Road America

Road America

Road America Track Layout
Location	Town of Plymouth, Sheboygan County, at N7390 Highway 67, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Time zone	UTC-6 (UTC-5 DST)
Coordinates	43°47′51″N 87°59′38″W / 43.7975°N 87.99389°W / 43.7975; -87.99389Coordinates: 43°47′51″N 87°59′38″W / 43.7975°N 87.99389°W / 43.7975; -87.99389
Capacity	Open seating without capacity limitation
Owner	Road America, Inc.
Operator	Road America, Inc.
Opened	1955
Former names	Elkhart Lake Road Races
Major events	American Le Mans Series NASCAR Nationwide Series (2010-Present) Kohler International Challenge with Brian Redman (vintage cars) SCCA June Sprints AMA Superbike SCCA Runoffs (2009-Present) Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series
Road Course
Surface	Asphalt
Length	4.048 mi (6.515 km)
Turns	14
Lap record	1:39.866 (Dario Franchitti, Team KOOL Green, 2000, Champ Car)
karting road course
Surface	Asphalt
Length	0.8 mi (1.3 km)
Off road racing road course (defunct)
Surface	Clay
Elkhart Lake Road Race Circuits
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location:	Cty Hwys, J, P, JP, A, and Lake St., Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Area:	56.7 acres (23 ha)
Built:	1950
Governing body:	Local
NRHP Reference#:	06000053[1]
Added to NRHP:	February 17, 2006

Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, American Le Mans (Road America 500), SCCA Speed World Challenge Series, Grand-Am, ASRA, and AMA Superbike series.

Current track and facilities

Road America is a permanent road course. It is located midway between the cities of Milwaukee and Green Bay.

The track is situated on 640 acres (2.6 km²) in Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine and it is located near the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive. It has hosted races since September 1955 and currently hosts over 400 events a year.^[2] Of its annual events, 9 major weekends are open to the public which include 3 motorcycle events including the AMA Superbike series, 3 vintage car events, Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) events, the American Le Mans Series, the SPEED World Challenge, and the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Road America is one of only a hand-full of road circuits in the world maintaining its original configuration^[3] being 4.048 miles (6.515 km) in length and 14 turns. The track features many elevation changes, along with a long front stretch where speeds approaching 200 mph (320 km/h) may be reached. One of the best known features of this course is a turn on the backside known as "the kink."

Road America offers open seating which allows spectators to venture throughout the grounds. Grandstands are available in several locations as well as permanent hillside seating where crowds of more than 150,000 may be accommodated.^{[citation needed]} The facility includes thirteen concession stands and allows both tent and RV camping onsite for an additional fee. Complimentary perimeter parking is offered to spectators and children age 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.

Blain's Farm & Fleet Motorplex

In addition to the main course, the facility includes a 0.8-mile (1.3 km) karting track called the Blain's Farm & Fleet Motorplex inside the Carousel. The Blain's Farm & Fleet Motorplex hosts two series of karting events. It hosts weekly events on Tuesdays in the summer. It also hosts approximately six Saturday events during the summer.

Off road racing circuit

The Blain's Farm & Fleet Motorplex was built at the site of an earlier off road racing circuit used for several SODA events in the 1990s.

Tunnel

Paddock tunnel

In late 2006, Road America began a project to remove the old Billy Mitchell bridge and use a tunnel as the main entrance to the paddock. The tunnel project was completed in May 2007 with the grand opening celebration on May 31 for the AMA Suzuki Superbike Championship weekend.^[4] The tunnel is 16.5' high and 36' wide and has two lanes of traffic and two pedestrian walkways on either side. With the removal of the bridge, a new spectator viewing area was created.

History of Racing at Elkhart Lake

Open Road Course

The site of the 1951 and 1952 start finish line for road races in downtown Elkhart Lake

In the late 1940s, road racing was gaining popularity, owing to the post World War II economy, and the influx of sporting automobiles. The Sports Car Club of America was the main organizer of these races, and in 1950, the Chicago Region SCCA and the Village of Elkhart Lake organized the first road race at Elkhart Lake.

The 1950 circuit start-finish line was on County Road P. Competitors went north to County Road J, then South into the Village of Elkhart Lake, and West on what is now County JP (then called County Highway X), and reconnected with County Road P for a total distance of 3.3 miles (5.3 km).

For the next two races, in 1951 and 1952, a different course was used. It was 6.5 miles (10.5 km) long, on County Roads J, A, and P. To date, one may still drive most of the original courses.

The original course was registered on the National Register of Historic Places on February 17, 2006. Signs have been installed marking key locations on the course.

Private Road Course

After the tragedy at Watkins Glen in 1952, where a child was killed, the U.S. ruled to discontinue motorized contests of speed on public highways. This was a major blow for competition auto racing and brought the end of a long-standing tradition. This did not permanently stop road racing, however, it did shift it to private courses. In 1955, Cliff Tufte started what is now known as Road America, in a configuration that has changed little over the past 50 years. The addition of Road America as a private track meant a transition from racing through the streets of tiny Elkhart Lake to racing on a big, wide, dedicated race track.

Racing at Road America

Many different racing series have had the occasion to race at Road America. The first was the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) on September 10, 1955.^[5] The Road America 500 is a sports car race that was part of different championships, among them the SCCA National Sports Car Championship, the United States Road Racing Championship and the IMSA GT Championship. Currently it is a points-paying race of the Americana Le Mans Series. The Champ Car Grand Prix of Road America was an open-wheel race held as part of the Champ Car World Series.

