 100,000 people at the Glen, with last year’s race drawing 3.67 million viewers on NBC.
However, some fans cite affordability as a barrier to attendance. Scott Wank, attending for the fifth year, said, “Corporate America has just changed. And the cost of coming to a track is quite a bit.” Tim Johnson, a long-time camper since 1986, added, “I think it’s going down still, mostly because people can’t afford it. That’s $1000 just to get in here, let alone food and everything. People can’t do it.”
Yet, others like Doug Campisi, who has attended for seven years, see strong family participation. “But they are bringing the whole family, the whole family is involved, I mean it is fun to look at you got the four-year-old girl who has the big earphones on and it’s like wow she’s into it,” he said.
Terry Sharpe, marking his 40th consecutive year at the Glen, said, “I don’t remember it ever not being a sellout. It’s the best party atmosphere ever. Maybe comparable to Talladega or Daytona.”
Austin Cindric, the 2022 Daytona 500 winner, praised the passionate fans at Watkins Glen. “The diehard fans, I feel like that falls in that category of people that’ll be at Watkins Glen camping out, family traditions. Those types of things are really coming to mind for me. And you see a ton of campgrounds,” he said.
Fans attribute the track’s success to its wide range of camping options and the variety of races held over the weekend, making it a worthwhile experience.
