Road America president Mike Kertscher discusses recent upgrades, ticket pricing, and potential NASCAR events during a preseason interview. The venue has seen significant improvements, including a revamped staging area and enhanced safety features.
Key points
Road America president Mike Kertscher discusses venue upgrades
Significant improvements made to safety barriers and staging area
Potential NASCAR events are being considered
IMSA 6-hour endurance race scheduled for 2026
Mentioned in this story
Road America
IMSA 6-hour endurance race
ELKHART LAKE â While the âfalse gridâ staging area alongside pit road has undergone a massive transformation, itâs the attention to detail that makes Road Americaâs president the most pleased.
From racetrack-style curbing in the administration office parking lot to cleaned and straightened safety barriers, the place just looks spiffier. Thatâs one of the takeaways Mike Kertscher wanted to stress during his annual preseason sit-down with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
In an hourlong interview in April, Kertscher fielded questions about everything from construction to the souvenir collectors buying discarded guardrail to the IMSA 6-hour endurance race to â of course â the latest on possibly getting NASCAR back.
1955: The finish flag is flashed as Mike Ward, Jr., Lansing, Mich., ends his 10 mile trial in Saturday's Road America sports car races at Elkhart Lake. Ward drove an MG TD. The trials were held up Saturday morning by a heavy rain. A 150 mile race will be the feature of Sunday's closing program. Three other races also are scheduled.
1968: Jerry Hansen of Minneapolis whizzed down the track at the Road American June sprints Sunday at Elkhart Lake to win the 120 mile feature race. Hansen led from the start and averaged 96.597 miles an hour.
Q&A
What upgrades have been made at Road America for the 2026 racing season?
Road America has undergone significant upgrades, including a transformed staging area, improved safety barriers, and racetrack-style curbing in the parking lot.
Are there any plans for NASCAR events at Road America?
Mike Kertscher mentioned ongoing discussions about possibly bringing NASCAR back to Road America.
What is the significance of the IMSA 6-hour endurance race at Road America?
The IMSA 6-hour endurance race is a key event scheduled for 2026, highlighting Road America's role in major motorsport competitions.
How have ticket prices changed for events at Road America?
Details on ticket pricing were discussed in the interview, but specific changes were not highlighted.
Related Articles
NBA·Recap
McDaniels jab: Nuggets are 'all bad defenders'
Jaden McDaniels criticizes Nuggets' defense after playoff win.
ESPN News··1 min read
F1
F1's rule tweaks: What's changed after driver criticism, and will it make a difference?
F1 announces tweaks to 2026 regulations following driver concerns. Changes aim to improve safety and qualifying experience.
ESPN News··1 min read
MLB·Feature
Prospect watch: Is Cleveland ready for a new catcher?
Is Cooper Ingle the answer for Cleveland's catching woes?
ESPN News··1 min read
Soccer·Feature
Slot expected to continue at Liverpool next season
Arne Slot expected to continue as Liverpool head coach next season.
Sky Sports··1 min read
Soccer·Recap
UNDER 16's, HEADING TO THE FINAL STAGES
Under 16's Team Secures Second Place and Heads to Finals
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Soccer·Feature
Sporting JAX sign 16-year-old Bartram Trail High player to menâs roster
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
1975: Winner Mario Andretti had matters well under control as he led runner-up Jackie Oliver en route to an impressive victory in the Formula 5000 race at Road America in Elkhart Lake Sunday. Andretti won by a whopping 16.6 seconds.
1961: Thirty-nine sports cars roared away from the starting line Saturday at Elkhart Lake's Road America...from the bridge, across the course at the start of the main straight, to the cantilever starting platform are new to the four mile course this season.
1982: Actor Paul Newman, received a bit of help from a crew member after he ran a qualifying heat for the feature race in the 1982 June Sprints held at Road America in Elkhart Lake. Newman was flocked by fans after qualifying.
1965: This is the way they began in the rain shortened race for C, D, E, and F modified cars in the June sprints at Road America near Elkhart Lake Sunday, and in one respect, it was how they finished as well. Jim Hall of Midland, Texas, in car 66, won the race. He started it in rain and finished it in weak sunshine.
1986: Bobby Rahal raced for pole at Elkhart Lake.
