Morning Update from Road America
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