Conley Publishing - Special Sections
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Conley Media • April 2018 • RACING INSIDER • 7 By NICHOLAS DETTMANN Conley News Service Tucked into the rolling terrain of the Kettle Moraine Forest, Road America, at 4.048 miles and 14 turns, is one of the signa- ture road courses in the world. "It's always been one of my favorite tracks," IndyCar driver Tony Kanaan said in 2015. "If you guys follow every single interview and people ask me if I could choose three or four tracks I could come back to, (Road America) was always one of my list." "The track is a lot of fun," Scott Dixon said in 2015. "This was always one of my favorite road courses to run on," four-time Indian- apolis 500 champion Rick Mears said in 2016. "It's long, it's got everything, elevation changes, blind corners, long straight- aways, tight corners, fast corners." The praise continues from drivers. "It's just a cool, old- school track," IndyCar driv- er Will Power said after winning the 2016 IndyCar Series race at Road America, ending a nine- year hiatus for the series at the track. The story behind how Road America became a driver favorite is sadly one of tragedy. According to Wikipedia, in the late 1940s, road rac- ing was gaining popularity, with the help of the post World War II economy and the influx of sporting auto- mobiles. 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, a small town in Sheboygan County about an hour north of Milwaukee. For three years, cars raced on the state highways and city streets as fans watched from sidewalks or shoulders. The 1950 circuit start-fin- ish line was on Highway P. Competitors went north to Highway J, then south into the village of Elkhart Lake and west on what is now Highway JP (then called Highway X), and reconnect- ed with Highway P for a total distance of 3.3 miles. The next two races, a differ- ent course was used. It was 6.5 miles long, on Highways J, A and P. To date, you can still drive most of the origi- nal course. In 1952 in New York, a child was killed while watching a race and govern- ments across the country were quick to react – no more auto races on public streets. According to the Wis- consin Historical Society, the success of the races demonstrated the viability of road racing as a specta- tor sport. So, after racing on public streets was outlawed in 1952, local business lead- ers, led by Clif Tufte, according to Road Amer- ica's website, constructed a multi-purpose track simu- lating country road condi- tions in 1954-55, the WHS' website said. This facility, named Road America, just south of Elkhart Lake, was one of the first specially constructed road courses in the country. The first race at Road America was Sept. 10, 1955, for a SCCA event. The origi- nal course was registered on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 and signs have been installed marking the key locations on the course. Other notable series have included NASCAR's Grand National (now Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series) in 1956 and Xfinity Series since 2010, CART from 1982-2007, IndyCar Series, Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Racing Series, CanAm, Trans-Am, AMA and the SCCA National Championship Runoffs from 2009 to 2013. The Speed Energy Formula Off-Road – known as the Stadium Super Trucks series – will race at the track starting in 2018. For the event, the trucks will race on a shortened course that bypasses turns 6 to 12. Road America also holds a variety of vintage racing events, including the Brian Redman International Challenge, now the HAWK with Brian Redman. And despite the advance- ments in technology, the track's original configura- tion remains largely intact. The track is also a highly respected driving school and not just for aspiring racers. Driving schools include teen driving and motorcycles as well as a go- kart program. For more information, visit www.roadamerica. com. 4 miles of a rolling treasure ROAD AMERICA Elaine Mueller/For Conley News Service Since 2010, the NASCAR Xfinity Series has raced annu- ally at Road America, providing a different winner each year. This year's race weekend is Aug. 23-25. Nicholas Dettmann/Conley News Service The IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge com- petes in a double-header weekend with the IndyCar series in June. Nicholas Dettmann/Conley News Service James Hinchcliffe, along with the rest of the IndyCar Series, returns to Road America, June 22-24. Harley-Davidson's 115th anniversary cel- ebration is this year and the motorcycle company plans to host several races as part of the milestone year. ■ Aug. 31-Sept. 1: Harley-Davidson Beach Racing, Bradford Beach, Milwaukee ■ Aug. 31: Flat Out Friday powered by Harley-Davidson, Panther Arena, Milwaukee ■ Aug. 31: Run What You Brung powered by Harley-Davidson, Great Lakes Dragway, Union Grove ■ Sept. 1: Hillclimb powered by Harley- Davidson, Little Switzerland, Slinger H-D plans 4 races in milestone year 300 Travis Lane Unit 19 • Waukesha, WI 53189 Wisconsin's LARGEST Airsoft SuperStore Offering OVER 300 Airsoft Rifles, Pistols and Shotguns! 262-278-4313 • www.TheAirsoftHeadquarters.com Mon.-Fri. 12-8pm Sat./Sun. 10am-6pm EXPANDED & REMODELED