1959: Vintage cars had their day of glory last week end at Road America in the sports car racing program there. Bentleys made an impressive line-up. The cars, from left, were driven by Augie Pabst of Milwaukee, Rollin Weary of Wilmette, Illinois, and Carl Mueller of Milwaukee. Pabst's car was the oldest, 1928, but it won the race.
1988: Wes Cooley displays his winning form at Elkhart Lake's Road America
1968: Amateur movie stars put all the enthusiasm they could muster into a scene for the Hollywood production, "Winning" being filmed at the Road America track in Elkhart Lake, Sheboygan county. The cheering group included area residents hired as extras, race track officials and actress Eileen Wesson, dressed in a white bathing suit.
1968: Under the watchful eye of the track physician, Paul Newman makes sure his helmet is in place before doing a race car scene for "Winning," being filmed at Road America near Elkhart Lake. The physician is Dr. Bill Semler, a Shorewood obstetrician who serves 24 days each summer as medical director for road races.
1968: Actor Paul Newman got a kiss from actress Eileen Wesson Monday as they rehearsed a scene from the movie "Winning," a portion of which is being filmed at the Road America track in Elkhart Lake (Sheboygan county). The fingers in the foreground are those of director James Goldstone.
1977: Molly Riley, Miss Road America, spent another part of the day in a red satin jumpsuit acting as queen of the road races.
1977: Wearing her official badge of office - a rainbow striped helmet - Miss Road America (Molly Riley) readied her race car on Sunday. Under the helmet she wears a white fireproof hood. She is the only woman to combine the roles of Road America queen and race driver.
1979: Jerry Hansen from Wayzata, Minnesota, led the parade on his way to winning the featured sports car race at Road America in Elkhart Lake Sunday. Trying gamely to pass Hansen, who was wheeling a Lola, was Frank Schultz (48), in an Eagle 755-001.
1961: The field began to string out even on the first lap of the feature race at Road America Sunday. The aerial picture shows the cars coming up to the top of the hill onto the main straight and going across the start-finish line. A crowd of about 40,000 watched the program at the Elkhart Lake sports car course.
1981: The beautiful rolling terrain at Road America offered race fans many natural vantage points from which to watch Sunday's June Sprints. There were no reserved seats, and a popular spot for fans was near Corner Five as the Formula Atlantic cars wheeled around the sharp curve. More than 25,000 fans turned out for the final day of the races at the scenic four-mile racing circuit.
1982: Jerry Hansen drove his Datsun 280 SX to victory in the SSGT, SSA, SSB, SSC class Sunday at Elkhart Lake. Hansen won this 52-mile race by 9.59 seconds, and won two other races at Road America.
1968: Chuck Parsons (left) and Skip Scott flash smiles while relaxing after sharing victory in Sunday's 500 miler at Road America's four mile course.
1982: A trio of Formula Atlantic/Formula Continental type cars were bunched together during Sunday's sixth race at the June Sprints. Carl Liebich in car #54 and from Plymouth, Wisconsin eventually won this race.
1983: Driver Teo Fabi (right) wore a perplexed expression Saturday, while his crew worked on the engine of his March-Cosworth during qualifying for Sunday's Provimi Veal 200-mile Indy-car race at Elkhart Lake's Road America. Fabi, who was sidelined with engine problems late in the first qualifying session, was forced to miss the second session because a new engine had to be installed. Mario Andretti won the pole position for the race, and Fabi ended up second-fastest for the other front-row spot.
1959: Gears grind and engines whine as sports cars hit this stage of the 500 mile race Sunday at Road America, Elkhart Lake. The cars quickly accelerated rounding station five. Walt Hansgen of Westfield, New Jersey, driving 62 in the left foreground, wheeled a Lister Jaguar with Ed Crawford of Northfield, Illinois, to victory in record time.
1983: Mario Andretti headed into the third turn at Road America Sunday.
1983: Fans cluster around Paul Newman at Elkhart Lake's Road America. But he'd just as soon be left alone to concentrate on racing.
1984: Mario Andretti (in car No. 3) tried to pass Danny Sullivan during Sunday's Provimi Veal 200-mile race at Road America in Elkhart Lake.
1973: Englishman Brian Redman didn't have too much room for error during Sunday's running of the L & M Formula 500 Championship at Elkhart Lake's Road America course. Redman negotiated the 12th turn and right behind was South African Jody Sheckter. But Jody couldn't overtake Redman, who held the pole at the start and went on to win before a crowd of 31,517. It was Redman's first win of the year.
