| Road America | |||||||||||||||
| Nicknames: | America's National Park of Speed[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates: | 43.7975°N -87.9939°W | ||||||||||||||
| Location: | Town of Plymouth, Sheboygan County, at N7390 Highway 67, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, United States | ||||||||||||||
| Time: | UTC-6 (UTC-5 DST) | ||||||||||||||
| Fiagrade: | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Owner: | Road America, Inc. | ||||||||||||||
| Operator: | Road America, Inc. | ||||||||||||||
| Former Names: | Elkhart Lake's Road America (1955–1958) | ||||||||||||||
| Events: | Current: IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Road America (2016–present) IMSA SportsCar Championship Road Race Showcase at Road America (2014–present) GT World Challenge America (1991–1996, 1998, 2002–2004, 2006, 2008–2009, 2014–present) FR Americas (2021–present) MotoAmerica (1980–present) Trans-Am Series (1970–2005, 2009–present) SCCA Runoffs (2009–2013, 2020, 2024–2025) Former: NASCAR Cup Series Kwik Trip 250 (1956, 2021–2022) NASCAR Xfinity Series Road America 180 (2010–2023) American Le Mans Series Road America 500 (2002–2013) CART Road America 200 (1982–2004, 2006–2007) Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series (2000–2001, 2011–2013) | ||||||||||||||
| Capacity: | Open seating without capacity limitation | ||||||||||||||
| Miles First: | True | ||||||||||||||
| Layout1: | Grand Prix Course (1955–present) | ||||||||||||||
| Surface: | Asphalt | ||||||||||||||
| Length Km: | 6.515 | ||||||||||||||
| Length Mi: | 4.048 | ||||||||||||||
| Turns: | 14 | ||||||||||||||
| Record Time: | 1:41.874 | ||||||||||||||
| Record Driver: |  Alex Zanardi | ||||||||||||||
| Record Car: | Reynard 98I | ||||||||||||||
| Record Year: | 1998 | ||||||||||||||
| Record Class: | CART | ||||||||||||||
| Layout2: | Motorcycle Course (2003–present) | ||||||||||||||
| Surface2: | Asphalt | ||||||||||||||
| Length Km2: | 6.437 | ||||||||||||||
| Length Mi2: | 4.000 | ||||||||||||||
| Turns2: | 15 | ||||||||||||||
| Record Time2: | 2:09.025 | ||||||||||||||
| Record Driver2: |  Josh Herrin | ||||||||||||||
| Record Year2: | 2023 | ||||||||||||||
| Record Class2: | SBK | ||||||||||||||
| Layout3: | Karting road course | ||||||||||||||
| Surface3: | Asphalt | ||||||||||||||
| Length Km3: | 1.3 | ||||||||||||||
| Length Mi3: | 0.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Layout4: | Off road racing road course (defunct) | ||||||||||||||
| Surface4: | Clay | ||||||||||||||
| Length Km4: | 1.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Length Mi4: | 1.1 | ||||||||||||||
| Embedded: |
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Road America is a motorsport road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the IndyCar Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship, Sports Car Club of America GT World Challenge America and Trans-Am Series and the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Road America is a permanent road course. It is located midway between the cities of Milwaukee and Green Bay, and classified as an FIA Grade Two circuit.[2]
The track is situated on near the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive. It has hosted races since September 1955 and currently hosts over 400 events a year.[3] Of its annual events, 9 major weekends are open to the public which include 3 motorcycle events including the MotoAmerica (AMA FIM) series, 3 vintage car events, Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) events, the United Sports Car Racing Series, the Pirelli World Challenge, and the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Road America is one of only a handful of road circuits in the world maintaining its original configuration[3] being 4.048miles in length with 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's open seating 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 can be accommodated. Road America held one NASCAR Grand National race (now NASCAR Cup Series) in 1956 and two more Cup Series races in 2021 and 2022; NASCAR then opted to move the Cup Series and become a race in and around Downtown Chicago streets starting in 2023.
