Cameron Argetsinger, a Cornell law student and SCCA member, organized the event along with the local Chamber of Commerce.
Drivers complained of poor visibility and run-off, prompting the construction of a permanent circuit, today called Watkins Glen International, in 1956.
In 1996, IMSA restored the Watkins Glen event to its historic format, combining prototypes and grand tourers once again.
In the wake of USRRC's collapse, the Grand American Road Racing Championship took control of the event, and retained the Six Hours since 2000 as part of the Rolex Sports Car Series.
In 2014 after the merger of Grand-AM and the ALMS sports car series, IMSA regained control of the event under the United SportsCar Championship.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused the 2020 race to be moved to Road Atlanta, as New York state authorities would not allow NASCAR Holdings to host events.