Road America
From WOI Encyclopedia Italia
 | |
| Road America | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | |
| Location | N7390 Highway 67 |
| Broke ground | |
| Opened | 1955 |
| Closed | Open |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Owner | Road America, Inc. |
| Operator | Road America, Inc. |
| Construction cost | |
| Architect | |
| Former names | Elkhart Lake Road Races |
| Major events |
|
| Seating capacity | open seating without capacity limitation |
| Dimensions | |
| Track shape | road course |
| Track length | 4.0 miles |
| Track banking | varies |
Road America is a road course racetrack located in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, one of two historical race landmarks in the United States, the other being Watkins Glen in New York.
Contents |
Current track and facilities
The track is just over four miles long and consists of fourteen turns. The track has many elevation changes, along with a long front stretch where speeds approaching 200 mph may be reached. One of the best known features of this course is a turn on the backside known as "the kink." Many cars have prematurely finished their race on this section of road and solid concrete retaining wall.
Non-reserved grandstand seating exists for 10,000 people, but there are numerous hillside spots where crowds of more than 150,000 may be accommodated.
In addition to the main course, the facility includes a 0.8 mile go-kart track called the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex. The facility includes thirteen concession stands and allows camping onsite.
History of Racing at Elkhart Lake
Open Road Course
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.
For the next two races, in 1951 and 1952, a different course was used. It was 6.5 miles long, on County Roads J, A, and P. To date, one may still drive most of the original courses.
Private Road Course
After the tragedy at Watkins Glen in 1952, where a twelve year old was killed, the U.S. ruled to discontinue 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 on September 10, 1955, but they were hardly the last. [1] Other notable series have included NASCAR in 1956, CART from 1982 until the present [2], ALMS from 1999 to the present, USAC, CanAm, Trans-Am, IMSA, and AMA. Road America also holds a variety of vintage racing events, including the Brian Redman International Challenge.
2006 major events at the track
- June 4, AMA Superbike
- June 22 - 25, SCCA June Sprints
- July 16, Brian Redman International Challenge.
- August 20, American Le Mans Series
- September 21 - 24, Champ Car World Series
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. [3] He was unconscious when the safety crew extricated da Matta from the car [4] and was airlifted to a local hospital, where he underwent surgery to remove a subdural hematoma. [5]
Champ Car Race History
NASCAR Race History
| Year | Date | Driver | Car Make | Winner's Prize (USD) | Distance (miles) | Average Speed (mph) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | August 12, 1956 | US -- Tim Flock | 1956 Mercury | $2,950 | 258 | 73.858 |
