named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Archives and Research Services
Offers access to over 4,000 books, 250 magazine titles, race programs, photographs, personal papers, and organizational records for researchers and the public.
Public Lectures and Special Events
Hosts a regular calendar of public talks, exhibits, and gatherings that bring motorsport history to life for enthusiasts and scholars alike.
Self-Guided Historic Tour
Provides a documented driving tour of the original 6.6-mile Watkins Glen Grand Prix circuit with markers and educational materials detailing key landmarks and historical events from 1948–1952.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Driver Training and Motorsports Education 4 activities
- Develop and maintain historic markers and public memorialsInstalled brown historic markers along the original 6.6-mile Watkins Glen Grand Prix circuit, brick memorials and Drivers’ Walk of Fame stones on Franklin Street to mark the original start-finish line, and a granite boulder with a bronze plaque to honor the Collier brothers and their participation in early Grand Prix races.
- Host public educational programs and symposiaHosts the annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History in partnership with the Society of Automotive Historians, presents public lectures on regional motorsports history, and organizes research presentations on topics such as the cultural evolution of motorsports fandom and the revival of racing in Watkins Glen.
- Provide self-guided historic racing circuit toursOffers a self-guided driving tour of the original 6.6-mile Watkins Glen Grand Prix circuit, marked with signage starting at the Schuyler County Courthouse, and provides a downloadable PDF brochure to support the tour.
- Support academic and educational use of archivesProvides a symposium platform for academic programs to present and advance motorsport history education, integrating archival collections into educational programming.
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Local History Archival Access 2 activities
- Loan materials and support external exhibitionsLoans archival materials to regional institutions for public exhibitions, such as providing early racing history materials for display at the Southern Tier Welcome Center.
- Provide research assistance and reference servicesProvides research assistance to scholars, journalists, authors, filmmakers, and the public through knowledgeable staff, answering hundreds of inquiries annually and thousands since founding. Offers on-site access by appointment and supports research using curated archival holdings.
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Historic Aviation and Transportation Museums 2 activities
- Offer on-site visitor experiences and exhibitionsOperates a physical facility offering hands-on visitor experiences including access to books, an iRacing simulator, interactive touchscreen displays, a physical race car display, and a documentary film. Offers thematic exhibitions such as "Women of Speed: Legacies in Motorsports" and operates on select Saturdays during major race weekends.
- Preserve and collect motorsports historyCollects, preserves, and maintains a comprehensive archive of global motorsports history, including over 250,000 photographs, 3,000 videos, 300 hours of film, 6,000 books, 250 magazine and newspaper titles, 15,000 race programs, and automotive memorabilia such as helmets, suits, trophies, and rare artifacts. The collection includes materials dating back to the first Watkins Glen race in 1948.
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Community Event Fundraising 1 activity
- Conduct fundraising sweepstakesConducts sweepstakes fundraisers, such as offering a 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray as a grand prize for its 25th anniversary, to support organizational activities.
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Archival Digitization and Preservation 1 activity
- Digitize and provide online access to archival materialsDigitizes historical motorsports images, film formats (including 8 mm, 16 mm, and VHS), and archival collections, and provides online public access through platforms such as the New York Heritage Digital Collections. Also manages digitization projects and works to make the Sports Car Club of America Archives accessible online.
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Industry and Community Recognition Awards 1 activity
- Present the Cameron R. Argetsinger AwardPresents the annual Cameron R. Argetsinger Award for Outstanding Contributions to Motorsports, including hosting a gala ceremony to honor individuals, as part of its public programming.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Co-found and support the International Motor Racing Research CenterCo-founded the International Motor Racing Research Center and transferred the full Motor Racing Collection from the Watkins Glen Public Library to the Center in June 1999. Provided archival expertise as a consulting archivist to support the Center’s development.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.17M
Contributions & grants$845K72%
Program service revenue$17K1%
Investment income$349K30%
Other revenue$-40K
expenses
Total expenses$960K
Program expenses25%
Admin / overhead27%
Fundraising49%
Salaries & benefits$326K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$5.38M
Cash$17K
Investments$4.74M
Liabilities$147K
Net assets$5.23M
Liquid reserves59.5 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +101.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARK STEIGERWALD | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $95K |
board members · 17
- BEREN ARGETSINGER — SECRETARY
- BILL BRANSON — VICE CHAIRMAN
- CHIP WILE — TRUSTEE
- CHRIS DYSON — TRUSTEE
- DARYL Q WOLFE — TRUSTEE
- DAWN BURLEW — TRUSTEE
- DINAH GUELDENPFENNIG WEISBERG — TRUSTEE
- EVAN FAY EARLE — TRUSTEE
- JOHN CGORSLINE — TRUSTEE
- JOHN R SAUNDERS — CHAIRMAN
- LARRY KESSLER — VICE CHAIRMAN
- MICHAEL KANALEY — TRUSTEE
- NICHOLAS CRAW — TRUSTEE
- PHIL HENDERSON — TRUSTEE
- PHYLLISA DESARNO — TRUSTEE
- ROB ROESSEL — TRUSTEE
- SCOTT WELLIVER — TREASURER
relationships · 25
Who they work with
- Arnot Art Museum Partner — Hosted the “Trackside Stories” exhibition featuring photographs from the IMRRC’s collection.
