| Race Title: | Six Hours of Watkins Glen |
| Track Map: | Watkins Glen International Track Map.svg |
| Series Long: | IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship |
| Series Short: | USCC |
| Venue: | Watkins Glen International |
| Sponsor: | Sahlen's |
| First Race: | 1948 |
| First Series Race: | 2014 |
| Duration: | 6 Hours |
| Previous Names: | Watkins Glen Grand Prix |
| Most Wins Driver: | Walt Hansgen, Derek Bell, James Weaver, Scott Pruett, João Barbosa (4) |
| Most Wins Team: | Briggs Cunningham (8) |
| Most Wins Manufacturer: | Porsche (12) |
The Six Hours of Watkins Glen (currently sponsored as the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen) is a sports car endurance race held annually at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. The race dates from 1948, and has been a part of the SCCA National Sports Car Championship, United States Road Racing Championship, World Sportscar Championship, IMSA GT Championship, Rolex Sports Car Series and currently the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The first Watkins Glen Grand Prix was held in 1948 on a 6.6-mile course around Watkins Glen State Park and the village of Watkins Glen. Cameron Argetsinger, a Cornell law student and SCCA member, organized the event along with the local Chamber of Commerce. The 8-lap, 52.8-mile race was won by Frank Griswold in a pre-war Alfa Romeo 8C. In 1950, three spectators were injured during a support race, and driver Sam Collier was killed during the Grand Prix. The 1951 event became a part of the new SCCA National Sports Car Championship series. In 1952, twelve spectators were injured and one killed when a car left the circuit in the village.[1] This led organizers to move the course to a hillside southwest of Watkins Glen for 1953. Drivers complained of poor visibility and run-off, prompting the construction of a permanent circuit, today called Watkins Glen International, in 1956.[2]
In 1963, the race switched to the SCCA's new series, the United States Road Racing Championship. In 1968, the race was expanded to six hours, and joined the World Sportscar Championship. Along with the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring, the Six Hours of Watkins Glen served as an American round of the WSC from 1968 until 1981, traditionally held during the summer. With the track's bankruptcy and the FIA's decision not to return the World Championship to the United States in 1982, the event was not held again until 1984. It returned as an event for the IMSA Camel GT Championship.
Under the control of IMSA, the event was radically altered and shortened. In the 1984 running, a break was held after three hours before the race began again and completed the next three hours. This event became known as the Camel Continental. A second event later in the year was also held lasting for just three hours or 500 kilometers, and was known as the New York 500. The Continental was modified once more in 1985, this time running sports prototypes in one three-hour event, and grand tourer cars in a second three-hour event. By 1986, the event was shortened altogether, and became a single 500 mile race, then shortened once more in 1987 to just 500 km.For several years IMSA kept the Continental as a 500 km race for prototypes in the summer, and the 500 km New York 500 for grand tourers in autumn. IMSA chose to drop the New York 500 in 1992, retaining the Continental as an event just for prototypes until 1995. In 1996, IMSA restored the Watkins Glen event to its historic format, combining prototypes and grand tourers once again.
By 1998, Watkins Glen chose to schedule the Six Hours as part of the new United States Road Racing Championship. This championship change was short lived, as the USSRC folded during the 1999 season prior to their second running at Watkins Glen, leaving an FIA GT Championship event as the year's sportscar headliner. In the wake of USRRC's collapse, the Grand American Road Racing Championship took control of the event, and retained the Six Hours since 2000 as part of the Rolex Sports Car Series. In 2014 after the merger of Grand-AM and the ALMS sports car series, IMSA regained control of the event under the United SportsCar Championship. The format of the race remains the same as it was under Grand-Am operation.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused the 2020 race to be moved to Road Atlanta, as New York state authorities would not allow NASCAR Holdings to host events.
