VIRTUAL TRACK TOUR GUIDE

Drivers Perspective:

Description: (Corvette Racing driver, Tommy Milner) – Turn 1 is very fast and very difficult because you are turning and braking simultaneously. I approach the first turn flat out in sixth gear, then downshift to fourth and use the access road on the left side as my braking reference. The key here is to carry the engine speed through the middle of the corner and then get back on the power hard.

Specs:

Radius: 348’

Elevation: 1050’

Entry / Exit Speeds (MPH)

Drivers Perspective:

Description: (Corvette Racing driver, Tommy Milner) – Coming out of Turn 1, I shift up to fifth gear through the gentle Turn 2.

Specs:

Radius:  gentle bend

Elevation: 1561’

Entry / Exit Speeds (MPH)

Drivers Perspective:

Description: (Corvette Racing driver, Tommy Milner) - Turn 3, which can be a difficult corner to get right. Going into the turn, I downshift to third; with the camber in this corner, it’s easy to lock up right front tire. If you’re close behind another car coming out of Turn 1, then Turn 3 can be a good passing opportunity. However, there’s not much room at the exit with a ditch behind the rumble strips, so if you use the curb you have to get back on the road quickly.

Fan’s Perspective:

Description: There’s little to be gleaned in terms of who’s going fast and why. From Turn 3 to Turn 5, the cars steam past at top speed. The sheer sensations of seeing, hearing, and – yes – feeling high-performance cars flashing through the forest is not to be missed.

Antoinette’s Concession Stand is located near Turn three on driver’s left, and a restroom is a short distance away.

Specs:

Radius: 235’

Elevation: 1010’

Entry / Exit Speeds (MPH)

Drivers Perspective:

Description: (Corvette Racing driver, Tommy Milner) - Turn 4 is just a gradual bend in the road, but Turn 5 is super important because it’s a great passing opportunity. Going downhill under the Sargento Bridge, I’m in sixth gear through one of the fastest parts of the track.

Fan’s Perspective:

Spend time trackside about 2/3 of the way along the Moraine Sweep – AKA the wide-open run from Turn 3 to Turn 5 – during the weekend. True, there’s nothing to eat, and there’s little to be gleaned in terms of who’s going fast and why; the cars steam past at top speed.

The sheer sensations of seeing, hearing, and – yes – feeling some two dozen vividly colored, sexily shaped, roaring-rumbling-shrieking sports cars flashing through the forest is not to be missed, particularly in the cool of a morning practice session.  And if (or when) you’ve had your fill of sensory overload, wander along to the braking area for Turn 5 to see who’s taken their daily dose of brave pills. 

Specs:

Radius: gentle downhill bend

Elevation: 2636’

Entry / Exit Speeds (MPH)

Drivers Perspective:

Description: (Corvette Racing driver, Tommy Milner) - Turn 5 is super important because it’s a great passing opportunity. Going downhill under the Sargento Bridge, I’m in sixth gear through one of the fastest parts of the track. The braking zone for Turn 5 is a great place to pass; we decelerate from 150 mph, so the balance of the car under hard braking is critical. There’s room on the exit to run wide, and then it’s back hard on the throttle going up the hill to the Corvette Bridge.

Fan’s Perspective:

Description: Turn 5 ranks among Road America’s top vantage points. The tight corner is a prime overtaking spot and leads to the dramatic climb up to Turn 6. While plopping down in the grassy meadow to the driver’s right of the corner is a popular option, you can also try the hillside between Turns 5 and 6.

For an added bonus, you’ll be able to track the cars half a lap later as they pop up from Thunder Valley and whistle through Turn 13 into Turn 14 before commencing their climb up the start/finish straightaway.

If you are on drivers’ right, The Gearbox Concession Stand is located close by with a restroom directly across the midway road.

Specs:

Radius: 100’

Elevation: 965’

Entry / Exit Speeds (MPH)

Drivers Perspective:

Description: (Corvette Racing driver, Tommy Milner)- You have to be easy on the brakes going under the Corvette Bridge into Turn 6 because the car gets very light going over the crest of the hill. It’s a blind corner, too, which adds to the excitement factor. This corner has a lot of grip, so it’s possible to toss the car across the apex and then let the track catch it at end of Turn 6 – big fun!

Specs:

Radius: 112’

Elevation: 1005’

Entry / Exit Speeds (MPH)

Drivers Perspective:

Description: (Corvette Racing driver, Tommy Milner) – I’m back on the throttle hard going into Turn 7 and through the Hurry Downs, one of my favorite sections at Road America. The car needs good balance to make this transition quickly; if it’s right, you don’t use the brakes at all; just lift a little on the throttle. Turn 8 is a tight, 90-degree corner, so if the guy in front makes a mistake in Turn 7, you can really put the pressure on here.