In addition to the main course, the facility includes a 0.81NaN1 karting track called the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex inside the Carousel. The 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. The motorplex also hosts events sanctioned by the North Woods GP series running Supermoto and street bike racing using small displacement motorcycles.
The Motorplex was built at the site of an earlier off road racing circuit used for several SODA events in the 1990s. The 1995 event was televised tape delayed on ESPN2 by reporters Marty Reid, Ivan Stewart, and Jimmie Johnson.[4] The course was 1.1miles long with 150feet of elevation change. The track featured a blind jump nicknamed "The Hell Hole".
In late 2006, Road America began a project to remove the old Bill 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.[5] The tunnel is 16.5feet high and 36feet 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.
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 3.3miles.
For the next two races, in 1951 and 1952, a different course was used. It was 6.5miles long, on County Roads J, A, and P. To date, one may still drive most of the original course.
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.[6] [7]
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, Clif Tufte started what is now known as Road America, in a configuration that has changed little over the past 60 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.
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.[8] 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 IMSA SportsCar Championship. The Grand Prix of Road America is an open-wheel race that was held as part of the Champ Car World Series and currently it is a part of the IndyCar Series.
Other notable series have included NASCAR's Grand National (now NASCAR Cup Series) in 1956 and NASCAR Xfinity Series since 2010, CART from 1982 until 2007,[9] Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Racing Series, CanAm, Trans-Am, AMA, and the SCCA National Championship Runoffs from 2009 to 2013. The Stadium Super Trucks began racing at the track starting in 2018; the trucks run a shortened course that bypasses turns 6 to 12, though the full layout is used on the final lap.[10] [11]
Road America also holds a variety of vintage racing events, including the Brian Redman International Challenge, now the HAWK with Brian Redman.
At the 2008 Road America 500 an Audi R10 TDI set an LMP1 pole time of 1:46.935. At the 2009 Road Race Showcase, Dyson Racing Team set an LMP2 pole time of 1:51.010. At the 2011 Road Race Showcase, BMW Team RLL set a GT pole time of 2:05.447, while at the same event a Porsche 997 GT3 set a GTC pole time of 2:14.126.
See main article: Kwik Trip 250. One NASCAR Grand National (now NASCAR Cup Series) race was held in 1956. The track hosted two more Cup series races in 2021 and 2022 before being planned to be replaced by the Chicago Street Race in 2023.[12] [13]
| Year | Date | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Race distance | Race time | Average speed (mph) | Report | Ref | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laps | Miles (km) | |||||||||||
| 1956 | August 12 | 15 | Tim Flock | Bill Stroppe | Mercury | 63 | 252 < | -- Track distance of 4.048 miles established by CART in 1997, only 4.000 miles until then. --> | 3:29:50 | 73.858 | Report | [14] |
| 1957 – 2020 | Not held | |||||||||||
| 2021 | July 4 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 62 | 250.48 (403.131) | 2:54:33 | 86.271 | Report | [15] | |
| 2022 | July 3 | 8 | Tyler Reddick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 62 | 250.48 (403.131) | 2:35:51 | 96.622 | Report | ||
See main article: Henry 180.
On December 21, 2009, NASCAR announced that with the situation at the Wisconsin State Fair Park being unclear, and losing races at the Milwaukee Mile, they would move Milwaukee's Xfinity Series race to Road America. The first race was held on June 19, 2010 and was won by Carl Edwards.[16] In 2015, the race moved to late August during an off-weekend for the Sprint Cup Series.
