Wide Open in Wisconsin for Road America

Drive your car on any road course once and there's a good chance you'll want more. Open your car up on a track like Road America and there's a distinct possibility you'll become forever addicted to the adrenaline rush generated by North America's longest road course. John Gay knew this feeling firsthand and he wanted to share it with as many of his friends as possible. So, with the support of the Midwest F-Body Association, he rented out Road America for a weekend in April of 2000. The first year was a stretch financially, but John was soon joined by Dave Dill, Dan Kuehn and their spouses to form Speed Seekers LLP, which now organizes the annual event on behalf of the Midwest F-Body Association.

The popularity of the event has largely been driven by word of mouth and the rock bottom price of $320 for eight 20-minute sessions. The 120 slots sell out faster every year, while the waiting list of drivers hoping for last-minute cancellations continues to grow. The non-competitive, touring format makes the event appealing to everyone from seasoned hot shoes to road course newbies and registration is open to all makes and models. Entrants are divided into four groups based on car prep and driver experience, which prevents Corvettes from running over contours. Beginners are encouraged to ride along with veterans to learn the lines of the track and the nuances of driving on a road course. Passing zones are clearly marked and enforced throughout the track, making the event as safe and enjoyable as possible for everyone involved.

The track itself is highlighted by three high-speed sections, including a front stretch nearly three-quarters of a mile long and a variety of turns that place a strong emphasis on handling and braking. Safety is of paramount importance and all cars are sent through tech inspection prior to being allowed out on the track. Owners of totally stock cars can thoroughly enjoy themselves and push their cars all weekend without any problems, but a good set of brakes are highly recommended.

If you still aren't sure whether you or your car is ready to take on Road America, come to the Speed Seeker's 2004 track rental as a spectator. Five dollars will get you in the gate and a helmet will get you in the passenger seat for a ride that may change your entire outlook.

Mike Sexton is one of the more experienced drivers in the event and his '87 Formula is a fixture in the "A" class. Last year Mike blew the motor, putting the car on its side in turn one. He finished the weekend driving another car he brought to the event and two weeks later, the Formula was back on the track with a fresh motor. Mike is currently running a fuel-injected 358ci motor with a combination of internal components commonly found on sprint car motors. Mike does about six events each year and in competitive events at Road America he's run a best of 2:38.

Keith Whitman always wanted to drive a car at Road America and this Minnesota resident has spent the last four years doing just that. While many drivers crave the high speed straightaways, Keith is a big fan of the turns. He especially enjoys sweeping through the Carousel and negotiating the subtle, but treacherous Kink.

Fred Marano runs his Cobra kit car at Road America several times each year, but prefers this event over the others. Fred feels drivers tend to run more conservatively earlier in the season, which results in minimal off-track eMandatory driver meetings before each morning and afternoon session provided an open forum for participants to ask questions, voice concerns and share some war stories before heading out on the track. The meetings also allowed event organizers to issue some friendly reminders and offer some last-minute advice for dealing with various on-track scenarios.

Cam Douglass from Optima Batteries recently relocated to Milwaukee, which is home to Optima's parent company, Johnson Controls. A casual conversation with Andrew Borodin on Friday afternoon alerted Cam to the Road America event the following day. A combination of cancellations, attrition and a friend willing to share some track time made it possible for Cam to run every session in his '71 Camaro.

Jeff Schwartz would easily be considered one of the more aggressive drivers in the event. Ignoring the fact that he's even on a road course in the first place with an '82 Cadillac Fleetwood, Schwartz pushed the car to its absolute limits and humbled more than a few sports car owners in the process. When he overcooked the brakes in his very first session Schwartz decided to maintain his pace by "throwing" the Caddy into the turns to help scrub off speed, keeping the M3s and Cobras comfortably in his rear view.

Where open hoods and iced intakes are commonplace at the dragstrip, brake pad swaps and bleeding lines are the name of the game at road courses. Stock vehicles with conservative drivers can make it through the weekend without touching their brakes, while heavily modified cars with more aggressive drivers may jack the car up after every session.

Following Saturday's sessions, drivers and their guests headed over to one of Elkhart Lake's many fine eateries to fill their stomachs, swap some stories and compare sunburn. With another full day of track time in front of them, most of the exhausted participants made it an early night.

Schwartz is more than willing to let his Fleetwood be a guinea pig for future Cadillac owners considering a g-machine transformation. Two important lessons learned from this weekend were that the metal trim on the front edge of the vinyl roof will not hold up to speeds in excess of 140 mph and neither will the "heavy-duty" custom driveshaft. As amazing as the car is now, Schwartz will tear it down this winter, with the goal of hitting 2:30 lap times at next year's event.

Mandatory driver meetings before each morning and afternoon session provided an open forum for participants to ask questions, voice concerns and share some war stories before heading out on the track. The meetings also allowed event organizers to issue some friendly reminders and offer some last-minute advice for dealing with various on-track scenarios.

