Throwback Thursday: Road America combines road racing’s past, present

ABOVE: Start of the 2002 ALMS race at Road America (LAT archive)

A trip to Road America combines great racing with a lesson in the history of sports car racing in the United States. Next weekend’s Continental Tire Road Race Showcase continues a proud tradition of sports car racing in Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine dating back to 1950.

Post-World War II sports car racing on street circuits dates back to an event in Watkins Glen, New York, in late 1948. That event generated tremendous popularity, with other venues popping up throughout the United States.The resort community of Elkhart Lake, Wis., was one of the leaders of that trend, hosting events on local roads through and around the scenic village. The Chicago Region of the Sports Car Club of America partnered with the community to host three annual races. The inaugural 1950 races were on a 3.3-mile circuit using County Roads P, J, and JP. For 1951 and 1952, a 6.5-mile course was used on County Roads J, A and P.Sports car racing on open roads suffered a setback in late 1952 following a tragic accident in Watkins Glen. That led to competition on closed courses and permanent race circuits. Elkhart Lake was one of the first communities to have a private circuit when highway engineer Clif Tufte built a 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit that opened in 1955.The undulating layout of the Kettle Moraine proved to be an ideal venue, with rolling hills and plunging ravines nestled in a scenic layout. This weekend marks the 60th anniversary of Tufte’s vision with the second TUDOR United Sports Car Championship race at Road America. While the circuit has been upgraded throughout the years, the circuit remains true to the original layout. Future American Formula 1 world champion Phil Hill won the inaugural race, with his Ferrari Monza inching out Sherwood Johnson in Briggs Cunningham’s Jaguar D-Type. The first professional weekend was a NASCAR National Series (now Sprint Cup) event won by Tim Flock in a Mercury.Over the years, Road America has hosted all forms of major U.S. road racing competition, including SCCA Can-Am and Trans-Am, USRRC, the IMSA Camel GT, Grand-Am Rolex Series and the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. Road America played a key role in the merger of Grand-Am and the ALMS. The circuit hosted the lone combined event showcasing the two series in 2013, and was selected to be part of the inaugural TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in 2014. Christian Fittipaldi and Memo Rojas won last year’s race in an Action Express Racing Corvette DP.In addition to sports cars, the circuit has attracted other forms of racing, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series, CART and the American Motorcyclist Association, in addition to several major vintage events.Visitors to Elkhart Lake are invited to visit Siebken’s Resort, scene of the traditional post-race parties. The original course is on the National Register of Historic Places, and markers have been placed at the start/finish line and key locations around the 3.3-mile circuit.