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Racecar Author bring Legend of Walt Hangsen to SAM

October 13, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News Media Contact: Alan Edstrom (518) 587-1935 x22

The 1950s and 1960s were a time of tremendous change in American sportscar racing, and driver Walt Hangsen was one of that periodÌs giant figures. At 7:00 p.m., on Thursday, November 9, 2006, the Saratoga Automobile Museum hosts author Michael Argetsinger as he elaborates on the contents of his recently published book Walt Hansgen: His Life and the History of Post-War American Road Racing. (March 2006, by David Bull Publishing www.bullpublishing.com)

Argetsinger notes that given Hansgen's position as a central figure during this promethean period, his book is as much the story of road-racing in American from 1950-65 as it is biography of one individual.

Walt Hansgen
Within a few years of his first race in 1951, Walt Hansgen had become the number one driver on Briggs Cunningham's preeminent American sports car racing team. He went on to become a four-time SCCA National Champion and raced with distinction in NASCAR, the Indianapolis 500, and Formula One, where at Watkins Glen he scored World Championship points for Team Lotus. HansgenÌs career ended tragically when he was fatally injured in accident in France while testing a car at racing car at the Le Mans circuit. Argetsinger will discuss his original research into the accident and its aftermath.

In the book, Argetsinger notes that Hansgen "was a relentless competitor, but his sense of fairness and camaraderie made him respected by his peers and a leader in the sport. For many up and coming racers, including Mark Donohue, Walt was a crucial mentor."

Hansgen was in many ways the archetype of the engineer-driver. He was intimately involved in the development of many of the great race cars of his era including the D-Type Jaguar, Lister, "Birdcage" Maserati, Scarab, Lola T70, and the Ford MkII GT40.

At different points in his career Hansgen teamed with racing legends Dan Gurney, Archie Scott-Brown, Stirling Moss, Mark Donohue and John Fitch. (The Museum's current main exhibit, John Fitch: An American Racing Hero, tells the story of this legendary figure and the cars he drove, designed and built. The Fitch exhibit closes on November 14th, less than a week after Argetsinger's appearance at the Museum.)

Michael Artgetsinger: Another Life in Racing
A member of a motor racing family, Michael Argetsinger has been involved in the sport from his childhood. His father, Cameron, was a major figure in post-World War II road racing in America, and the person who brought the sport to Watkins Glen in the late 1940s. For more than 40 years, Michael Argetsinger has himself been a racing driver. He raced in Europe for ten years and has competed at 53 race circuits in nine countries.

At Watkins Glen Argetsinger worked in various departments of the Grand Prix Corporation. Later, while living in Europe, he was a special emissary for the Race Director of the United States Grand Prix and helped coordinate organizational and logistical matters with the principals of the Formula One teams. Argetsinger is a member of the board of directors of the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) at Watkins Glen.

In addition to his own book on Hansgen, Argetsinger has edited five books on motor racing. His current project is the first biography of another American motorsports legend, one-time Hansgen prot»g» and 1972 Indy 500 winner Mark Donohue.

This program is included with Museum Admission, $7.00 for Adults, $5.00 for Seniors and Active Miltary, and $3.50 for children ages 6-16. Children under 5 are free.


The Saratoga Automobile Museum
The mission of the Saratoga Automobile Museum is to display significant cars, trucks, and vehicles that not only represent the automotive heritage of New York State but the entire world of motorized transportation. The Museum is chartered by the Board of Regents of the State of New York Department of Education and in addition to organizing permanent and temporary exhibits, the Museum hosts a variety of workshops, interactive displays, lectures, and outdoor shows.

The Saratoga Automobile Museum is located on the grounds of Saratoga Spa State Park at 110 Avenue of the Pines. For more information, guests can also visit the MuseumÌs website at www.saratogaautomuseum.org or call (518) 587-1935.