2023 Events at Road America
The Beginning
In the early 1950’s, sports car races were being run on the streets in and around Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. When the state legislature banned racing on public roads, a man named Clif Tufte organized a group of influential local citizens and leaders of the Chicago Region of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). This group developed plans and sold stock to build a permanent racecourse. The overall vision of Road America grew out of the dreams of Tufte, a highway engineer, who chose 525 acres of Wisconsin farmland outside the Village of Elkhart Lake for the track.
Tufte’s dream became a reality in April 1955. The natural topography of the glacial Kettle Moraine area was utilized for the track, sweeping around rolling hills and plunging through ravines. By September 10, 1955, the track’s first SCCA national race weekend was held. At 4.048 miles in length, with 14 turns, the track is virtually the same today as it was when it was first laid out and is revered the world over as one of the world’s finest and most challenging road courses. Road America was even recently was named the 2021 Best NASCAR Track in America as voted on by USA Today readers.
Present Day
The 640-acre, park-like grounds offer amazing viewing opportunities, fantastic concessions and high-speed excitement to thousands of spectators each year. In addition to being a major attraction during public race weekends, Road America offers group event programs, the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex for karting and Supermoto club racing, and the Road America Motorcycle and Advanced Driving Schools.
Millions of dollars in improvements have been made throughout the years, but the original 4.048-mile, 14-turn configuration has never been altered. In 2005, Elkhart Lake’s Road America, Inc. celebrated its 50th anniversary. Its history was documented in a book, “Road America: Celebrating 50 Years of Road Racing” by Tom Schultz. Celebrities such as David Letterman, Tom Cruise, Patrick Dempsey, Tim Allen, Ashley Judd, and the late Paul Newman have visited this venue, not only for the great racing but also for the scenic surroundings of this resort community.
Road America is big business, attracting over 800,000 visitors a year from every corner of the world. Economic impact studies show that Road America, its events and visitors generate more than $100 million dollars annually each year. Over 500 events are held annually at Road America, often running multiple activities on the same day incorporating the four-mile track, the interior Briggs & Stratton Motorplex and the beautiful grounds surrounding the facility.
Considering a Trip To Road America?
Here is some useful information to help you plan your trip to Elkhart Lake
If you’ve been to Elkhart Lake’s Road America you know what a great place it is. The premier event is the Indy Car weekend (June 15-18, 2023) but there are lots of other great weekend events at Road America. If you haven’t seen an Indy Car race in person it should be a bucket list event – and Indy Cars on the historic track at Road America… well it just doesn’t get any better! To top it all off, this place is absolutely gorgeous. It’s like a State Park…with S P E E D!
Track Facts
Road America is a permanent road course and opened in 1955.
Road America is one of only a handful of road circuits in the world maintaining its original configuration. It’s 4.048 miles around and has 14 challenging turns. The track features many elevation changes, along with a long front stretch where speeds approaching 210 mph 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.
| Race lap record | 1:39.866 (Dario Franchitti, Team KOOL Green, 2000, CART) |
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Food
There are many fantastic food stands scattered throughout Road America’s 460 acres. Unlike many other racing facilities the food vendors at Road America are all local groups and they provide some of the best food you’ll find at any track.
Corvette Parking
Take your Corvette! The Kettle Moraine Corvette Club continues its’ 40+ year tradition of hosting the Corvette Corral. Fenced off Corvette-only parking staffed by club members provides a safe spot to park your Vette. Click the button to find out more about the Corvette Corral including location and what gate is closest.