Fan’s Perspective:

Description: Stand eye level with the track surface and can look straight through the apex. From there, you can watch the cars turn in, roll slightly, change direction, and maybe even induce some slip from the rear as they make their way around. You’re low enough to see daylight under the race cars and close enough to hear the tires. You can see the suspension at work and pick out which drivers are committed and who’s using the curbs. The best part is that, like most of the great spots at Road America, you don’t need special accreditation to see this; it’s open to everyone.

Specs:

Radius: 325’

Elevation: 1000’

Entry / Exit Speeds (MPH)

Drivers Perspective:

Description: (Corvette Racing driver, Tommy Milner) – Turn 8 is a tight, 90-degree corner, so if the guy in front makes a mistake in Turn 7, you can really put the pressure on here.

Specs:

Radius: 125’

Elevation: 950’

Entry / Exit Speeds (MPH)

Drivers Perspective:

Description: (Corvette Racing driver, Tommy Milner) - I hold my breath a bit and get settled for this very difficult series of turns. Going into the Carousel, I bring the car to the left and try to drive it as flat and long as possible, usually taking several apexes. I turn the steering wheel to the point that I can get the most out of the front tires and use my right foot on the gas pedal to steer the car. The Carousel sets you up for the long, fast ride through the Kink and Kettle Bottoms.

Fan’s Perspective:

Description: Head to the inside of The Carousel at Road America to watch and time the cars as they accelerate out of Turn 8, pass under the bridge, and arc gently downhill before passing directly below you en route to one of the most famous turns in motorsports “The Kink.”

The bridge is a convenient point to start your watch, and you’ll easily find a bush, tree, or some other (stationary) feature on the exit of the turn to serve as the finish line for your “section timing” exercise; one that will make abundantly clear which cars are gaining (or losing) time negotiating The Carousel and thus carrying the most speed into The Kink on down through Kettle Bottoms to Canada Corner.

Specs:

Radius: 525’

Elevation: Turn 9 bridge 940’ / Turn 10 – 910’

Entry / Exit Speeds (MPH)

Drivers Perspective:

Description: (Corvette Racing driver, Tommy Milner) - “The Kink gets your undivided attention – it’s one quick corner. There are faster corners, but the Kink is special because you can’t take it flat out. It becomes a game to see who can stay on the throttle the longest. Hitting a curb in the Kink can upset the car, and that’s the last thing you want in that corner. I enter the Kink in fifth or sixth gear, depending on the gear ratios, and lift just a bit on the entry. I admit that on the first lap, I do tap the brake, but after that, I go through the Kink without braking – although my foot is usually hovering over the brake pedal!

Specs:

Radius: 725’

Elevation: 900’

Entry / Exit Speeds (MPH)

Drivers Perspective:

Description: (Corvette Racing driver, Tommy Milner) - After the Kink, it’s a flat-out run down through a tunnel of trees to Canada Corner and another excellent overtaking opportunity. If you have a fast car, you can really make up time on a competitor, but it’s difficult to pull off a pass if he drives a defensive line. I shift down to second gear for Canada Corner, and it’s important to have a car that puts the power down well to accelerate through Thunder Valley and the Bill Mitchell Bend.

Fan’s Perspective:

Description: A tight bend at the end of a long straight section, with amazing viewing angles. It’s a great spot for overtakes and challenging for the drivers, who must negotiate a slight left turn under heavy braking before making the sharp right turn through the apex. Driver’s right includes a walking trail and terraced stone seating accessible from the Road America Center and Briggs & Stratton Motorplex.

You will have to climb up the stairs on driver’s left to reach the restrooms and concessions, but the food is worth the trek.

Specs:

Radius: 170’

Elevation: 900’

Entry / Exit Speeds (MPH)

Drivers Perspective:

Description: (Corvette Racing driver, Tommy Milner) - Turn 13 seems to get faster every year as the engineers find new ways to give us more downforce. The exit is very fast, but it’s tough to see where the apex is and how much room you have at the exit. I had a close encounter with the wall there when I was pushing too hard on cold tires. I learned that Turn 13 can bite you.

Fan’s Perspective:

Description: Out of Canada Corner, drivers open the throttle to blast through a section named for the way the engine sounds reverberate against the forest and signage. It’s a spectacular way to get close to the cars as they launch out of the corner under full acceleration. Both this section and Canada Corner are on the shaded and paved path that provides a welcome relief from the mid-day sun.

Specs:

Radius: 550’

Elevation: 935’

Entry / Exit Speeds (MPH)

Drivers Perspective:

Description: (Corvette Racing driver, Tommy Milner) – It’s important to get a good exit from Turn 14, the final corner, because it leads onto the long, uphill straight. The car gains speed, slowly climbing the hill, and then sets you back in the seat when the track finally flattens out. The front straight is a good place to draft. We often run two-wide here, which makes it difficult for the faster cars to get around us, but that’s just part of why Road America is the most amazing road course in North America.

Specs:

Radius: 200’

Elevation: 950’

Entry / Exit Speeds (MPH)