Road America

Ah, Road America. Four miles of medium- and high-speed corners nestled in the woods of Wisconsin. The type of racetrack that truly embodies the saying, “They don’t make’em like they used to.” Growing up in California, Elkhart Lake was an oasis in some foreign land to me. I remember watching Indy car races on TV in fascination, wondering what it was really like. Hurry Downs, The Carousel, The Kink, Canada Corner and Thunder Valley. It was hard for me to visualize how these puzzle pieces came together to form one of the best racetracks North America has to offer. Years later, when I finally experienced this playground from the cockpit of a single-seater, it became very clear.

Road America flows. You have to drive it to truly understand it. If you look at a track map, it looks pretty straightforward, but to drive it, it’s a different experience all together. Every corner is the most important corner on the track. Lots of straightaways, high-speed corners, threshold brake zones and, at times, a real gut check. It’s a driver’s track. Many will say that horsepower is all that matters here but, truth be told, technique is just as important. RA serves up 11 true corners, each critical to lap time. A little mistake here or there can add up to several seconds.