- Belmont Abbey College Partner — Academic partner presenting motorsport history education advancements at the Argetsinger Symposium
- Chemung Canal Trust Company Partner — Title sponsor of the 12th Annual Cameron R. Argetsinger Award Gala
- Cornell University Partner — Collaborated with the Research Center through Evan Earle's role as Cornell University archivist.
- Corning Museum of Glass Partner — Previous employer of Project Archivist Sarah Alender, indicating professional ties.
- Eastern Museum of Motor Racing Partner — Partner organization dedicated to open wheel racing history and research.
- Empire State Development Partner — Collaborated with the Center on a regional exhibit at the Southern Tier Welcome Center.
- Free Library of Philadelphia Automobile Reference Collection Partner — Partner organization providing resources for automotive history research.
- Glenn H. Curtiss Museum Partner — Professional connection through former leadership role of Assistant Director Carol Anne Adams.
- Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University Partner — Previous workplace of Assistant Director Carol Anne Adams, indicating professional affiliation.
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum Partner — Partner organization devoted to automobiles and auto racing history.
- National Archives of the United Kingdom Government — Previous employer of Assistant Director Carol Anne Adams, indicating international archival affiliation.
- National Motor Museum at Beaulieu Partner — Partner organization with extensive collections and reference materials on motoring history.
- National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum Partner — Partner organization focused on sprint car racing history and its participants.
- New York Central Railroad Partner — Partnered with the New York Central Railroad, which halted train operations during races to allow safe crossings for racers on the original circuit.
- New York Heritage Digital Collections Partner — Hosts digital access to the Kathie J. Meredith motorsports photograph collection in collaboration with the IMRRC.
- New York State Department of Transportation Government — Collaborates with the New York State Department of Transportation, which installed roadside signs noting mileage and landmarks along the historic road course.
- Revs Institute Partner — Collaborates on archival innovation and presents research at IMRRC symposia
- Society of Automotive Historians Partner — Co-presents the annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History.
- Sports Car Club of America Partner — Collaborated with the Sports Car Club of America in the early implementation of the original Watkins Glen Grand Prix races from 1948 to 1952.
- Sports Car Club of America Partner — Collaborates on archiving and providing access to the Sports Car Club of America Archives.
- TapKat Partner — Partnership to operate an annual car sweepstakes as a fundraising activity.
- The Revs Institute Partner — Partner organization focused on automotive history and scholarship.
- The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum Partner — Partner organization dedicated to the history and evolution of racing sports cars.
- Watkins Glen Public Library Partner — Transferred the Motor Racing Collection to the IMRRC and collaborated on the development of a dedicated archival wing.
strategies · 7
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Archival Preservation as Foundation for Scholarshipmethodology: archival-preservationBy systematically acquiring, preserving, and organizing historical materials, the organization enables sustained research and public understanding of motor racing history, because reliable access to well-curated primary sources supports credible scholarship and long-term educational impact.
- Education Through Archival Programmingmethodology: education-through-archivesBy using archival collections as the basis for educational programs, the organization builds community understanding of motor racing history, because structured learning grounded in primary sources fosters both historical literacy and civic connection.
- Hands-On Historical Engagementmethodology: hands-on public engagementBy offering interactive, hands-on experiences rather than passive observation, the organization fosters deeper public understanding and connection to motor racing history, because experiential learning increases retention and emotional resonance across age groups.
- Historic Site Interpretation Through Immersive Experiencemethodology: historic-site-interpretationBy using a self-guided driving tour with physical markers, the organization preserves and interprets the historical significance of the original Watkins Glen circuit, because on-location, immersive experiences deepen public connection to place-based history.
- Open Access Archival Modelmethodology: digital-accessBy providing both on-site and digital access to archival materials, the organization broadens public and scholarly engagement with motorsports history, because removing physical and geographic barriers increases utilization and democratizes knowledge.
- Public Engagement Through Archival Materialsmethodology: public-engagement-through-archival-materialsBy animating archival materials through public lectures and special events, the organization increases engagement from both researchers and fans, because dynamic presentation makes historical content more accessible and compelling than static archives alone.
- Regional Collaboration to Expand Reachmethodology: regional_collaborationBy partnering with regional venues to display archival materials, the organization extends public access beyond its physical location, because shared exhibitions increase visibility and engagement through local community touchpoints.