| Year | Drivers | Team | Car | Duration/Distance | Race Title | Championship | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 |  Frank Griswold | Frank Griswold | Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B | 50miles | Grand Prix Watkins Glen | Non-championship | |
| 1949 | Miles Collier | Collier Bros. | Riley-Mercury Special "Ardent Alligator"[3] | 100miles | Grand Prix Watkins Glen | Non-championship | |
| 1950 | Erwin Goldschmidt | Alfred Goldschmidt | Allard J2-Cadillac | 100miles | Sports Car Grand Prix of Watkins Glen | Non-championship | |
| 1951 | Phil Walters | Briggs Cunningham | Cunningham C2R | 100miles | Sports Car Grand Prix of Watkins Glen | SCCA National Sports Car Championship | |
| 1952 | Briggs Cunningham | Briggs Cunningham | Cunningham C4R-Chrysler | 100miles† | Sports Car Grand Prix of Watkins Glen | SCCA National Sports Car Championship |
† Not completed; race stopped after fatal accident involving spectators
| Year | Drivers | Team | Car | Duration/Distance | Race Title | Championship | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Walt Hansgen | Walt Hansgen | Jaguar XK120 | 100miles | Sports Car Grand Prix of Watkins Glen | Non-championship | |
| 1954 | Phil Walters | Briggs Cunningham | Cunningham C4R-Chrysler | 100miles | Sports Car Grand Prix of Watkins Glen | SCCA National Sports Car Championship | |
| 1955 | Sherwood Johnston | Briggs Cunningham | Jaguar D-Type | 100miles | Sports Car Grand Prix of Watkins Glen | SCCA National Sports Car Championship |
| Year | Drivers | Team | Car | Duration/Distance | Race Title | Championship | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | George Constantine | Mary L. Constantine | Jaguar D-Type | 50miles | Sports Car Grand Prix of Watkins Glen | SCCA National Sports Car Championship | |
| 1957 | Walt Hansgen | Briggs Cunningham | Jaguar D-Type | 100miles | Watkins Glen Grand Prix | SCCA National Sports Car Championship | |
| 1958 | Ed Crawford | Briggs Cunningham | Lister-Jaguar | 100miles | Grand Prix Watkins Glen | SCCA National Sports Car Championship | |
| 1959 | Walt Hansgen | Briggs Cunningham | Lister-Costin Jaguar | 100miles | Watkins Glen Grand Prix | SCCA National Sports Car Championship | |
| 1960 | Augie Pabst | Meister Brauser | Scarab Mk II-Chevrolet | 100miles | Watkins Glen Grand Prix | SCCA National Sports Car Championship | |
| 1961 | George Constantine | John T. Bunch | Ferrari 250 TR 59 | 100miles | Grand Prix at Watkins Glen | SCCA National Sports Car Championship | |
| 1962 | Walt Hansgen | Briggs Cunningham | Cooper Monaco T61-Buick | 100miles | Grand Prix at Watkins Glen | SCCA National Sports Car Championship | |
| 1963 | Bob Holbert | Porsche 718 RS61 | 300km (200miles) | Watkins Glen Sports Car Grand Prix | United States Road Racing Championship | ||
| 1964 | Jim Hall | Chaparral Cars | Chaparral 2A-Chevrolet | 200miles | Watkins Glen Sports Car Grand Prix | United States Road Racing Championship | |
| 1965 | Jim Hall | Chaparral Cars | Chaparral 2A-Chevrolet | 200miles | Watkins Glen Sports Car Grand Prix | United States Road Racing Championship | |
| 1966 | John Fulp | Lola T70 Mk.2-Chevrolet | 200miles | Watkins Glen Sports Car Grand Prix | United States Road Racing Championship | ||
| 1967 | Mark Donohue | Roger Penske | Lola T70 Mk.3-Chevrolet | 200miles | Sports Car Grand Prix at Watkins Glen | United States Road Racing Championship | |
| 1968 | Mark Donohue | Roger Penske | McLaren M6A-Chevrolet | 200miles | Watkins Glen Sports Car Road Race | United States Road Racing Championship | |
 Jacky Ickx Lucien Bianchi |  J.W. Automotive Engineering | Ford GT40 | six hours 1058.626km (657.8miles) | ||||
| 1969 |  Jo Siffert Brian Redman |  Porsche of Austria | Porsche 908/02 | six hours 1077.134km (669.3miles) | Watkins Glen Six Hours | World Sportscar Championship | |
| 1970 |  Pedro Rodríguez Leo Kinnunen | J.W. Automotive Engineering | Porsche 917K | six hours 1140.059km (708.4miles) | 6 Hours of the Glen | World Sportscar Championship | |
| 1971 |  Andrea de Adamich Ronnie Peterson | Autodelta SpA | Alfa Romeo T33/3 | six hours 1090.189km (677.412miles) | 6 Hours of the Glen | World Sportscar Championship | |
| 1972 | Mario Andretti Jacky Ickx | SpA Ferrari SEFAC | Ferrari 312PB | six hours 1059.777km (658.515miles) | 6 Hours of the Glen | World Sportscar Championship | |
| 1973 |  Gérard Larrousse Henri Pescarolo | Équipe Matra-Simca | Matra-Simca MS670B | six hours 1081.516km (672.023miles) | 6 Hours of the Glen | World Sportscar Championship | |
