Hitting the Apex: Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America

IndyCar returns to Road America! ATRL’s Eline Luna takes a look at Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America this weekend.

This weekend IndyCar continues their season at Road America. At a little over 4 miles, Road America marks the longest track they race on this season. The track was established in 1955 and is located near Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin.

In the early 1950s, street races would be held around Elkhart Lake. When the state legislature banned racing on public roads, Clif Tufte organized a group of local, influential citizens and leaders of the SCAA (Sports Car Club of America) who then developed plans to build a permanent race course around the area.

This dream became a reality in 1955 and the track layout hasn’t changed since it was made. This is a rarity on modern race tracks and also gives the track an old school vibe, loved by drivers and fans alike.

James Black/Penske Entertainment

IndyCar has raced at the track since 1982 but stopped racing there for a while in 2003 due to legal disputes and financial issues. In 2016, the race returned as a permanent fixture on the calendar to rousing success.

The track is known for being one of the fastest road racing circuits. It has 14 turns and a lot of elevation changes as it was built on the hills of Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine. 

Josef Newgarden winning the 2022 race (Richard Dole / Motorsport Images)

Track Layout for 2023:

Race Info:

  • Race Length: 55 laps | 220.55 Miles
  • Turns: 14
  • Track Length: 4.048 miles (6.515 km)
  • Most Wins: Mario Andretti (3) Emerson Fittipaldi (3) & Michael Andretti (3)
  • Race Lap Record: 1:41.874 (Alex Zanardi, CART)

Past Winners in Road America

  • 2022: Josef Newgarden

  • 2021: Alex Palou

  • 2020 (1): Scott Dixon 2020 (2): Felix Rosenqvist

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eline follows a variety of motorsports from Formula E to IMSA to Nascar to WEC. They hope to study Mechanical Engineering to work in motorsports one day.

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