1981: The racers made their way around Turn 1 Sunday at the start of the Pabst 500 classic at Road America race course at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
1977: Picnicking and visiting with friends is a part of attending a race at Road America.
1984: Mario Andretti drove his Lola-Cosworth to victory in the Provimi Veal 200 at Road America on Sunday. --- A Budweiser race car: targeting every kind of person in every part of the country.
1982: Al Unser had the lead Sunday at Road America but finished in second place.
1988: Football player Walter Payton got ready to run again, but this time he was in a sports race car at the Road America track in Elkhart Lake
1961: Typical of the action in the first half of the Road America 500 mile race Sunday at Elkhart Lake was this line of cars coming through turn No. 12. Jim Hall (6) of Dallas, Texas, led Walt Hansgan (61) of Westfield, Jew Jersey, with Dr. Dick Thompson (62) of Washington, D.C., right behind. Hansgen and Augie Pabst of Milwaukee won the fifth annual event, facing no serious competition in the final stages.
1983: 1st - Budweiser Canadian-American - Road America. John Fitzpatrick.
1964: Start of 200 mile race, opening day feature on Road America program at Elkhart Lake Saturday. The winner was Dan Gerber (19) of Fremont, Michigan, in an A.C. Ford Cobra.
1959: Roaring away from the starting line, a field of 45 cars began the 120 mile first race at Elkhart Lake's Road America Saturday afternoon. The winner was Briggs Cunningham of Green Farms, Connecticut, in an Osca.
1968: Jerry Hansen of Minneapolis sat in the cockpit of his Lola, which is powered by a big formula A Chevrolet engine, as he won his second straight race Saturday at Road America. Hansen won the Badger 200 kilometer event by 58 seconds over Hank Candler of Lakewood, Colorado.
1975: Sunday's story from start to finish: Mario Andretti (5) leading Oliver in Formula 5000 race at Road America.
1984: It'll be a vintage racing weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake July 20-22, highlighted by the Great American Road Race. Some drivers (above) got together for some practice laps Tuesday, and Augie Pabst (right) went cruising in a Porsche 356. A Ferrari vs. Porsche Challenge and a Sports 2000 race are included on the fourth annual program. The Great American Road Race will be open to the public, and partial proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Maryville City of Youth.
1985: Bruce Lind, with passenger Jack Hart, took a turn ahead of John Daliley and Art Dailey during the sidecar race Sunday at Road America.
1986: Robert Patterson led Bill Morrison and Paul Canary as a trio of Corvettes topped the pack during Sunday's Vintage Auto Race Weekend at Road America.
1981: Eddie Lawson showed the form that led him to the Superbike victory Saturday at Road America.
1987: Lyn St. James (right) and Deborah Gregg have teamed up in racing, but have not found the going easy. The pair had to leave the 500-mile Lowenbrau Classic at Road America in Elkhart Lake Sunday when the transmission broke with St. James behind the wheel on the 29th lap.
1981: Those fans who wanted a close view of Sunday's races at Road America in Elkhart Lake were packed in close to a fence.
1981: Steve Thomson's car (7) skidded off the track coming out of a turn, but got back into the Formula Vee race at Road America Saturday afternoon.
1988: Augie Pabst hops on a motor scooter next to his metallic blue Scarab racer at Road America during a vintage car race on a recent weekend. Pabst drove the car, which is one of only three of its type ever manufactured, to a second place finish against a similar model. A bright red 1930s Talbot (left) was exhibited during the vintage car weekend at the Elkhart Lake track.
1958: Jim Jeffords took the checkered flag after winning Road America.
1978: Greg Pickett, driving no. 6, sat on the pole for Monday's Phase I race he won. He also went on to win the 100 mile Trans-Am race at Road America.
1982: Al Holbert drives his Chevrolet-powered VDS Lola to victory Sunday in the 160-mile Can-Am race at Road America. He averaged 113.227 mph and finished 20.24 seconds ahead of Danny Sullivan, who placed second.
1981: Australian Geoff Brabham popped the cork on a freshly chilled bottle of champagne Sunday after winning the Canadian-American Challenge Cup 160-mile race at Road America.
