GAFFNEY, S.C. – Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport (ITH) and Taughannock Aviation are returning to sponsor Garrett Smithley’s No. 0 Chevrolet in Saturday’s Zippo 200 at the Glen Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International in New York.
The Ithaca Airport and Taughannock previously sponsored Ross Chastain and JD Motorsports at the Glen. This year they return to be part of the JD Motorsports Xfinity three-car team once again.
“Watkins Glen is a unique race on our schedule and one that requires a lot of specific preparation and planning. Our aviation partners fit right into that. It’s going to be a great weekend,” said team owner Johnny Davis. “It’s great to have the folks from Taughannock and the Ithaca Airport back with us this year.”
With service from American, Delta and United Airlines, Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport is a vital community asset and the busiest airport in the Southern Tier, generating more than $30 million for the local economy. Located just steps from Cornell and downtown Ithaca and approximately 30 miles from Watkins Glen International, Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport features 750 one-stop global connections to serve everyone’s travel needs.
Taughannock Aviation Corporation, in its 37th year of business, is one of the largest aircraft charter and management companies in the Northeast, operating nearly a dozen business jet aircraft as well as the Fixed Base Operation in KITH. Maintaining and operating aircraft out of Vermont, Florida and New York, the company employs roughly 50 full-time staffers, has amassed more than 40 million air miles and exceeded 100,000 flight hours without an accident or an injury.
With plenty of airport ramp space, handling experience, ample hotels and restaurants and reliable ground transportation, the Ithaca area is the one-stop shop for NASCAR aviation traffic.
“It’s going to be a great weekend at the Glen,” Smithley said. “Having Taughannock and the Ithaca Airport folks on board completes everything for us. We’ll have a fast car and some great support.”