Dr. Mark Howell, a valued member of the NMC Communications faculty, recently engaged in a significant professional development opportunity by presenting at the Ninth Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History in Watkins Glen, NY. This event provided a unique platform for academic discussion and scholarship within the world of motorsports. Read Mark’s reflection on the experience below and learn about his primary research, which was the topic of his presentation in New York. Mark’s trip was sponsored by CIE. 

What was the name of the conference/PD opportunity you attended?

Ninth Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History

When and where did the event take place?

November 21 and 22 in Watkins Glen, NY

Please share details from a memorable keynote speaker, conference session, or something else notable from the event.

The symposium is a one-of-a-kind academic event. I was honored to be one of 14 invited presenters, which allowed me to speak about the popular culture/book research I’m doing about connections between motorsports and the space program. The symposium was live-streamed globally to an audience of several hundred viewers who asked questions in real time via chat. Memorable presentations included one done by a colleague of mine from Pennsylvania who compared themes found in grand opera to matching themes seen in grand prix racing. The keynote speaker was Mark Raffauf, Director of Competition for the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), who is an acclaimed historian and author. We gathered along the shore of Seneca Lake in the village of Watkins Glen, NY, the home of post-war road racing in the United States and the legendary Watkins Glen International racetrack. The symposium ended with a dinner for participants at the famed Seneca Lodge, a rustic resort where IMSA, SCCA, and NASCAR teams stay while in town. The stories about F1 drivers who stayed there during the 1960s and 1970s are the stuff of folklore!

How likely are you to recommend this opportunity to a colleague?

Very Likely

Do you have any big takeaways that you’ll be applying to your pedagogy in the near future?

My paper centered on motorsports and space exploration during the year 1965, the power of collective memory, and its ability to rewrite historical narratives. I spoke about the concept of “societal logics”, which led to a discussion about how societies tend to compartmentalize historical “facts” when using the lens of popular/collective “fictions”. The audience’s interest in this theoretical construct will help me structure sections of ENG 266 and ENG 267 more effectively.

Is there anything else you’d like CIE or your colleagues at NMC to know about this experience?

Swoop got to attend the Saturday night dinner at the Seneca Lodge, but got snookered out of a chance to drive a historic race car. The symposium did not visit the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) in Watkins Glen, where notable cars are often on display. Swoop did get to check out a very colorful SCCA Sports Renault race car at the Schuyler County Chamber of Commerce reception, but was, alas, too short to see over the steering wheel….