| Year | Date | Winning Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Race Distance | Race Time | Average Speed (mph) | Report | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laps | Miles (km) | ||||||||
| 2010 | June 19 | Carl Edwards | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 50 | 202.4 (325.731) | 2:57:17 | 68.501 | Report |
| 2011 | June 25 | Reed Sorenson | Turner Motorsports | Chevrolet | 57* | 230.736 (371.333) | 2:55:24 | 78.929 | Report |
| 2012 | June 23 | Nelson Piquet Jr. | Turner Motorsports | Chevrolet | 50 | 202.4 (325.731) | 2:22:35 | 85.171 | Report |
| 2013 | June 22 | A. J. Allmendinger | Penske Racing | Ford | 55* | 222.64 (356.224) | 2:58:50 | 74.697 | Report |
| 2014 | June 21 | Brendan Gaughan | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 53* | 214.544 (345.275) | 2:48:03 | 76.6 | Report |
| 2015 | August 29 | Paul Menard | Richard Childress Racing | 45 | 182.20 (293.222) | 2:20:21 | 77.874 | Report | |
| 2016 | August 27 | Michael McDowell | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 48* | 194.304 (312.702) | 2:36:20 | 74.573 | Report |
| 2017 | August 27 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 45 | 182.20 (293.222) | 2:12:53 | 82.25 | Report |
| 2018 | August 25 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 45 | 182.20 (293.222) | 2:23:57 | 75.926 | Report |
| 2019 | August 24 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 45 | 182.20 (293.222) | 2:11:38 | 83.031 | Report |
| 2020 | August 8 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | 45 | 182.20 (293.222) | 2:56:37 | 61.830 | Report | |
| 2021 | July 3 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 45 | 182.20 (293.222) | 2:25:47 | 74.972 | Report |
| 2022 | July 2 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 48* | 194.304 (312.702) | 2:36:14 | 74.621 | Report |
| 2023 | July 29 | Sam Mayer | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 49* | 198.352 (319.217) | 3:02:21 | 65.265 | Report |
See main article: Grand Prix of Road America. The CART Champ Car series held races at the track from 1982 to 2007, with the exception of 2005. The Verizon Indy Car Series revived the event beginning in 2016.
At the beginning of the Group 6 race in the 2005 Brian Redman International Challenge, there was a large incident consisting of most of the field: The driver starting fifth (Ray Mulacek, 1969 Chevrolet Camaro) 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. Nobody was seriously injured, with the worst injury being a broken arm.[17]
On August 3, 2006, Cristiano da Matta, driver of Champ Car's RuSPORT team and 2002 series champion, 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.[18] Da Matta was unconscious when the safety crew extricated him from the car,[19] and was airlifted via ThedaSTAR to Theda Clark Medical Center south of Appleton, where he underwent surgery to remove a subdural hematoma.[20]
Adam Schatz, 26,[21] from Chicago, Illinois, died in a karting accident during the Road America Super Nationals, Championship Enduro Series on July 12, 2008.
Bump drafting was a determining factor of the crash.[22]
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.[22]
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.[23]
During the Pirelli World Challenge weekend, drivers Steve Hill and Jim Booth were involved in an intense battle for first. The drivers contacted each other heading towards turn 5, causing Jim Booth to go airborne into the catch fence at 150 mph. This caused significant damage to the fence throwing debris into the spectator area. Booth's car was completely destroyed while Hill was able to continue the race with minor damage. Neither of the drivers, personnel, or spectators were injured during the incident.[24]
The official lap record for Road America is 1:39.866, set by Dario Franchitti during the qualifying of the 2000 Motorola 220 while the race lap record is 1:41.874, set by Alex Zanardi in the 1998 Texaco/Havoline 200. As of August 2024, the fastest official race lap records at Road America for different classes are listed as:
Road America is host to several non-automotive events.
The Road America track has been included in multiple racing video games, including Automobilista 2, the Forza Motorsport series, CART Precision Racing, iRacing, Raceroom Racing Experience, NASCAR Heat 2, NASCAR Heat 3, NASCAR Heat 4,NASCAR Heat 5, , , Project CARS, Project CARS 2, TOCA Race Driver 2, and Ride 3.
On October 4, 2021, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation introduced a special license plate honoring Road America, colored black and featuring an outline map of the Road America track (with a northward orientation; this article's infobox map features the track orientated westward) on its left side. The plate itself is fully black with all-white lettering, and has proven to be popular among state drivers for its 'blackout' design, especially among car clubs, and making vanity plate messages stand out, becoming the most requested specialty design in 2023, above specialty plates for the state's sports teams and a Harley-Davidson-specific design.[73]