Watkins Glen International

So here's the thing about Watkins Glen International-it's basically the place where American road racing grew up. And I mean that literally. The first races in Watkins Glen were organized by Cameron Argetsinger, whose family had a summer home in the area, and the first Watkins Glen Grand Prix took place in 1948 on a 6.600-mile course over local public roads. Picture this: cars screaming through the actual streets of a small village, spectators lining the sidewalks. Wild, right?

But then tragedy struck. After a car driven by Fred Wacker left the road in the 1952 race, killing seven-year-old Frank Fazzari and injuring several others, the race was moved to a new location on a wooded hilltop southwest of town. That's when things got serious, and the track we know today started taking shape.

What makes The Glen special isn't just its history-though hosting the Formula One United States Grand Prix for twenty consecutive years (1961-1980) is nothing to sneeze at. It's that this place has seen basically every major racing series you can think of. NASCAR? Check. IMSA? Absolutely. IndyCar? Been there. The site has been home to road racing of nearly every class, including the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, NASCAR, the International Motor Sports Association, and the IndyCar Series.

And get this-Watkins Glen International's popularity within the NASCAR community has exploded in recent years, as evidenced by the facility being named America's Best NASCAR Track on four occasions by readers of USA Today. Four times! That's not a fluke.

The track itself is kind of a beast. Cars navigate as many twists and turns as the track has gone through in its history around the 2.45-mile track. There's this famous section called The Esses that's basically become iconic in motorsports. Drivers either love it or it humbles them-there's not much middle ground.

But here's what's really cool: you don't have to be a professional driver to experience it. Visitors can drive three escorted laps around this storied road course while piloting their personal vehicle around the 3.45-mile Grand Prix circuit, paced by an official Watkins Glen International pace car. For 40 bucks, you're driving the same track where legends like Mario Andretti, Tony Stewart, and Mark Martin made history. Notice how that's basically the price of a decent dinner, but you're getting a once-in-a-lifetime experience?

The location helps too. Watkins Glen International is located in Dix, New York, just southwest of the village of Watkins Glen for which it is named, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. So you've got this incredible racing facility smack in the middle of Finger Lakes wine country. After watching cars hit 180 mph, you can literally go wine tasting. That's a pretty solid day.

The facility is currently owned by NASCAR, which explains the investment and attention it's been getting. The entire track was repaved in 2015, and they're constantly upgrading facilities. Watkins Glen International boasts one of the best camping experiences in motorsports. People come from all over and basically make it a multi-day festival.

What's kind of fascinating is how this place survived at all. Without a Formula One race, the circuit struggled to survive. It finally declared bankruptcy and closed in 1981. The track was not well maintained for two years and hosted only a few SCCA meets without spectators. In 1983, Corning Enterprises, a subsidiary of nearby Corning, partnered with International Speedway Corporation to purchase the track and rename it Watkins Glen International. So yeah, this legendary track almost became a footnote in history.

These days, The Glen hosts everything from NASCAR's Cup Series to vintage racing events. In addition to hosting major events in conjunction with NASCAR, IMSA, INDYCAR, Watkins Glen International hosts more than 150 days of club track rentals featuring prominent brands such as: Ferrari, BMW, Porsche, Audi, Mazda and others. So basically, if you're into cars and speed, this place is running something you'd want to see pretty much year-round.

The vibe is different from other tracks too. Maybe it's the Finger Lakes setting, or the small-town atmosphere of Watkins Glen village, but there's something more accessible about it. Less corporate, more grassroots-even though it's hosting world-class racing. That's probably why fans keep voting it the best NASCAR track. It's got the history, the challenging layout, and that intangible quality that makes you want to come back.