I really enjoyed visiting Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, recently; a town midway between Milwaukee and Green Bay with fewer than 1,000 people. While it may be small, Elkhart Lake is filled with so many great restaurants, lovely scenery and nice people that I wanted to stay another month.
While this wasn’t possible, I do plan to return soon to spend some time at the unique racing facility known as Road America. Some of the most famous names on the racing circuit compete in the scenic 4- mile, 14-turn road circuit established in 1955 as the first permanent road racing course in the U.S.
Starting back in 1951, cars raced through the streets in and around Elkhart Lake. After three years of racing drew steadily increasing crowds to pack the village streets and watch the cars zoom by, the state legislature became alarmed at the potential for liability and banned racing on public roads.
Members of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) from the Chicago region came to the rescue, creating a plan for the racetrack now known as Road America. Chief organizer Clif Tufte, a highway engineer, chose 525 acres of farmland just outside Elkhart Lake for the picturesque track.
