The Toe at Watkins Glen

Racer or wannabe, everyone knows Watkins Glen’s full course is one of the world’s truly elite tracks. Besides its storied past, it’s got terrific elevation changes, great turn variety, long straights and, of course, the “blue bushes” (the blue guardrails at every point around the track).

It was at the Toe of the Boot that one of my favorite racecar moments occurred in the closing lap of my second race there. I was leading, closely chased by three cars. In the straight between The Laces and The Toe, I checked my mirrors and realized something good could happen if I drove cleanly to the end. My internal voice blurted out, “I could win this!” and that thought was so pleasantly distracting that I had to refocus completely on my brake and turn-in points until the thought went away.