Road America is one of the world's fastest and most challenging road courses and is in use approximately 30 weekends each year. It is located in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and covers 525 acres including the track site and parking areas. The length of the road course and terrain lends itself to varying crowd capacities. Estimates of attendance at the track have ranged as high as 110,000. Grandstand seating is available in the Start/Finish area for 2,000, in Turn 5, also for 2000 and in Turn 12 for 1000. The VIP and Media Tower includes nine VIP Suites and a Press Box with a combined capacity of 600.
The actual road course is 4 miles long, with fourteen turns, a front straight of 3600 feet, a back straight of 2400 feet (Moraine Sweep), grade variances of 1 degree to 8 degrees and a track elevation of 175 feet from the highest point (Turn 1) to the lowest point (Turn 11a)
Road America Inc is a publicly owned facility with 400 stockholders. It was incorporated in 1954 and is governed by a 12-man Board of Directors. The current president is Jim Haynes.
Fuel economy played a big part in Road America's first Indy Car race on September 19 1982. Less than one lap from the finish, leader Al Unser ran out of fuel, allowing Hector Rebaque to cruise to his first Indy Car victory after just five starts. It would be Rebaque's only win in his short Indy Car career. Bobby Rahal won his first race at Road America in July 22 1978 when he won the seven lap preliminary race in his Ralt Formula Atlantic. Roger Penske raced at Road America for the first time during the June Sprints of 1959. He drove a Porsche RS in Race 4 on June 21 to a fourth place overall finish.
One of the most dramatic Indy Car finishes ever occurred here on September 10 1989, when Michael Andretti, who had led by as much as 22 seconds, ran out of fuel on the last lap, just two miles from the finish. Danny Sullivan passed his slowing car at Turn 11 and went on to score the victory. On September 22, 1990, Danny Sullivan became the top Indy Car qualifier in Road America history, when he won the pole position for the TEXACO/Havoline 200 with a fast lap of 131.289 mph. It was Sullivan's third straight pole here, and fourth overall, more than any other driver.
In 1993, for the second straight year, Paul Tracy bounced back from a practice crash to win the pole position for the TEXACO/Havoline 200. Before a race day crowd of 65,000, he then went on to lead from start to finish and score his first Road America Indy Car win. On July 8 1995 during the final qualifying session for the TEXACO/Havoline 200, Paul Tracy turned the first 140 mph lap in Road America history, with a speed of 140.944 mph and a time of 1:42.168. His glory was short-lived, however, as Jacques Villeneuve quickly followed with a lap of 142.206 to win the pole position and 10 other drivers joined the 140 plus Club before the session was over.
For the second time in his career, Michael Andretti was involved in a dramatic, last-lap finish at Road America, when Al Unser Jr., who had led the previous 25 laps and seemed en route to his first victory of the season, fell out when his engine exploded as he sailed through Canada Corner, a mile from the finish. Unser's misfortune allowed Andretti, who was running close behind in second place, to take the lead and record his third victory here, tying his father Mario and Emerson Fittipaldi for most Indy car wins at Road America.
Road America holds the record for hosting the longest Indy Car race in history. The race began on September 21, 1986 and was red flagged after three laps. It was continued on October 4 1986, making the race time 13 days, 1 hour, 26 minutes and 42 seconds.
