ELKHART LAKE – While the “false grid” staging area alongside pit road has undergone a massive transformation, it’s the attention to detail that makes Road America’s president the most pleased.
From racetrack-style curbing in the administration office parking lot to cleaned and straightened safety barriers, the place just looks spiffier. That’s one of the takeaways Mike Kertscher wanted to stress during his annual preseason sit-down with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
In an hourlong interview in April, Kertscher fielded questions about everything from construction to the souvenir collectors buying discarded guardrail to the IMSA 6-hour endurance race to – of course – the latest on possibly getting NASCAR back.
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1955: The finish flag is flashed as Mike Ward, Jr., Lansing, Mich., ends his 10 mile trial in Saturday's Road America sports car races at Elkhart Lake. Ward drove an MG TD. The trials were held up Saturday morning by a heavy rain. A 150 mile race will be the feature of Sunday's closing program. Three other races also are scheduled.
1968: Jerry Hansen of Minneapolis whizzed down the track at the Road American June sprints Sunday at Elkhart Lake to win the 120 mile feature race. Hansen led from the start and averaged 96.597 miles an hour.
1975: Winner Mario Andretti had matters well under control as he led runner-up Jackie Oliver en route to an impressive victory in the Formula 5000 race at Road America in Elkhart Lake Sunday. Andretti won by a whopping 16.6 seconds.
1961: Thirty-nine sports cars roared away from the starting line Saturday at Elkhart Lake's Road America...from the bridge, across the course at the start of the main straight, to the cantilever starting platform are new to the four mile course this season.
1982: Actor Paul Newman, received a bit of help from a crew member after he ran a qualifying heat for the feature race in the 1982 June Sprints held at Road America in Elkhart Lake. Newman was flocked by fans after qualifying.
1965: This is the way they began in the rain shortened race for C, D, E, and F modified cars in the June sprints at Road America near Elkhart Lake Sunday, and in one respect, it was how they finished as well. Jim Hall of Midland, Texas, in car 66, won the race. He started it in rain and finished it in weak sunshine.
1959: Vintage cars had their day of glory last week end at Road America in the sports car racing program there. Bentleys made an impressive line-up. The cars, from left, were driven by Augie Pabst of Milwaukee, Rollin Weary of Wilmette, Illinois, and Carl Mueller of Milwaukee. Pabst's car was the oldest, 1928, but it won the race.
1988: Wes Cooley displays his winning form at Elkhart Lake's Road America
1968: Amateur movie stars put all the enthusiasm they could muster into a scene for the Hollywood production, "Winning" being filmed at the Road America track in Elkhart Lake, Sheboygan county. The cheering group included area residents hired as extras, race track officials and actress Eileen Wesson, dressed in a white bathing suit.
1968: Under the watchful eye of the track physician, Paul Newman makes sure his helmet is in place before doing a race car scene for "Winning," being filmed at Road America near Elkhart Lake. The physician is Dr. Bill Semler, a Shorewood obstetrician who serves 24 days each summer as medical director for road races.
1968: Actor Paul Newman got a kiss from actress Eileen Wesson Monday as they rehearsed a scene from the movie "Winning," a portion of which is being filmed at the Road America track in Elkhart Lake (Sheboygan county). The fingers in the foreground are those of director James Goldstone.
1977: Molly Riley, Miss Road America, spent another part of the day in a red satin jumpsuit acting as queen of the road races.
1977: Wearing her official badge of office - a rainbow striped helmet - Miss Road America (Molly Riley) readied her race car on Sunday. Under the helmet she wears a white fireproof hood. She is the only woman to combine the roles of Road America queen and race driver.
1979: Jerry Hansen from Wayzata, Minnesota, led the parade on his way to winning the featured sports car race at Road America in Elkhart Lake Sunday. Trying gamely to pass Hansen, who was wheeling a Lola, was Frank Schultz (48), in an Eagle 755-001.
1961: The field began to string out even on the first lap of the feature race at Road America Sunday. The aerial picture shows the cars coming up to the top of the hill onto the main straight and going across the start-finish line. A crowd of about 40,000 watched the program at the Elkhart Lake sports car course.
1981: The beautiful rolling terrain at Road America offered race fans many natural vantage points from which to watch Sunday's June Sprints. There were no reserved seats, and a popular spot for fans was near Corner Five as the Formula Atlantic cars wheeled around the sharp curve. More than 25,000 fans turned out for the final day of the races at the scenic four-mile racing circuit.