| 1974 | Jean-Pierre Jarier Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Équipe Gitanes | Matra-Simca MS670C | six hours 1048.906km (651.76miles) | 6 Hours of the Glen | World Sportscar Championship | |
| 1975 | Derek Bell Henri Pescarolo |  Willi Kauhsen Racing Team | Alfa Romeo 33TT12 | six hours 826.083km (513.304miles) | 6 Hours of the Glen | World Sportscar Championship | |
| 1976 | Rolf Stommelen Manfred Schurti | Martini Racing Porsche System | Porsche 935 | six hours 945.647km (587.598miles) | 6 Hours of the Glen | World Sportscar Championship | |
| 1977 | Jochen Mass Jacky Ickx | Martini Racing Porsche System | Porsche 935/77 | six hours 940.213km (584.221miles) | 6 Hours of the Glen | World Sportscar Championship | |
| 1978 | Toine Hezemans John Fitzpatrick Peter Gregg | GeLo Racing Team | Porsche 935/77 | six hours 793.474km (493.042miles) | World Championship 6-Hours | World Sportscar Championship | |
| 1979 | Don Whittington Klaus Ludwig Bill Whittington | Whittington Brothers Kremer Racing | six hours 951.082km (590.975miles) | World Championship 6-Hours | World Sportscar Championship | ||
| 1980 | Hans Heyer Riccardo Patrese | Lancia Corse | Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo | six hours 755.431km (469.403miles) | World Championship 6-Hours | World Sportscar Championship | |
| 1981 | Riccardo Patrese Michele Alboreto | Martini Racing | Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo | six hours 940.213km (584.221miles) | Glen Six Hours of Endurance | World Sportscar Championship | |
| 1982–1983 | Not held following track bankruptcy and the end of the United States Grand Prix being held at the circuit in 1980 | ||||||
| 1984 | Al Holbert Derek Bell Jim Adams | Holbert Racing | Porsche 962 | six hours 1054.342km (655.138miles) | Camel Continental | IMSA GT Championship | |
| 1985 | Al Holbert Derek Bell | Holbert Racing | Porsche 962 | three hours | Camel Continental | IMSA GT Championship | |
| 1986 | Al Holbert Derek Bell | Holbert Racing | Porsche 962 | 500miles | Camel Continental | IMSA GT Championship | |
| 1987 | Price Cobb Vern Schuppan | Dyson Racing | Porsche 962 | 500km (300miles) | Camel Continental | IMSA GT Championship | |
| 1988 | Geoff Brabham John Morton | Electramotive Engineering | Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo | 500km (300miles) | Camel Continental | IMSA GT Championship | |
| 1989 | Geoff Brabham Chip Robinson | Electramotive Engineering | Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo | 500km (300miles) | Camel Continental | IMSA GT Championship | |
| 1990 | Chip Robinson Bob Earl | Nissan Performance Technology | Nissan NPT-90 | 500km (300miles) | Camel Continental | IMSA GT Championship | |
| 1991 |  Juan Manuel Fangio II | All American Racers | Eagle HF90-Toyota | 500km (300miles) | Camel Continental | IMSA GT Championship | |
| 1992 | Juan Manuel Fangio II | All American Racers | Eagle MkIII-Toyota | two hours, forty-five minutes | Camel Continental | IMSA GT Championship | |
| 1993 | Juan Manuel Fangio II | All American Racers | Eagle MkIII-Toyota | 500km (300miles) | Camel Continental | IMSA GT Championship | |
| 1994 | Giampiero Moretti Eliseo Salazar | MOMO | Ferrari 333 SP | three hours | Glen Continental | IMSA GT Championship | |
| 1995 | Butch Leitzinger James Weaver | Dyson Racing | Riley & Scott Mk III-Ford | three hours | Glen Continental | IMSA GT Championship | |
| 1996 | Giampiero Moretti Max Papis | MOMO | Ferrari 333 SP | six hours 973.975km (605.2miles) | First Union 6 Hours of the Glen | IMSA GT Championship | |
| 1997 | Butch Leitzinger James Weaver Elliott Forbes-Robinson | Dyson Racing | Riley & Scott Mk III-Ford | six hours 924.98km (574.76miles) | First Union 6 Hours of the Glen | IMSA GT Championship | |
| 1998 | Giampiero Moretti Mauro Baldi Didier Theys | MOMO/Doran Racing | Ferrari 333 SP | six hours 949.392km (589.925miles) | First Union 6 Hours of the Glen | United States Road Racing Championship | |
| 1999 | Jean-Philippe Belloc David Donohue | Viper Team Oreca | Chrysler Viper GTS-R | three hours | Bosch Sports Car Oktoberfest | FIA GT Championship | |
| 2000 | James Weaver Andy Wallace Butch Leitzinger | Riley & Scott Mk III-Ford | six hours 931.632km (578.889miles) | Bosch Sports Car Summerfest | Grand American Road Racing Championship | ||
| 2001 | Didier Theys Mauro Baldi Fredy Lienhard | Doran Racing | Ferrari 333 SP-Judd | six hours 988.256km (614.074miles) | Sports Car Grand Prix at the Glen | Grand American Road Racing Championship | |