1981: Geoff Brabham, in car No. 3, was in the middle of a pack at this stage of Sunday's Can-Am race at Road America. He was flanked by Randy Lewis, left, and by Jeff Wood (1), with Al Holbert (14) bringing up the rear. But Brabham was alone well out in front at the finish.
1986: Mario Andretti was ahead of the pack and on his way to victory in the 200-mile race for Indy championship cars Sunday at the four-mile Road America course in Elkhart Lake.
1 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1955: The finish flag is flashed as Mike Ward, Jr., Lansing, Mich., ends his 10 mile trial in Saturday's Road America sports car races at Elkhart Lake. Ward drove an MG TD. The trials were held up Saturday morning by a heavy rain. A 150 mile race will be the feature of Sunday's closing program. Three other races also are scheduled.
1 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1955: The finish flag is flashed as Mike Ward, Jr., Lansing, Mich., ends his 10 mile trial in Saturday's Road America sports car races at Elkhart Lake. Ward drove an MG TD. The trials were held up Saturday morning by a heavy rain. A 150 mile race will be the feature of Sunday's closing program. Three other races also are scheduled.
2 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1968: Jerry Hansen of Minneapolis whizzed down the track at the Road American June sprints Sunday at Elkhart Lake to win the 120 mile feature race. Hansen led from the start and averaged 96.597 miles an hour.
3 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1975: Winner Mario Andretti had matters well under control as he led runner-up Jackie Oliver en route to an impressive victory in the Formula 5000 race at Road America in Elkhart Lake Sunday. Andretti won by a whopping 16.6 seconds.
4 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1961: Thirty-nine sports cars roared away from the starting line Saturday at Elkhart Lake's Road America...from the bridge, across the course at the start of the main straight, to the cantilever starting platform are new to the four mile course this season.
5 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1982: Actor Paul Newman, received a bit of help from a crew member after he ran a qualifying heat for the feature race in the 1982 June Sprints held at Road America in Elkhart Lake. Newman was flocked by fans after qualifying.
6 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1965: This is the way they began in the rain shortened race for C, D, E, and F modified cars in the June sprints at Road America near Elkhart Lake Sunday, and in one respect, it was how they finished as well. Jim Hall of Midland, Texas, in car 66, won the race. He started it in rain and finished it in weak sunshine.
7 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1986: Bobby Rahal raced for pole at Elkhart Lake.
8 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1959: Vintage cars had their day of glory last week end at Road America in the sports car racing program there. Bentleys made an impressive line-up. The cars, from left, were driven by Augie Pabst of Milwaukee, Rollin Weary of Wilmette, Illinois, and Carl Mueller of Milwaukee. Pabst's car was the oldest, 1928, but it won the race.
9 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1988: Wes Cooley displays his winning form at Elkhart Lake's Road America
10 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1968: Amateur movie stars put all the enthusiasm they could muster into a scene for the Hollywood production, "Winning" being filmed at the Road America track in Elkhart Lake, Sheboygan county. The cheering group included area residents hired as extras, race track officials and actress Eileen Wesson, dressed in a white bathing suit.
11 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1968: Under the watchful eye of the track physician, Paul Newman makes sure his helmet is in place before doing a race car scene for "Winning," being filmed at Road America near Elkhart Lake. The physician is Dr. Bill Semler, a Shorewood obstetrician who serves 24 days each summer as medical director for road races.
12 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1968: Actor Paul Newman got a kiss from actress Eileen Wesson Monday as they rehearsed a scene from the movie "Winning," a portion of which is being filmed at the Road America track in Elkhart Lake (Sheboygan county). The fingers in the foreground are those of director James Goldstone.
13 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1977: Molly Riley, Miss Road America, spent another part of the day in a red satin jumpsuit acting as queen of the road races.
14 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1977: Wearing her official badge of office - a rainbow striped helmet - Miss Road America (Molly Riley) readied her race car on Sunday. Under the helmet she wears a white fireproof hood. She is the only woman to combine the roles of Road America queen and race driver.
15 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1979: Jerry Hansen from Wayzata, Minnesota, led the parade on his way to winning the featured sports car race at Road America in Elkhart Lake Sunday. Trying gamely to pass Hansen, who was wheeling a Lola, was Frank Schultz (48), in an Eagle 755-001.
