Round 8: Sonsio Grand Prix of Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. June 16 - 18.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Round 8: Sonsio Grand Prix of Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. June 16 - 18.

This weekend will be the 8th running of the race as an IndyCar event, since the 2016 Kohler Grand Prix of Road America, which became the first IndyCar race and major AOWR event, to be held at Road America, after an 8 year hiatus. Prior to that, the last major AOWR event was the Champ Car Generac Grand Prix of Road America, on August 12, 2007, which was won by Sébastien Bourdais, driving for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, in a Panoz DP-01-Cosworth XFE.

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History
The very first race to be held at Elkhart Lake was in 1950 and was organized by the Chicago Region and Milwaukee Region of The Sports Car Club of America. It was the first of three races from 1950 - 1952, which were held on courses laid out on public roads. However, after a fatal accident at Watkins Glen in 1952, it was decided to discontinue motor racing on all public roads and the event was moved to a private, purpose built road course, after highway engineer Clif Tufte, got together with the Chicago Region of the Sports Car Club of America, as well as local citizens, to develop and build a permanent racecourse.

In October 1954, Road America, Inc. was formed with the members of the Chicago Region SCCA largely financing the project, which had an estimated cost of $175,000, through the sale of shares. In April 1955 a bulldozer broke ground and on September 10, 1955, Road America held its first SCCA national race weekend. Since then, the track has hosted many major American motorsport's series, including the American Le Mans Series, CART, NASCAR and the United States Road Racing Championship.

From 1982-2007, the race had been a perennial event on the CART/Champ Car calendar, with the innaugural race, the Road America 200 held on September 11, 1982. It was won by ex F1 driver Héctor Rebaque driving for Forsythe Racing, in a March 82C-Ford Cosworth DFX. The exception was 2005, when the race was dropped due to sponsorship issues.

With the unification of Champ Car and the IRL in 2008, the race was subsequently dropped from the calendar. However, on August 8, 2015, it was announced Road America would return as a round of the 2016 season of the Verizon IndyCar Series.

In 2020 the race was originally scheduled for June 21. However, it was initially postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was re-scheduled for July 11–12, hosting the third and fourth rounds of the revised calendar, The REV Group Grand Prix presented by AMR Doubleheader, in order to help bring the 2020 season back up to a 17 race schedule, as a number of races had been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Track
The track itself has undergone a number of upgrades, including the installation of gravel traps, as well as the enlargement of run-off areas, particularly at Turn 1 and the removal of the bridge at Turn 13, at the end of 2006 season. Despite this the actual layout has hardly changed, apart from a chicane that was installed for AMA motorcycle competitors at The Kink.


Original track layout:



Current track layout:



Length: 4.048 miles (6.515 km)
Turns: 14

Lap record:
Dario Franchitti, August 19, 2000. 1:39.866, 145.924 Mph (234.84 Km/h).
Team KOOL Green,
Reynard 2KI-Honda HR-0.
CART FedEx Championship Series.

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Some trivia:
The driver with the most wins: 3.
Mario Andretti: 1983, 1984, 1987.
Emerson Fittipaldi, 1986, 1988, 1982.
Michael Andretti: 1991, 1992, 1996.

The team with the most wins: 10.
Newman/Haas Racing: 1983, 1984, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2007.

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Last Year's Race:
https://www.indycar.com/news/2022/06/06-12-ra-nics-race

Pole:

Alexander Rossi,
Andretti Autosport,
Dallara IR18-Honda HI22TT Indy V6.

Winner:
Josef Newgarden
Team Penske.
Dallara IR18-Chevrolet Indy V6.

Laps 55
Distance 222.64 Miles (358.30 Km)
Race Time 1:53:02.8097
Speed 117.174 Mph (188.57327 Km/h)
Fastest lap: Josef Newgarden - Team Penske. Lap 13, 106.6212 sec, 135.530 Mph (218.114 Km/h)

Cautions 5
Laps: 1 - 2, 4 - 5, 8 - 9, 48 - 49, 51 - 51.

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Practice and Qualifications

Practice 1
Friday, Jun 16. 4:00 PM - 5:15 PM ET

Practice 2
Saturday, Jun 17. 10:55 AM - 11:55 AM ET

Qualifications - Round 1 Group 1
Saturday, Jun 17. 1:55 PM - 2:05 PM ET

Qualifications - Round 1 Group 2
Saturday, Jun 17. 2:20 PM - 2:30 PM ET

Qualifications - Round 2
Saturday, Jun 17. 2:45 PM - 2:55 PM ET

Qualifications - Firestone Fast 6
Saturday, Jun 17. 3:10 PM - 3:25 AM ET

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TV Broadcast
Sunday, Jun 18. 1:15 PM - 3:45 PM ET, 5:00 PM UTC
Sky Sports F1, 11:30 PM BST.

