For the 4th year in a row, the Sahlen’s Sports Car Springfest will kick off the racing season at Watkins Glen International on April 13th and 14th. For the weekend, Sports Cars of all types and speed will be competing in the Summit Racing – American Endurance Racing event. As has become a tradition, the full field of endurance racers will take the green flag, driving under the Sahlen’s bridge just before the start/finish line at this historic sports car circuit.
The race weekend will kick off with Friday night tailgate party. Sahlen’s Hot Dogs and Sausages will of course be the highlight to the evening’s festivities. Then on Saturday, the 1st of the weekend’s 9 hour Endurance races will commence at 9 am. Sunday will see the Summit Racing – American Endurance Racing series line up again for another 9 hour Endurance Race. At the conclusion of Sunday, Winners in each of the series 3 classes will be announced for their combined finishes for the weekend’s 2 races.
Joe Sahlen of Sahlen Packing shared his thoughts on returning as both a sponsor of the event and as a competitor in the series. “I have been coming to Watkins Glen since the 1970s. It was always one of Anita’s and my favorite summer destinations. And I know that this still holds true for so many race fans today. This is why I am so proud to be able to continue to present the 3 Longest Races at Watkins Glen International each year. Sponsoring the American Endurance Racing event is extra special because each year it is the 1st race of the season for Watkins Glen International. Ironically, this weekend will be the 1st event of the season for Team Sahlen. Our last race was way back in December at Sebring International Raceway. At this event, Team Sahlen had the good fortune to secure the Overall Victory in both Saturday and Sunday’s events. We are geared up and ready to return to the Glen this coming weekend to repeat our overall victory here at last year’s event. We know it won’t be easy, but having tough competition will make securing the overall top spot even more special.”
John Kolesa, President of American Endurance Racing shared his thoughts on the partnership with Sahlen’s Packing Company, – “American Endurance Racing is so excited to have Sahlen’s returning as our partner for our annual event at the historic Watkins Glen International. Sahlen’s long history with The Glen and racing will surely continue to evolve this into a fantastic event for all to experience this year and in the years to come.”
Also for the 4th year in a row, Sahlen’s will also be presenting the Tire Rack – ChampCar Endurance Series event held at the end of May. The May 25th and 26th event is titled as “Sahlen’s Champyard DOG at the Glen”. The Sahlen’s sponsored event has become a Memorial Day classic for ChampCar Endurance Series. The event is one of the most popular destinations for ChampCar racers with over 100 entries each year. The event will feature a Sahlen’s Tailgate Party on Friday night featuring grilled up Sahlen’s Hot Dogs. The race weekend will feature a 7 hour enduro on both Saturday and Sunday. Always close racing; last year’s race saw the margin of victory being only 7 seconds after 7 hours of racing.
The capstone to Sahlen’s involvement with Watkins Glen International will be the 17th edition of the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen held on June 30th. This partnership, dating back to 2002, is the longest running entitlement sponsorship at the Glen. The Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen event hosts the WeatherTech Sports Car Championship series. Additionally, this event is 1 of 4 races that encompass the Michelin Endurance Cup. The additional 3 events include the ROLEX 24 Hours at Daytona, the Sebring 12 Hours and the Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta. These 4 events combined are part of the elite top Endurance races that are held worldwide each year.
There will be many activities and events for all the family to enjoy at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen. These events will include the Fan Midway, Driver Autograph Session and the Sahlen’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
“Celebrating this amazing partnership with Sahlen’s during their 150th anniversary is awesome,” Watkins Glen International President Michael Printup said. “Sahlen’s proximity to our track as a Buffalo-based company is of great value to everyone involved, we appreciate Joe Sahlen and Sahlen Packing Company for being strong supporters of The Glen, racing and our fans.”
Sahlen Packing Company
2019 marks the 150th Anniversary for the Sahlen Packing Company. Sahlen’s is a leading producer of premium quality meat products in Western New York, is known for their high quality hot dogs, sausages, and deli meats. Founded in 1869 in Buffalo, New York as a family business, Sahlen’s continues to be the name behind Western New York’s favorite hot dogs.
Watkins Glen International
Located within five (5) hours (~300 miles) of 25% of the US population, Watkins Glen International is the premier road racing facility in North America, recently voted “Best NASCAR Track” by readers of USA Today. Keep up with The Glen on Facebook and Twitter. Download The Glen’s free mobile app from the App Store or Google Play.
Summit Racing – American Endurance Racing Series
The Summit Racing – American Endurance Racing series enters their 5th season in 2018 with a 7 event schedule throughout the Midwest. The series features 5 classes of racing for different levels of Sports Cars. The top class features purpose built Porsches, BMWs, Ferraris and Corvettes competing for the Overall Victory. Each weekend features a Saturday and Sunday race format. Each day’s race is typically 8-9 hours each.
www.americanenduranceracing.com
Tire Rack – ChampCar Endurance Series
The Tire Rack – ChampCar Endurance Series celebrates over 10 seasons of racing with a 25+ race schedule across North America. The series features affordably built race cars from multiple decades and formats of street cars.
Events range from 7 hours to 24 hours.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
The WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the premier Endurance Racing series in North America. The series features an 12 race schedule. Additionally, within the schedule is 4 events (ROLEX 24 Hours at Daytona, the Sebring 12 Hours, Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen and the Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta ) that encompass the Michelin Endurance Cup. The series consists of 4 classes. The top 2 classes are the purpose built prototype racers. There are 2 classes of production based sports cars that compete in the GT divisions (GTLeMans and GTDaytona).