8 Reasons Why Road America Is One Of The Word’s Best Race Tracks

Top tier American single seater racing returns to Road America for the first time since 2007 this weekend, so we thought we’d explain why it's one of the greatest circuits around!
8 Reasons Why Road America Is One Of The Word’s Best Race Tracks

Road America is one of those brilliant race circuits that deserves its status as a classic. Top tier American single seater action returns to the track for the first time since 2007, with IndyCar racing around it this weekend. Here’s what makes the track so awesome!

1. Old school vibe

Image source: Fox/LAT
Image source: Fox/LAT

The 4.048-mile Road America track layout remains pretty much unchanged from its original layout, which started hosting races back in 1955. That’s a rarity in the modern motorsport world and it retains all of the old school charm, with a classic, flowing vibe – something that is missing on many new tracks.

2. Elevation changes for days

Image source: Corvette Central
Image source: Corvette Central

One of the more attractive features of Road America, which ties in well with the first point, is the amount of elevation change over the course of the lap. There are constant rises and falls at the track, giving it even more quirkiness and character. The most famous is the uphill run to the finish line on the main straight. These are the kind of features we like to see on a race circuit!

Remote video URL

The Road America track is the venue for many top racing championships, including the IndyCar series – the return of top tier American single-seater racing after Champ Car’s last race in 2007 – and the Nascar Xfinity championship (yes, they don’t just turn left!). There’s also the Pirelli World Challenge, MotoAmerica and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

4. Fast layout

Image source: Crash/Getty
Image source: Crash/Getty

Because of its classic characteristics, the Road America track is ferociously fast. Like, really quick, and with some brilliant, high-speed corners too – particularly towards the end of the lap. From the exit of Turn 10 to the final corner, it’s all very quick, flowing and tricky. There are also several long straights, which really push engines to the max.

5. Tricky corners

8 Reasons Why Road America Is One Of The Word’s Best Race Tracks

As well as some seriously fast turns, there are also several really tricky, more technical parts of the track. The ‘Carousel’ is a ridiculously long right-hander, which is undoubtedly one of the most difficult sections to master. There’s also Turn 5, a slow left-hander that follows a long straight. These are just a few of the challenges drivers face on a lap of Road America!

6. True test of a car

Image source: IndyCar
Image source: IndyCar

The Road America is like Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (but with more history and character of course) in that it features a real mix of corner types and straights, meaning it is a true test of a car. It puts the whole package under intense pressure and helps prove which racing machines and drivers have the edge.

Remote video URL

As it is an older, more historic circuit, Road America has a pretty bumpy track surface, as the IndyCar onboard above from a recent test shows! This is just one of the many elements that make this track so challenging and such a favourite for drivers.

Remote video URL

With all of these old school characteristics and mixture of demands, it’s no surprise Road America makes a pretty awesome track and the racing it produces is always eventful and exciting. When the long straights, slow corners and fast sections are all brought together, it throws up a whole host of challenges for the drivers and really bodes itself well to wheel-to-wheel action. Which is good for us, obviously.

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Comments

Anonymous

9.Limo launcher

06/25/2016 - 13:18 |
186 | 10
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Lol i was going to say that 😂

06/25/2016 - 13:32 |
8 | 0
Parker Pittman

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

LOL i won that elgato event i caught the most air

06/25/2016 - 17:08 |
0 | 0
ah00t13

Woo! Recognition for an American track that’s not Laguna Seca! With that put aside, I believe that Road America deserves more recognition and more racing series. It’s a great track with a great history

06/25/2016 - 13:27 |
58 | 2

Road America is one of my all time favourites, better than Spa IMO. I hope F1 and WEC will race there some day, but I doubt they will.

06/25/2016 - 14:00 |
6 | 0

Also don’t forget Willow Springs and Watkins Glen!

06/25/2016 - 22:27 |
16 | 0
Anonymous

Now let’s wait for NASCAR Sprint Series to host there.

06/25/2016 - 13:37 |
6 | 2
FordForzaF1

Literally my favorite track in forza.

06/25/2016 - 13:50 |
2 | 0
Antiprius

Road Atlanta deserves more love. It has all of the above characteristics, plus it has a pretty sweet vineyard/housing development/luxury hotel called Chateau Elan right next to it. Oh, and Panoz’s factory (they designed and built the DeltaWing as well as some ale Mans cars, and some awesome road cars) is only about 10 mins away.

06/25/2016 - 14:00 |
30 | 4
Tim Dude

Road America is great for fans too. The paddock is almost always open for fans, the drivers and crew members love to talk, the food is fantastic, and you can go to almost any corner on track. Its fun to go wandering in the woods to find the best view. Also, its relativly cheap to go there.

06/25/2016 - 14:02 |
10 | 2
Caleb Oliver

I live about 3-4 hours away from there and I haven’t been able to go

06/25/2016 - 14:44 |
0 | 0

Get there for the Weather Tech Championship race. I’ve been going for the past two years, well worth the price.

06/25/2016 - 15:38 |
2 | 0
Poke

“Turn 10”

06/25/2016 - 14:50 |
0 | 0
Michael R. T. Jensen

And the Word, is World.

06/25/2016 - 14:58 |
12 | 2