[joeb]

There could be a track record here as the new pavement should provide additional grip. Really looking forward to it!

Weather is looking about perfect too, highs in upper 70's and sunny

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClic...01786999999996

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by joeb

There could be a track record here as the new pavement should provide additional grip. Really looking forward to it!

Weather is looking about perfect too, highs in upper 70's and sunny

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClic...01786999999996

Motorsport have this article on the possibility of track records being broken this weekend.


https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/n...itti/10482152/

[fieldodreams79]

Did they fix the pothole Scotty Mac found in T1 last week?

Excellent P1, bjs! My favorite part is how the original layout is like the current one

[joeb]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

Did they fix the pothole Scotty Mac found in T1 last week?

Excellent P1, bjs! My favorite part is how the original layout is like the current one

i noticed that too! But there have been a ton of changes off track, gravel, paved runoff, and a constant fan experience upgrade over the past 20 years

[mstets]

17 drivers covered by one second in P1 on a 4 mile track. McLaren and Ganassi looking strongest but nice to see Malukas and Lundgaard with good pace. Lundgaard appeared to be working really hard, car didn't look anywhere near as comfortable as Rossi's. Alternate tires didn't seem to be much faster than the primaries. I'm wondering how many laps they are good for. Perhaps closer to the primaries than normal, so not a factor for the race?

[Adam43]

14th, decent start to the weekend.

Odds:
https://www.sportsgamblingpodcast.co...ica-best-bets/
Sting Ray Robb +75000

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Adam43

14th, decent start to the weekend.

Odds:
https://www.sportsgamblingpodcast.co...ica-best-bets/
Sting Ray Robb +75000

I was just about to comment on Stingy's true form now that we are on the traditional road courses.


Also, there was a story on Racer this morning about Malukas and not it is great to see him at the top of the sheet after P1.

[mstets]

Five red flags in P2, and Power shoving Dixon around after their crash. The Palou, Dixon, and Power crews have a lot of work to do before qualifying. There were surely some fast cars that didn't get good laps with all the spins and red flags.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by mstets

Five red flags in P2, and Power shoving Dixon around after their crash. The Palou, Dixon, and Power crews have a lot of work to do before qualifying. There were surely some fast cars that didn't get good laps with all the spins and red flags.

Obviously ruining Stingy’s best laps.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Will Power not a happy man.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1670091698037493761

[Adam43]

A real shame.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Will Power not a happy man.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1670091698037493761

Good Lord. That's not a mistake you see Dixon make but at least he took that full blame and apologized. Not sure who he hit would do the same thing....

[bjohnsonsmith]

Dixon/Power incident at 2:23.


https://youtu.be/jEV1ieFjqu4

[broadrun96]

At least Dixie and Power are in different groups, and Penske gets a bit more time with him in group 2

Dixie has a new tub just built up and on track in group 1

[joeb]

Just saw the Dixon/Power incident, dang that was bad. Also, a few other incidents in P2 and palou stuffed it in the wall hard. Erickson had an off too.

Qualifying is on now! stream on the Cock.

[joeb]

Dixon must be having a Le Mans hangover, put it off track again in qualy round 1

[broadrun96]

Foyt racing boys of Pedersen and Ferrucci running well in Group 1, both advance and Pedersen second fastest

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by joeb

Dixon must be having a Le Mans hangover, put it off track again in qualy round 1

Just touch the grass and you're going off that way. Been a few of those and if you aren't on the line you're going straight to the scene of the spin

[broadrun96]

And the ditch ain't fixed

[joeb]

Stingy was last in q1, will be ok just where he wants to be from a strategy point of view.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

And the ditch ain't fixed

Again, If he was on track, it wouldn't have been a problem!

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by joeb

Again, If he was on track, it wouldn't have been a problem!

Yeah, the choir agrees. He sent it HOT in the corner and there was no grip so the front just washed right to the left

[mstets]

Group 1 results. DeFrancesco and Pedersen are a bit of a surprise.

[broadrun96]

Dixie's chin was stuck under Will's foot in the car, or a VERY un-Penske like tool left in the tub. Done quick and back out so he'll get black and red laps