11 replies to this topic

[nigel red5]

Hi all,
It is rare that i take a walk across the road to the nostalgia forum, however when i`m here i learn heaps. I have a question that i`m sure you guys can inform me about.
I recently watched the speedvision programme "US Grand Prix : A heritage reborn". Up to this point i never thought there was any hooligan element in motor sport, but seemingly i`m wrong. The brief clip that i saw of this "bog", there were cars being burnt and pushed into this muddy, marshy area. What was going on at Watkins Glen? - and how come it continued for years? Must admit i was shocked when i saw what was happening there.
According to the tv documentary this rowdiness continued for several years.....is that true?

All thoughts and recollections welcomed, as i really did`nt know anything about the subject....

[David M. Kane]

Watkins Glen is near several American Universities as well
as a lot of kids in general. The race was usually held the first weekend of October which meant this was the last big
blowout before winter started to set-in.

It started out with "sacrifices" of some of their own old cars then when they ran out they started "borrowing" others
cars.

Watkins Glen is a small town and I think, basically, they
just weren't prepared when the "bog" took on a life of its
own.

Lets remember this was the '70s which was a very rebellious
time in the USA with lots of pot and the like. This does not
excuse the behavior. But having attended 10-15 straight USGP during that time I have to admit we had one hell of a good
time. It was very Woodstock like with old school buses with
sofas on the tops from prime viewing areas. On the group these groups would have fossball machines and other fun
items. The question is, how many of the actual kids there
were the holligans, how many near holligans and how many
were weak observers.

All I can truly say is that it was tremendous fun. To show how naive the people who ran the track were think about this. They use to have a Sirroco support race put on by
VW of America and Jo Hoppen. For three years my FF buddies
and I entered bogus cars. This gave us Paddock passes, pit
passes, parking and general admission for 5 or 6 of us in the crew. This cost us $150 instead of the general admission price of $200 for this number of people.
One year we were actually parked right next to the McLaren
Motorhome. By the fourth year they had figured out they had
300 entries but only 100 actual cars...hello?

As a result, I got the opportunity to talk to Tom Pryce, James Hunt and lot of other neat people...including Suzy Hunt! Mrs. Hunt was affectionately referred to by Lord Hesketh and James as "Hot Loins".

Luca de Montezemolo, on the other hand, found me a totally
unpleasant piece of trailer trash which I resented greatly.
I considered myself a middle class motorhome person.

It all seem like a good idea at the time.

[Ray Bell]

I heard once that the burn-up included a tourist coach, which seems to me to be taking things more than just a bit far.
Surely Keir and ZippyD can add more, and Mike can give his side of the story?

Hot Loins... wonder where she is now?

[Keir]

Ah, "The Bog"!! The site of pagan worship at the "Glen"

Not for everybody, but an experience I would not have missed.

[Ray Bell]

...says Keir, as he toddles off to find the Amon thread and bring it to the top...

[Keir]

Yes indeed, Ray.
It's good to be back.

[Ray Bell]

Lots of highly interesting threads to catch up on, have you got plenty of spare time?

...and welcome home...

[David M. Kane]

I believe the bus was for Brazilian race fans. It was rumored to have their luggage on board as the fire occured
on Sunday during the race. It was very embarassing. I would
go so far to say it might have been done by some anti-establishment types from one of the local Univerisities. As I said in my first reply, this was in
the hippy-era '70s and there were a lot of college students
going through this identity crisis about "the man". Regardless, it ruin the weekend in most everyone's minds.

[bobdar]

Time changes all things. The "sacrifices" at the Bog are inexcusable by today's mentality, but, to put the time into context, the National Guard was indiscriminantly firing into crowds of protestors at Kent State. Maybe we are evolving.

[Don Capps]

I avoided "the bog" like the plague. I was not amused then and less so now by the antics that surrounded it. Personally, I never understood how it got to the level of lunacy it did. The incident with the Brazilian bus was just amazingly stupid. That -- and the cars which preceded it -- were the acts of hooligans, not fans.

[ZippyD]

"The BOG wants cars..... The BOG wants cars..."
It was a great time to be alive and at the Glen.

Enjoy!!!

http://www.geocities...y/2668/Bog.html

[ray b]

don't blame hippies for actions of drunks.
beer punks of all ages and times do stupid things.