Other notable series have included NASCAR in 1956 and 2010, CART from 1982 until 2007,^[6] Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Racing Series, CanAm, Trans-Am, AMA, and the SCCA National Championship Runoffs since 2009. Road America also holds a variety of vintage racing events, including the Brian Redman International Challenge (now the Kohler International Challenge with Brian Redman).

• June 6–8, AMA Superbike
• August 21–23 American Le Mans Series
• June 23–26 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series

NASCAR Race History

Cup Series

One NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup Series) race was held in 1956.

Year	Date	Driver	Car Make	Winner's Prize (USD)	Distance (miles)	Average Speed (mph)
1956	August 12, 1956	Tim Flock	1956 Mercury	$2,950	258	73.858

Nationwide Series

Nationwide cars in 2010

On December 21, 2009, NASCAR announced with the situation at the Wisconsin State Fair Park being unclear, and losing races at the Milwaukee Mile, NASCAR moved the Nationwide Series race to Road America. The 50-lap, 200-mile race was held June 19, 2010.^[7]

Year	Date	Driver	Car Make	Winner's Prize (USD)	Distance (miles)	Average Speed (mph)
2010	June 19, 2010	Carl Edwards	Ford	$48,675	200	68.501
2011	June 20, 2011	Reed Sorenson	Chevrolet	$51,876	228	78.929

NOTE: 2011 race was 57 laps because of safety car regulations on the penultimate lap.

Champ Car Race Results

Champ Car events were held at the track from 1982–2007, with the exception of 2005.

Major incidents and events at the track

2005 BRIC Wreck

At the beginning of the Group 6 race in the 2005 Brian Redman International Challenge (now the Kohler International Challenge), there was a large incident consisting of most of the field: The driver starting fifth accelerated well before the green flag and tried to force his way between the wall and the car in front of him, resulting in contact with the wall. A following car checked up and was rear-ended, causing a spin that led to further contact as following cars were unable to avoid the growing incident. After just a few seconds of green flag racing, the red flag was waved. Following the initial incident, the failure of trailing drivers to heed red flags being shown at 14 and 15 (under the bridge at the crest of the hill) may have compounded the issue. Luckily, nobody was seriously injured, with the worst injury being a broken arm.^[8]

The Cristiano da Matta Deer Incident

On August 3, 2006, Cristiano da Matta, driver of Champ Car's RuSPORT team, was involved in a collision with a deer during Champ Car open testing at Road America. The deer ran in front of his car as he was heading towards turn 6. He hit the deer with his right front tire, the deer then flew back and hit da Matta in the cockpit.^[9] He was unconscious when the safety crew extricated da Matta from the car^[10] and was airlifted via Flight for Life to Theda Clark Medical Center south of Appleton, where he underwent surgery to remove a subdural hematoma.^[11]

Adam Schatz Death

Adam Schatz, 26,^[12] from Chicago, Illinois, died in a karting accident during the Road America Super Nationals, Championship Enduro Series on 12 July 2008.

Bump drafting was a determining factor of the crash.^[13]

During the end of the race, Schatz was in second place. On the main straight, shortly after the last turn, Schatz saw the kart in third position on his left and tried to pull ahead to be bumped. As he did so, the kart in fourth position bumped the third speeding the third kart up. At this point Schatz was not clear as to what was happening, and as he moved to his left, the two karts made contact.

Schatz's kart veered hard left and hit the wall. The impact sent the kart flying ten feet into the air ejecting the driver onto the track. The rest of the drivers avoided Schatz, some drivers stopped and after seeing Schatz's condition, waved to get medical help.^[14]

The race was immediately stopped as medical assistance arrived on the place of the accident. Schatz had suffered brain stem and spinal cord injuries and his heart had stopped. He was revived by the doctors and taken to the Theda Clark Memorial Hospital in Neenah, Wisconsin, but his injuries proved to be too severe to survive and one week later he died.^[15]

Other Events at the Track

Road America is host to several non-automotive events.

• The Tour de Road America - Bike Ride to Fight Cancer is a bike ride on the track to raise funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the Austin Hatcher Foundation, and the Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic. The annual event has taken place every August since 2004 during the Champ Car and/or American Le Mans Series weekends, and has raised over $160,000 as of 2010. It raised nearly $24,000 in 2009, and over $16,000 in 2010. The 8th Tour de Road America event was held on Friday, August 19, 2011 during the American Le Mans weekend (August 18-20, 2011). The event had over 350 participants and raised over $23,000.
• The Road America Inline Challenge is an inline skating race on the track in June. A fun lap is also part of the event, which has taken place since 2006.
• An Annual Road America Walk/Run for the American Cancer Society has raised $2.5 million in its 29-year existence. The Walk/Run takes place in late October. The 2007 event included a Mid-American Stock Car Series exhibition, which has become an annual exhibition with its addition to the 2008 series schedule.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Road America

Photo gallery

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  Welcome sign

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  The sign marking the start/finish line on the original road course

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  Retired Champ Car racers going around turn eight at the Kohler International Challenge

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  Fans looking east at Turn Five at the 1995 June Sprints at Road America

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  Looking up the frontstretch hill

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  2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series race

References

External links

• Road America Official Site
• Driving Line Tutorial Video
• NASCAR Track History at racing-reference.info
• Trackpedia guide to driving Road America
• Champ Car driver Charles Zwolsman narrates a lap at Road America
• Karting Club at the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex
• Event information for the Tour de Road America - Bike Ride to Fight Cancer

NASCAR Nationwide Series racetracks}}