Round 3 & 4: revised calendar. Rev Group Grand Prix at Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wi

[bjohnsonsmith]

Round 3 & 4: revised calendar. Rev Group Grand Prix at Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. July 11-12.

The 2016 Kohler Grand Prix, was the first major AOWR event to be held at Road America since the Champ Car Generac Grand Prix of Road America in August 2007. With the exception of 2005, when the race was dropped due to sponsorship issues, it was a perennial event on the CART/Champ Car calendar from 1982 - 2007. Héctor Rebaque won the inaugural Road America 200 in 1982, for Forsythe Racing in a March 82C-Ford Cosworth DFX and Sébastien Bourdais, won the Champ Car Generac Grand Prix of Road America in 2007, for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, in a Panoz DP-01-Cosworth XFE. With the merger of Champ Car and the IRL in 2008, the race was dropped from the calendar.

The very first race to be held at Elkhart Lake was in 1950 and 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 layed 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 course.

Highway engineer Clif Tufte, got together with local citizens and the Chicago Region of the Sports Car Club of America to develop and build a permanent racecourse. 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. During this time the layout has hardly changed, apart from a chicane that was installed for AMA motorcycle competitors at The Kink.

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.

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 HRK.
CART FedEx Championship Series.


Last year's race:
https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/n...Bvalue%5D=2243

Pole:
Colton Herta, 1:42.992, 140.306 mph (225.800 km/h).
Harding Steinbrenner Racing,
Dallara IR18-Honda HI19R Indy V6.

Last year's winner:
Alexander Rossi,
Andretti Autosport.
Dallara IR18-Honda HI19R Indy V6.

Laps: 55
Distance 222.64 Miles (358.30 km)
Race Time 1:39:40.474
Speed 132.894 Mph (213.872 km/h)
Fastest lap: Colton Herta, Harding Steinbrenner Racing, lap 30. 105.0774 sec, 137.521 mph (221.318 km/h)

Cautions: 0

TV Broadcast
NBCSN,
Race 1, Saturday, 5:00pm ET.
Race 2, Sunday, 12:00pm ET.

[tux]

Could be interesting this weekend with thunderstorms predicted.

[joeb]

This is such a great track and the Indycars there are amazing. It will be interesting to see the strategies with having 2 races over the weekend. I doubt we will see a double winner.

[fieldodreams79]

Excellent post #1 as always, bjs!

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

TV Broadcast
NBCSN,
Race 1, 5:00pm ET.
Race 2, 12:00pm ET.

I didn't know so I looked it up; Race 1 is Saturday and Race 2 is Sunday. I guess it's clear to me but just in case.

Hope to watch some if not all of this! We'll see.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

Excellent post #1 as always, bjs!



I didn't know so I looked it up; Race 1 is Saturday and Race 2 is Sunday. I guess it's clear to me but just in case.

Hope to watch some if not all of this! We'll see.

Cheers I'll edit the race times in the intro, though it would be a bit tricky having the first race at 5;00pm and the second at 12:00pm on the same day.

[bjohnsonsmith]

New Aeroscreen cooling is being introduced at Road America this weekend.

https://racer.com/2020/07/09/indycar...-road-america/

[broadrun96]

At least Indy is listening, and other new parts were tried in the first session by the Big 3 for possible later addition and incorporation in the new car

[RWill2073]

So with my home state detroit gp cancelled, and fans being allowed here, my dad drove up from georgia and we came out for friday and Saturday. Currently much further than 6 feet away from everybody in the top row of some bleachers outside of turn 5 with a view of the final couple turns behind us and a glimpse of the front straight going up the hill.

First time here, what a beautiful place! So big it isn't hard to stay separated, and the cars look like they belong on this track more so than detroit, ya know? Just a perfect fit between the cars and track.

Also, it's a good size crowd today, but looks like there's plenty of room for more, so maybe it's not as large as usual, which would probably be better anyway.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Josef Newgrden beats Jack Harvey to pole.

[bjohnsonsmith]

That was a clean start but not such a good start for Harvey, as he drops back to 4th.

[Armco Bender]

Strewth.....more passing on that first lap than would see in the a whole F1 season.

[bjohnsonsmith]

A strange incident with Rossi briefly going off but he collected an advertising banner and when he rejoined the track, the banner wrapped itself around Marco Andretti's car's nose, forcing him to pit. Weird.

Edit Rossi also had to pit.

[bjohnsonsmith]

That was some aggressive driving from Power, as he got past Dixon.

[bjohnsonsmith]

First FCY as Harvey goes off and kills the engine.

