Morning Update from Road America

Good morning from glorious Road America. Its currently 73 degree with clear skies and a slight breeze. The AR1 Eastern Wisconsin Weather Bureau tells us that temperatures are expected to climb as high as 85 degrees with zero chance of rain. The U.S. F2000 Series is currently on track for the Cooper Tires U.S. F2000 Grand Prix of Road America Powered by Mazda Race 1.

Given that this is my first trip to Road America, I spent some time yesterday walking the grounds and checking out the different spots of the track. I can tell you first hand that Road America is everything it is cracked up to be and more. Obviously, with its long straights, sweeping corners, and elevation changes it provides a unique challenge to the drivers. For the fan, there are numerous viewing spots where you truly get a sense of the cornering speeds, deceleration and overall performance of the Indy Cars.

I spent some time in a variety of spots and picked up on a few of the subtle differences in driving styles. For example, Ryan Hunter-Reay was very aggressive, often braking deep and muscling the car through corners like turns 5 and 6. Conversely, Simon Pagenaud was more smooth, letting the car drift through the corners and accelerating out.

And if you want a break from the hot sun and race cars, there are numerous shaded concession spots around the track serving local fare.

In short, this is a racing cathedral – a bucket list item for any serious motorsport fan.

If I have a criticism of Road America, it's that I noticed a few spots on the circuit were somewhat dodgy safety wise. For example, entering turn 6 – the uphill left-hander under the bridge – there is no debris fencing in front of the grandstand on the outside. Also, in the esses approaching the final turn there is again a grandstand with no debris fencing and only a small concrete fence protecting it.

Also, there are some poorly constructed tire barriers in a variety of spots.

Now, I do concede that this is a four-mile track, thus a lot to outfit safety-wise. Also, there have been improvements since the Indy Cars were last here over a decade ago, most notably the concrete run-offs added in Canada Corner and Turn 1. That said, I did notice some spots that were concerning.

I'm off to breakfast. Will have more later.

Brian C. reporting from Road America

Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com