To say Andrew Borodin was extremely nervous heading into the Speed Seekers event would be an understatement, but after eight hard sessions over two days his mood had changed dramatically. Fears of his Poncho breaking down or wrecking evaporated as the car ran strong and Andrew gained more confidence with each session on the track. Andrew and the rest of the g-machine owners at Road America have demonstrated their cars are more than just the latest styling trend, but one big question still remains--Will other g-machine owners follow their lead or confine themselves to car shows and cruise nights?

With Rich Chenet taking care of business behind the lens, the author was able to get in a few sessions in his SS. Already handicapped by the additional weight of a convertible top, he saw no reason not to add a five-point rollbar and a beefy set of subframe connectors. 550lbs. worth of driver and passenger pushed the ragtop well over the 4,100lb. mark, which significantly hurt their unofficial lap times. They did get a nice tan though.

Like many drivers, Cork Farkus rarely gets the opportunity to run his '97 Cobra at such high speeds for extended periods of time. Cars that may normally see 30 mpg on the highway are instantly reduced to single digits, resulting in frequent fuel stops during the course of the weekend. Road America offers both 100 unleaded and 110 leaded race gas at the track, but at $4.50 a gallon, many drivers opt to go off-premises rather than face an Excursion-like gas bill.

Jeff Jorgensen made the short trip up from Northern Illinois, bringing his father and wife along for rides. Jeff's father used to race professionally at Road America and his son did him proud in his Lingenfelter-prepped Corvette. Jeff has only been running road course events for about a year, but he more than held his own at Road America, running lap times in the 2:45 range, with top speeds hitting 145 mph up the front stretch.

How much does Gary Eldridge enjoy running at Road America? The local Porsche club in St. Louis runs an event that same weekend at Gateway International, a mere 40 miles from his home, but Gary has instead made the 500 mile journey up to Wisconsin each of the last three years.

Scott Shumard was strictly a drag racer before this first road course experience. Scott was accustomed to the short bursts of adrenaline he experienced on the quarter mile, but the extended rush of pushing his car for 20 minutes at a time with speeds approaching 125 mph was a welcome surprise. Scott will spend the rest of 2003 competing in a street-prepared autocross class, but he's looking forward to coming back next year.

Joe Mullner never misses a chance to bring his '98 Cobra up from Ohio to run on his favorite racetrack. While his motor remains largely stock, Joe has made numerous upgrades to his suspension and brakes, which keep his lap times hovering around 2:50. Unlike most club-sponsored track rentals he attends, Joe really enjoys the vast array of vehicles that run in the Speed Seekers event.

Paul Kennedy brought his 2003 Cobra up from Iowa for a weekend of fun at his favorite track. The Cobra's brake pads and rotors were upgraded and ducting was added to cope with the tremendous braking demands placed on his ride, but the rest of the car has been untouched.

The Gearbox at Road America is always a popular gathering place where attendees can exchange stories, watch some action on the track and munch on Wisconsin delicacies, including bratwurst and deep-fried cheese curds.

Kurt Sikora is making plans to see what his '69 Stingray will run at the drag strip, but he couldn't pass up an opportunity to stretch the Vette's legs on Road America's 4.2-mile course. Unfortunately, Kurt's weekend was cut short when the 5/6 syncro broke and locked his tranny in fifth gear. Repairs were finished the following morning and Kurt began preparations for his attack on the quarter mile, but we have a feeling we'll see him back for more next year.

This was not only Pete Gromadzinski's first time at Road America, it was his first time on any road course and he now claims to be hooked for life. Pete eased into the new surroundings by bringing a veteran driver and fellow MFBA member with him for a few laps to show him the correct line around the track. Pete's fiance also accompanied him in the passenger seat for many of his sessions. We're not sure if she enjoyed herself immensely or if Pete's driving convinced her to bring her own car next year.

Dan Matte has participated in track events at Road America for several years and always looks forward to running there in the spring. For Dan and many other drivers who compete in events ranging from local SCCA autocross to the One Lap of America, this event offers them a pre-season test session and a leg up on their competition.

Robert Dudek has been running hi-speed track events and competing in wheel-to-wheel road racing for more than 30 years, but his age certainly hasn't slowed him down at all. He still runs about 15 track days each year and was putting up consistent lap times at Road America well below the three minute mark. His basically stock '99 Mustang GT also managed to top out around 125 mph on the front stretch.

Of the three separate high-speed sections at Road America, the area between turns 10 and 12 (also known as "the Kink") is the most perilous and unforgiving. Speeds can approach those reached in the other sections, but only if a driver has the nerve. Push the envelope too much and a short strip of grass on either side of the track will do little to slow a car's momentum before it meets the wall.

Most folks are more than willing to get their mug in a magazine, but others prefer to keep a lower profile, with some even going so far as to remove their license plates, cover their VINs and use an assumed name. Their fear is that photographic evidence of their car on a racetrack might void their warranty. John Smith of Los Angeles had no such reservations and expressed great pleasure in hitting 140 mph in his uncle's ZO6.

As a relatively new event at a very busy track, the Speed Seekers had their choice of either early spring or late fall weekends, both of which offered the potential for inclement weather. The upside is that cool seasonal temperatures are much easier on machinery and when combined with a steady supply of sunshine, make for an ideal weekend on the track.