Kohler Grand Prix Road America Preview

Sebastien Bourdais runs through Canada Corner at Road America. [John Wiedemann Photo]

Drivers in the Verizon Indy Car Series are almost unanimous when they say that Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin’s Road America is perhaps the best road racing circuit in North America; and likely one of the most challenging globally.

And for drivers and fans alike it’s been too long since Indy cars last ran there; nine long years to be exact.

So before what’s expected to be large and enthusiastic crowds, the series will compete on the 4.048-mile, 14-turn natural road course of “America’s National Park of Speed” in Sunday’s Kohler Grand Prix.

The last time the Indy cars appeared there was 2007 when Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais, who stood on the RA podium four times in four career races there, beat a somewhat weak Champ Car field. It would be the last Indy car event held there as Champ Car folded at the end of the season in the wake of the open-wheel unification battle and the Indy Racing League chose not to return in 2008.

Bourdais, of course, is back competing with Verizon Indy Car, and along with 21 other entries, will race for 50 laps (202.4 miles) Sunday.

Surprisingly, Josef Newgarden, who may change teams in 2017, is entered as a driver for Ed Carpenter Racing despite having suffered serious injuries during the now-rescheduled Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. J. R. Hildebrand subbed for Newgarden during last Wednesday’s RA test session and will likely be in attendance should Newgarden (fourth in points) be deemed unable to compete.

Four rookies, Max Chilton, Spencer Pigot, Conor Daly and Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi will test their skill against the likes of point’s leaders Simon Pagenaud, Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves.

Names such as Andretti, Fittapaldi, Sullivan and Zanardi have won here in the 25 previous Indy car events; and even current NASCAR Sprint Cup pilot A. J. Allmendinger was a winner in a 2006 Champ Car event.

Among current teams that have raced here, Team Penske has scored three wins while Chip Ganassi Racing has won twice. The iconic Newman-Haas group visited victory lane 10 times during its many years in Indy car racing.

Indy Car held a two-day test at the circuit last fall before a large, enthusiastic crowd and drivers were unanimous that the combination of speed and handling that Road America offers will allow teams to test their cars to the ultimate on race-day; perhaps more than on any track on which they currently compete.

NOTES:
• Dario Franchitti holds the current Indy car track record with a qualifying speed of 145.924 mph set in 2000 in a Reynard Honda. The Scotsman also scored his first career Indy car win here in 1998.
• There have been six winners in eight IC races in 2016: Montoya, Dixon, Pagenaud (3), Rossi, Bourdais and Will Power.
• Helio Castroneves is winless in his previous 30 races dating back to Belle Isle in 2014.
• Graham Rahal has led just nine laps all season.
• Road America opened for competition in 1955 after races were held on public roads around Elkhart Lake and through town from 1950-52. Those road circuits ranged from 3.3 mi to 6.5 mi. in length.
• No Indy car races were held at RA in 2005 due to lack of an event sponsor.
• Tim Flock won a NASCAR Grand National (Sprint Cup today) race at the track in 1956.
• Near-record crowds are expected for the Kohler Grand Prix weekend.
• The next Indy Car race will be at Iowa Speedway on July 10.
• TV: NBCSN Practice, Friday, June 24, Noon ET (Live) / Qualifying, Saturday, 5:30p.m. ET (Tape Delay) / Race, Sunday, 12:30 p.m. ET (Live).

QUOTES:
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE – Arrow Schmidt Peterson Honda: “I’m so excited to go back to Road America. This has been my favorite road course in the country from the moment I went there in 2004. It’s the kind of track that Indy cars are built for. I hope that it’s a great race and it stays on the calendar for a long time.”

MAX CHILTON – Gallagher Chip Ganassi Chevrolet: “After my first experience at Road America last Wednesday (team practice), I’m super excited to get back to race it. It has a great flow to it and reminds me of my favorite circuit, Spa Francorchamps in Belgium. It’s old-school, fast and hilly and rewarding.”

SCOTT DIXON – Clorox Ganassi Chevrolet: “I know for a fact that Road America is on top of all the drivers’ lists, and we have been waiting to come back for quite some time. This course is just amazing to drive and I’m sure every driver will say so, if they don’t, they’re just flat-out lying to you.”

ALEXANDER ROSSI – Castrol Edge/Curb Honda: “It (Road America) is one of the flagship tracks not only in America, but globally, and I am so excited that the Verizon Indy Car Series is returning this year…It is going to be an incredible event.”

Paul Gohde

Paul Gohde heard the sound of race cars early in his life.

Growing up in suburban Milwaukee, just north of Wisconsin State Fair Park in the 1950’s, Paul had no idea what “that noise” was all about that he heard several times a year. Finally, through prodding by friends of his parents, he was taken to several Thursday night modified stock car races on the old quarter-mile dirt track that was in the infield of the one-mile oval -and he was hooked.

The first Milwaukee Mile event that he attended was the 1959 Rex Mays Classic won by Johnny Thomson in the pink Racing Associates lay-down Offy built by the legendary Lujie Lesovsky. After the 100-miler Gohde got the winner’s autograph in the pits, something he couldn’t do when he saw Hank Aaron hit a home run at County Stadium, and, again, he was hooked.

Paul began attending the Indianapolis 500 in 1961, and saw A. J. Foyt’s first Indy win. He began covering races in 1965 for Racing Wheels newspaper in Vancouver, WA as a reporter/photographer and his first credentialed race was Jim Clark’s historic Indy win.Paul has also done reporting, columns and photography for Midwest Racing News since the mid-sixties, with the 1967 Hoosier 100 being his first big race to report for them.

He is a retired middle-grade teacher, an avid collector of vintage racing memorabilia, and a tour guide at Miller Park. Paul loves to explore abandoned race tracks both here and in Europe, with the Brooklands track in Weybridge England being his favorite. Married to Paula, they have three adult children and two cats.

Paul loves the diversity of all types of racing, “a factor that got me hooked in the first place.”

racingnation.com

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