Road America celebrates 60 years of racing
Racing was the main form of entertainment in Elkhart Lake, Wis., during the 1950s, when the sleepy town came alive in the summers. Ferrari 166s, Jaguar XK120s, and Cadillac-Allards swerved alarmingly close to residents who stood behind flimsy wooden fences. Eventually, these races were banned, which opened the door to a new Midwestern recreation.
Sixty years ago, Road America was created: a motorsports complex with one of the country’s longest road circuits. Road America is unique among North America’s permanent road circuits in retaining its original layout. What the daredevils of 1955 raced on is the same track that is in use today.
Four miles of rolling hills and plunging ravines lay the groundwork for founder Clift Tufte and local wealthy citizens to conceptualize the track, taking advantage of the natural topography of the glacial Kettle Moraine area. Road America’s first racing event took place in 1955 with the SCCA National, an exciting 148-mile race between Sherwood Johnson of Rye, N.Y., and Phil Hill of Santa Monica, Calif. A year later, the first professional race weekend debuted with the NASCAR Grand National during a time when NASCAR was only a regional Southern series and not very well known.
Fast forward to present day, where over 425 events are held annually at Road America, drawing around 800,000 visitors and contributing an impressive $70 million in economic impact. Some of Road America’s famous visiting series have included NASCAR, CART, Canadian-American Challenge Cup, and six-hour endurance racing.
"Road America is my favorite track in the world”, says racer Peter Cunningham. “I won my first big SCCA National race there at the June Sprints in 1984, and then earned my first professional win three years later in a three-hour endurance race.”
Road America is easy to navigate for visitors, with open parking facilities for fans to watch the action from different turns and vantage points. Walking is also a popular way to see cars zoom past, with trails connecting the track areas. During major race weekends, Road America is open for spectator camping with areas reserved for tents and motorhomes.
There are around 100 different classes and events open to the public. These include go-kart exercises for corporate groups, motorcycle training to obtain a license, high-performance driving programs, and winter driving programs. “We teach people how to control their vehicles in tough conditions (so) that they can apply those skills on the highways,” says Mike Kertscher, director of business services at Road America.
This summer, Road America debuted the Silent Sporting event every Monday and Wednesday, where visitors can ride bicycles and other non-motorized vehicles, plus walk or run the track. Other activities at the facility include horse-drawn hayrides, paddock tours, scavenger hunts and paintball adventures.
Summer of motorsports
When locals are not getting fit at Road America, the summer days are devoted to the professional racing events.
On August 8, the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge comes to Road America (and is also being streamed live on IMSA.com). The following day brings the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and Continental Tire Road Race Showcase.Activities include tech talks, fan forums, car corrals and a Tour de RA bike event. The NASCAR XFINITY Series, SCCA Pro Trans-Am Series and Mazda MX-5 Cup roll into Road America Aug. 27-29, as the final of three road courses on the NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule. The event has historically brought an influx of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars and various sports car series veterans. The last summer event at Road America will be the OPTIMA FACEOFF on Aug. 30, which includes autocross, road course, braking and acceleration challenges, a style and design competition and road rally. Find a complete calendar of events at RoadAmerica.com.
“We have been coming up to Road America since the 1970s and I have been racing there since 1972,” says Dave Harris, a retired airline pilot from Illinois. Harris and his wife Kathy are one of many families who brought their children to the track, making it a generational hobby. “Those racing days are long, with inspections, tent set-up, and creating work spaces, so we practically potty-trained our kids there. We raised our children at Road America, and now my grandchildren go to Road America.”
Off the track
After a day at Road America, explore a plethora of activities in the Sheboygan County area. Start at Elkhart Lake, which Native Americans believed had healing qualities. During a boat ride, you will find peaceful woodlands surrounding the lake and see the protected lily pads that color Turtle Bay. A 20-minute drive from Elkhart Lake lands you in the charming town of Kohler, named after the appliance company and family. The Kohler Design Center conducts factory tours that highlight how their kitchen and bath products are made, while the small museum features vintage Kohler products. Kohler is also home to the AAA Five Diamond Destination Kohler resort, which hosts the 2015 PGA Championship on its Whistling Straits course, Aug. 10-16.