| 2002 | James Weaver Chris Dyson | Riley & Scott Mk III-Ford | six hours 1038.224km (645.122miles) | Six Hours of the Glen | Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series | ||
| 2003 | David Donohue Mike Borkowski Scott Goodyear | Brumos Porsche | Fabcar FDSC/03-Porsche | six hours 927.184km (576.125miles) | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series | |
| 2004 | Max Papis Scott Pruett | Chip Ganassi Racing | Riley Mk XI-Lexus | six hours 910.528km (565.776miles) | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series | |
| 2005 | Tracy Krohn Niclas Jönsson | Krohn Racing | Riley Mk XI-Pontiac | six hours 832.8km (517.5miles) | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series | |
| 2006 | Jörg Bergmeister Boris Said | Krohn Racing | Riley Mk XI-Ford | Six hours 855.008km (531.277miles) | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series | |
| 2007 | Alex Gurney Jon Fogarty | Bob Stallings Racing | Riley Mk XI-Pontiac | six hours 927.184km (576.125miles) | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series | |
| 2008 | Scott Pruett Memo Rojas | Chip Ganassi Racing | Riley Mk XX-Lexus | six hours 993.808km (617.524miles) | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series | |
| 2009 | Scott Pruett Memo Rojas | Chip Ganassi Racing | Riley Mk XX-Lexus | six hours 1020.84km (634.32miles) | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series | |
| 2010 | Scott Pruett Memo Rojas | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Riley Mk XX-BMW | six hours 1037.13km (644.44miles) | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series | |
| 2011 | Max Angelelli Ricky Taylor | SunTrust Racing | Dallara DP08-Chevrolet | six hours 944.82km (587.08miles) | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series | |
| 2012 | João Barbosa Darren Law | Action Express Racing | Chevrolet Corvette DP (Coyote CPM-Chevrolet) | six hours 995.656km (618.672miles) | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series | |
| 2013 | João Barbosa Christian Fittipaldi | Action Express Racing | Chevrolet Corvette DP (Coyote CPM-Chevrolet) | six hours 935.712km (581.424miles) | Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen | Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series | |
| 2014 | Richard Westbrook Michael Valiante | Spirit of Daytona Racing | Chevrolet Corvette DP (Coyote CPM-Chevrolet) | six hours 1045.152km (649.427miles) | Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen | Tudor United SportsCar Championship | |
| 2015 | Richard Westbrook Michael Valiante | VisitFlorida.com Racing | Chevrolet Corvette DP (Coyote CPM-Chevrolet) | six hours 875.52km (544.02miles) | Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen | Tudor United SportsCar Championship | |
| 2016 |  Filipe Albuquerque João Barbosa Christian Fittipaldi | Action Express Racing | Chevrolet Corvette DP (Coyote CPM-Chevrolet) | six hours 669.8abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | WeatherTech SportsCar Championship | |
| 2017 | João Barbosa Christian Fittipaldi Filipe Albuquerque | Mustang Sampling Racing | Cadillac DPi-V.R | six hours 680abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | WeatherTech SportsCar Championship | |
| 2018[4] | Misha Goikhberg Stephen Simpson Chris Miller | JDC-Miller Motorsports | Oreca 07-Gibson | six hours 686.8abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | WeatherTech SportsCar Championship | |
| 2019 | Jonathan Bomarito Olivier Pla Harry Tincknell | Mazda Team Joest | Mazda RT24-P | six hours 717.4abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | WeatherTech SportsCar Championship | |
| 2020 | Moved to Road Atlanta due to COVID-19 pandemic | ||||||
| 2021 | Jonathan Bomarito Oliver Jarvis Harry Tincknell | Mazda Motorsports | Mazda RT24-P | six hours 680abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | WeatherTech SportsCar Championship | |
| 2022 | Filipe Albuquerque Ricky Taylor | Wayne Taylor Racing | Acura ARX-05 | six hours 559abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | WeatherTech SportsCar Championship | |
| 2023 | Nick Yelloly Connor De Phillippi | BMW M Team RLL | BMW M Hybrid V8 | six hours 693abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | WeatherTech SportsCar Championship | |
| Dane Cameron Felipe Nasr | Porsche Team Penske | Porsche 963 | six hours 511abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen | WeatherTech SportsCar Championship |