Watkins Glen is the spiritual home of American road racing on the East coast. After the 1948-52 Sports Car Grand Prix races run through town, a permanent road circuit was built on a nearby plateau which became home to the F1 U.S. Grand Prix for well over two decades. Today, "the Glen" hosts a NASCAR race, an IRL Indycar race, and such nostalgia classics as the Zippo Vintage GP and F1 Historic Grand Prix.