Road America
Road America at a glance
- Location
- Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 4.048 mi (6.515 km)
- Turns
- 14
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1955
- Owner
- Road America, Inc.
- Address
- N7390 Highway 67
- Phone
- +1 800-365-7223
- Website
- roadamerica.com
Track map and layout
At just over four miles, Road America is one of the longest and fastest permanent road courses in North America, and it has kept its original 1955 layout essentially unchanged. The lap sweeps through farmland and forest in long, high-speed stretches punctuated by a handful of genuinely difficult corners: a downhill plunge into Turn 5, the flat-out kink on the back straight, and the long, sustained Carousel sweeper that carries huge speed through a full 180 degrees. Because so much of the lap is spent at high speed with limited runoff in places, Road America rewards commitment and precision rather than outright car balance, and it remains a favorite of drivers across categories for its rhythm and the way it uses the natural rolling terrain of the Wisconsin countryside.
Named corners and sections
- The Carousel (Turn 12). A long, sustained 180-degree sweeper that carries high speed through a banked, bowl-like corner, one of the track's signature sections.
- The Kink (Turn 3). A flat-out, high-speed left kink taken at close to full throttle on the run down toward the Carousel.
- Canada Corner (Turn 5). A tight, downhill hairpin-style corner that follows a long uphill straight, a major braking and passing zone.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix Circuit (Full Course) | 4.048 mi | 14-turn layout used for all major professional and club racing |
Events and race weekends
Road America runs one of the busiest and most varied calendars in American motorsport, spanning May through October. IndyCar's XPEL Grand Prix and IMSA's WeatherTech round are the headline professional weekends, drawing tens of thousands of camping fans, while MotoAmerica Superbikes bring top domestic motorcycle racing in the spring. The SCCA National Championship Runoffs close out the season in the fall, gathering amateur racers from across the country to crown national champions across dozens of classes.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| XPEL Grand Prix | IndyCar | June | |
| IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship | IMSA | August | |
| MotoAmerica Superbikes | MotoAmerica | May | |
| SCCA National Championship Runoffs | SCCA | October | amateur racing's national championship weekend |
Getting there and parking
Road America sits in the small resort town of Elkhart Lake in eastern Wisconsin, roughly an hour north of Milwaukee and about two hours from Chicago. Most visitors drive in, since the nearest commercial airports are in Milwaukee and Green Bay; the surrounding two-lane roads through the Kettle Moraine countryside get busy on major race weekends.
- Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) · about 65 min drive
- Appleton International Airport (ATW) · about 60 min drive
Parking
General parking is included with most event tickets; arrive early on major weekends as lots near the front straight and Carousel fill first.
Book camping and Elkhart Lake-area lodging well ahead of the IndyCar and IMSA weekends, which are the track's two biggest draws of the year.
Hotels and camping near Road America
Road America has one of the most storied camping cultures in American motorsport, with fans returning to the same infield sites year after year. Visitors who prefer a bed can stay in the village of Elkhart Lake itself, which has a handful of historic resorts and inns, or in Sheboygan and Plymouth a short drive away.
Where to look
The village of Elkhart Lake, and the nearby towns of Plymouth and Sheboygan, are the main lodging bases for visitors who don't camp on-site.
Camping
The 640-acre grounds include roughly 1,000 campsites across eight camping zones, concentrated from the Carousel down through Turn 1; major weekends such as the IndyCar and IMSA rounds regularly sell out.
RV
RV and trailer camping is widely available on-site alongside tent camping; hookup and non-hookup sites are offered depending on the event.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Road America runs its own in-house program of car and motorcycle track days and performance driving schools, in addition to hosting third-party club racing organizations. Options range from open lapping days to structured Performance Driving School levels for cars, and Basic Rider through Street Skills courses for motorcycles.
Who runs days here
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IndyCar (race record) | 1:42.8921 | Will Power | — | 2023 |
| CART (outright, historic) | 1:41.874 | Alex Zanardi | Reynard 98I | 1998 |
| Qualifying record | 1:39.866 | Dario Franchitti | — | 2000 |
Spectator guide
Road America has no fixed spectator capacity because so much of the circuit is bordered by open hillside general admission areas, said to accommodate well over 100,000 fans on a busy weekend. The Carousel and Turn 5 (Canada Corner) are the traditional gathering points, ringed by campsites that double as viewing spots for much of the lap.
Seating
A mix of grandstands near the front straight and start/finish, plus extensive hillside general admission around the rest of the 4-mile lap.
Best places to watch
The Carousel and Canada Corner are the classic vantage points, both surrounded by long-running campsites that put fans within feet of the racing.
Weather
- June: warm Wisconsin summer, highs typically in the mid-70s to low 80s°F
- August: warm and humid, highs in the low-to-mid 80s°F
History of Road America
Escaping the public roads
Road racing came to the Elkhart Lake area in 1950, when sports cars ran on a closed loop of public highways through the village, drawing enormous crowds to rural Wisconsin. After a spectator fatality at a similar road race in Watkins Glen, New York, in 1952 raised safety concerns nationwide, local organizers built a dedicated, permanent facility on farmland outside town. Road America opened in September 1955 and has run essentially the same 4.048-mile, 14-turn layout ever since, making it one of the few major American circuits never significantly reconfigured.
Decades of racing
The track quickly became a fixture for sports car and open-wheel racing, hosting CanAm, Trans-Am, and later CART and Champ Car events through the 1980s, 90s, and 2000s. IndyCar's modern-era Indianapolis-based series first raced at Road America in 1982 and, after a gap, returned in 2016 to a rapturous reception from the track's deeply loyal fan base. IMSA sports cars, NASCAR's Xfinity Series, and MotoAmerica motorcycles have all become annual fixtures, alongside the SCCA National Championship Runoffs, which bring hundreds of amateur racers to Elkhart Lake each fall to decide national titles.
A camping institution
What sets Road America apart from most American circuits is its camping culture: generations of the same families return to the same infield sites, particularly around the Carousel, year after year, turning race weekends into multi-day gatherings as much about community as competition. Combined with its high-speed, largely unchanged layout, this has made Road America one of the most beloved venues on the American motorsport calendar, regularly cited by drivers and fans alike as one of the best tracks in the country.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Road America?+
The full circuit is 4.048 miles (6.515 km) with 14 turns, making it one of the longest permanent road courses in the United States.
Why is Road America famous for camping?+
The 640-acre grounds have roughly 1,000 campsites across eight zones, and generations of fans return to the same sites year after year, especially around the Carousel.
Can you drive Road America yourself?+
Yes. Road America runs its own in-house track day and Performance Driving School programs for both cars and motorcycles, alongside club racing from organizations like SCCA.
What is the Carousel at Road America?+
The Carousel is a long, sustained 180-degree sweeping corner (Turn 12) that carries high speed and is one of the track's most famous sections.
What major series race at Road America?+
IndyCar, IMSA SportsCar Championship, MotoAmerica Superbikes, and the SCCA National Championship Runoffs are the marquee annual events.
What is the closest airport to Road America?+
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport is about an hour's drive south.
Other tracks nearby
- The Milwaukee Mile · 54 mi · road course & oval
- Blackhawk Farms Raceway · 106 mi · road course
- GingerMan Raceway · 134 mi · road course
- RedBud MX · 159 mi · motocross
- Chicagoland Speedway · 161 mi · oval
- Michigan International Speedway · 224 mi · oval
Facts checked against 4 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-09.