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A pair of altenative-energy vehicles on the WGI track as part of the Doris Bovee
Memorial Road Rallies.

10th annual Green Grand Prix kicks off WGI track's season

Special to
The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, April 13 -- The Toyota Green Grand Prix, a showcase of motoring technology that aims for a cleaner environment, returned to the Watkins Glen International race course Friday -- its 10th annual gathering.

The daylong Green Grand Prix permitted alternative-energy cars and trucks on WGI's 2.45-mile short course for the morning portion of the Doris Bovee Memorial Road Rallies, a 100-mile fuel economy competition. The afternoon portion of the Rallies saw registered vehicles take to public roads in the region, with a focus on precision. The vehicles included hybrids and traditional gasoline-powered and diesel-powered vehicles

The GGP was the kickoff to WGI's season-opening weekend -- a busy three days that on Saturday offered a foot race, The Arc Grand Prix. It went off at 8 a.m. on the WGI track, with competitors following the 3.4-mile long course. About 500 runners turned out under sunny skies for the event, which benefits The Arc of Schuyler, a not-for-profit organization providing support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism. The event included a walk.

Then, at 10 a.m., the track was opened to the public, invited to drive around the course in their own vehicles, purchase professional photos of their cars on-site or on the web and take photos in Gatorade Victory Lane, where drivers at the Glen celebrate. Proceeds from the $25 per vehicle fee is being donated by WGI to Autism Speaks, the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization.

And amidst all of that was a Model Car Show and Talk at the International Motor Racing Research Center on South Decatur Street in Watkins Glen.

The three-day show, which opened Friday, features hundreds of model vehicles of all scales, with a focus on race cars. An informal panel discussion about the hobby of model car collecting was held Saturday -- the panel including award-winning model designer and builder Tom Clark, Rich Chernosky, Dave Wild and a representative from CMC-Classical Model Cars (USA).

Cars are on display throughout the Research Center. Exhibitors include Dick Buck, Classical Model Cars (USA), Rich Chernosky, Tom Clark, Charles Franzese, Bill Green, Al Isselhard, Rich Lattin, Jim Scaptura, Frank Spena, Jan van den Blink and Dave Wild.

Missing from the Green Grand Prix events on Friday were the NYElectrathon races, called on account of adverse weather. The Electrathon annually attracts high school teams from across New York that build, maintain and drive single-seat electric vehicles powered by the battery equivalent of 1 hp. They race at speeds of about 30 mph. But on Friday, the weather stopped them from running at all.

The morning rally on the WGI course avoided most of the day's rain and attracted students from several colleges and from BOCES.

Students from Alfred University, the Pennsylvania College of Technology, Kent State, Morrisville State College, and Corning Community College either participated in the rally or were there to show support.

The diversity of the activities showcased the breadth of the goals of the Toyota Green Grand Prix.

“The mission of the Toyota Green Grand Prix is educational, to promote innovation in sustainable transportation technologies,” said Bob Gillespie, chairman of the Green Grand Prix Corp., a non-profit organization. “We want the Green Grand Prix to be a means of encouraging technology students to stay in the Northeast to help move our region to become a center for clean energy.”

The Doris Bovee Foundation is one of the Green Grand Prix’s key supporters, and thus the rallies are called the Doris Bovee Memorial Road Rallies. They are sponsored by the Glen Region Sports Car Club of America and are the only official SCCA road rallies of their kind in the nation.

Other important supporters of the event are Corning Enterprises and the Central New York Clean Cities Coalition based in Baldwinsville.

The rallies honor the memory of well-known area environmentalist Doris Bovee, who taught for many years in the Corning-Painted Post school district and was known for her love of plants and birds. She also was involved with SCCA road rallies and was part of the Glen Region SCCA at its inception.

Photos in text:

Top: A 1933 Ford truck powered by propane and owned by John Cadwallader of Elmira makes its way around the WGI track during the morning portion of the Bovee rallies.

Second: An Austin Healey Sprite is recharged in the WGI garage.

Third: International Motor Racing Research Center President J.C. Argetsinger, left, studies some of the model vehicles displayed by Dave Wild of Fairport (right) at the Center.

Fourth: A display of model cars at the Research Center from the collection of Frank Spena of Elmira.

Fifth: Models of varying sizes on display at the Research Center from the collection of Al Isselhard of Wolcott, NY.

 

© The Odessa File 2014
Charles Haeffner
P.O. Box 365
Odessa, New York 14869

E-mail publisher@odessafile.com