[bjohnsonsmith]

2nd FCY as Daly goes off after being hit by O'Ward. That looked nasty, as he hit the tyre wall hard and spun.

[bjohnsonsmith]

3rd FCY as Kellett goes off.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Congrats to Dixon, three in a row. Congrats to Alex Palou on his first podium.

[RWill2073]

Sigh.... death, taxes and dixon hanging around and finding himself up front by the end of a race. I am amazed by how he does it. I can't quite figure it out, because he isn't the fastest outright, yet he can often run faster while fuel saving than others can when not. He isn't usually front running (or so it seems), usually just stalking around in 3rd, 4th or 5th or so, then somehow pops up at the front by the end. Really is awesome.

Road america is amazing. Awesome experience. Now been to road atlanta, sebring, lime rock, detroit and now road america. Feel like I've now seen all the top ones in the country.

Look forward to rewatching this one on tv to see all the stuff that happened that we didn't catch. Newgarden was dominant until something happened. Must be gutting for him. Heard about refueling issue for rahal over radio trackside, he was on his way to good result. So was ferrucci. Saw his late pitstop issue. Also looked like daly wreck was not his fault. He had the corner.

[fieldodreams79]

Just finished the race and figured I'd post before I read comments. Funner this way!

Hey, Scott. Hitting your prime?

Conner and Pato was a racing deal.
Alex Palou is fun to watch!
Will Power was Will Power for a bit, but he was racing Dixie so it didn't end in tears. I do wonder if Will could've run away with it if they hadn't had the pit issues....

And it happened at the start, but can the media please stop calling RHR Captain America already?

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by RWill2073

Road america is amazing. Awesome experience. Now been to road atlanta, sebring, lime rock, detroit and now road america. Feel like I've now seen all the top ones in the country.

Heck yeah! Glad you made it! I'm looking forward to my first trip there.

did y'all hang out in T5 or move around some?

[RWill2073]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

Heck yeah! Glad you made it! I'm looking forward to my first trip there.

did y'all hang out in T5 or move around some?

Oh, we moved.... a lot.... haha. We spent practice going from turn 1 to the sargento bridge between 3 and 4, then qualifying at turn 5, and started the race started at turn 5. From there, we walked the fence all the way back to 8, and watched them head into the carousel. Then walked the trail from there to the kink, along the the back straight to turn 12, and finished the last few laps at the last couple corners. The place could be opened daily as a hiking/biking/running trail type place, if it isn't already, it's so scenic. Has plenty of paths and trails to go along, as well.

Feel like we saw as much of the place as possible. And just got back home about a half hour ago. Long day, but a great one! So cool to be at (I think) the first event where fans were back of any sport.

[RWill2073]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

Heck yeah! Glad you made it! I'm looking forward to my first trip there.

did y'all hang out in T5 or move around some?

Oh, we moved.... a lot.... haha. We spent practice going from turn 1 to the sargento bridge between 3 and 4, then qualifying at turn 5, and started the race started at turn 5. From there, we walked the fence all the way back to 8, and watched them head into the carousel. Then walked the trail from there to the kink, along the the back straight to turn 12, and finished the last few laps at the last couple corners. The place could be opened daily as a hiking/biking/running trail type place, if it isn't already, it's so scenic. Has plenty of paths and trails to go along, as well.

Feel like we saw as much of the place as possible. And just got back home about a half hour ago. Long day, but a great one! So cool to be at (I think) the first event where fans were back of any sport.

[RWill2073]

Originally Posted by RWill2073

Oh, we moved.... a lot.... haha. We spent practice going from turn 1 to the sargento bridge between 3 and 4, then qualifying at turn 5, and started the race started at turn 5. From there, we walked the fence all the way back to 8, and watched them head into the carousel. Then walked the trail from there to the kink, along the the back straight to turn 12, and finished the last few laps at the last couple corners. The place could be opened daily as a hiking/biking/running trail type place, if it isn't already, it's so scenic. Has plenty of paths and trails to go along, as well.

Feel like we saw as much of the place as possible. And just got back home about a half hour ago. Long day, but a great one! So cool to be at (I think) the first event where fans were back of any sport.

...So I guess I just learned how to post pics on here... all were taken on my phone, so quality may be lacking, but thought I'd share!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Race 1 Result:

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by RWill2073

...So I guess I just learned how to post pics on here... all were taken on my phone, so quality may be lacking, but thought I'd share!

Nice! Certainly on my bucket list. Hoping for an Indy / IMSA double header one day, but it may be just time roll on up!