Watkins Glen, NY has a long and deep automotive racing history. The city has gone from hosting the towns first road race back in 1948 to hosting global events at the Watkins Glen International Speedway. It’s only natural then that Watkins Glen would be home to the International Motor Racing Research Center.
While the Wright Brothers clearly own the title for successfully completing the first controlled flight, there are quite a few other pioneers in the aviation space that arguably deserve as much, if not more recognition, for their efforts in making flight a human possibility. Glenn H. Curtiss is one of those men, and a trip to the Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, NY is all it takes to see why he was one of the most influential men in aviation.
As a passionate lover of all things automotive, one of my favorite finds in any city I visit is a good car museum. There’s nothing like taking a stroll through America’s rich automotive history, and who better to curate a car museum than the Antique Automobile Club of America. Featuring a wide range of automobiles and other automotive memorabilia, a day at the AACA Museum Hershey, is an absolute must if you are in the Hershey – Harrisburg area.
Tucked away in a corner of Northern Miami Dade County is one of Miami’s best kept secrets. No, it’s not a private beach for the ultra rich or some ultra exclusive bar where musicians and starlets hang out. It’s a place open and accessible to average Joe’s like you and me (even though you might find some notable Hollywood movie stars there). I’m talking about the recently opened Miami Automobile Museum featuring the Dezer Collection. If you even think you might have a passion for cars or are looking for something cool to do in the Miami area, you have to check out this car museum.
“Hit the brakes at 200 ft” … “Now Turn in”…”Hit the apex”… “Now Floor it!” I think my driving coach said something else, but all I remember after that point is a growling 530 HP V-10 engine laying the backbeat for the crashing bang of my frantically thumping heart. There are moments in life where large doses of adrenaline make every minute seem like hours, this was one of them. I can tell you all about the smell of the burning rubber from my screeching tires, the sun glistening on the windshield, the heat ripples on the surface of the asphalt, the dry-metallic taste in my mouth brought upon by the mix of fear and exhilaration, and the feel of this 3500 pound machine dancing nimbly on the track. But what I remember most, is the sound. There is something about the growl of an engine that sends chills up my spine and makes the hairs on my neck dance. It always has. It’s the sound every motor head knows and lives for. I’ve heard it a thousand times from the outside, but I haven’t ever felt it from the inside before. It’s life changing. Addicting! I could insert a million adjectives here but I will say this instead: If just reading this paragraph got you excited enough to feel your blood running hot, you need to find your way to the Le Mans track of the Homestead Miami Speedway and pay a visit to the guys at Miami Exotic Auto Racing. Right. Now!