16 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1961: The field began to string out even on the first lap of the feature race at Road America Sunday. The aerial picture shows the cars coming up to the top of the hill onto the main straight and going across the start-finish line. A crowd of about 40,000 watched the program at the Elkhart Lake sports car course.
17 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1981: The beautiful rolling terrain at Road America offered race fans many natural vantage points from which to watch Sunday's June Sprints. There were no reserved seats, and a popular spot for fans was near Corner Five as the Formula Atlantic cars wheeled around the sharp curve. More than 25,000 fans turned out for the final day of the races at the scenic four-mile racing circuit.
18 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1982: Jerry Hansen drove his Datsun 280 SX to victory in the SSGT, SSA, SSB, SSC class Sunday at Elkhart Lake. Hansen won this 52-mile race by 9.59 seconds, and won two other races at Road America.
19 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1968: Chuck Parsons (left) and Skip Scott flash smiles while relaxing after sharing victory in Sunday's 500 miler at Road America's four mile course.
20 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1982: A trio of Formula Atlantic/Formula Continental type cars were bunched together during Sunday's sixth race at the June Sprints. Carl Liebich in car #54 and from Plymouth, Wisconsin eventually won this race.
21 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1983: Driver Teo Fabi (right) wore a perplexed expression Saturday, while his crew worked on the engine of his March-Cosworth during qualifying for Sunday's Provimi Veal 200-mile Indy-car race at Elkhart Lake's Road America. Fabi, who was sidelined with engine problems late in the first qualifying session, was forced to miss the second session because a new engine had to be installed. Mario Andretti won the pole position for the race, and Fabi ended up second-fastest for the other front-row spot.
22 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1959: Gears grind and engines whine as sports cars hit this stage of the 500 mile race Sunday at Road America, Elkhart Lake. The cars quickly accelerated rounding station five. Walt Hansgen of Westfield, New Jersey, driving 62 in the left foreground, wheeled a Lister Jaguar with Ed Crawford of Northfield, Illinois, to victory in record time.
23 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1983: Mario Andretti headed into the third turn at Road America Sunday.
24 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1983: Fans cluster around Paul Newman at Elkhart Lake's Road America. But he'd just as soon be left alone to concentrate on racing.
25 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1984: Mario Andretti (in car No. 3) tried to pass Danny Sullivan during Sunday's Provimi Veal 200-mile race at Road America in Elkhart Lake.
26 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1973: Englishman Brian Redman didn't have too much room for error during Sunday's running of the L & M Formula 500 Championship at Elkhart Lake's Road America course. Redman negotiated the 12th turn and right behind was South African Jody Sheckter. But Jody couldn't overtake Redman, who held the pole at the start and went on to win before a crowd of 31,517. It was Redman's first win of the year.
27 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1981: The racers made their way around Turn 1 Sunday at the start of the Pabst 500 classic at Road America race course at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
28 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1977: Picnicking and visiting with friends is a part of attending a race at Road America.
29 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1984: Mario Andretti drove his Lola-Cosworth to victory in the Provimi Veal 200 at Road America on Sunday. --- A Budweiser race car: targeting every kind of person in every part of the country.
30 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1982: Al Unser had the lead Sunday at Road America but finished in second place.
31 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1988: Football player Walter Payton got ready to run again, but this time he was in a sports race car at the Road America track in Elkhart Lake
32 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1961: Typical of the action in the first half of the Road America 500 mile race Sunday at Elkhart Lake was this line of cars coming through turn No. 12. Jim Hall (6) of Dallas, Texas, led Walt Hansgan (61) of Westfield, Jew Jersey, with Dr. Dick Thompson (62) of Washington, D.C., right behind. Hansgen and Augie Pabst of Milwaukee won the fifth annual event, facing no serious competition in the final stages.
33 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1983: 1st - Budweiser Canadian-American - Road America. John Fitzpatrick.
34 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1964: Start of 200 mile race, opening day feature on Road America program at Elkhart Lake Saturday. The winner was Dan Gerber (19) of Fremont, Michigan, in an A.C. Ford Cobra.
35 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1959: Roaring away from the starting line, a field of 45 cars began the 120 mile first race at Elkhart Lake's Road America Saturday afternoon. The winner was Briggs Cunningham of Green Farms, Connecticut, in an Osca.
36 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1968: Jerry Hansen of Minneapolis sat in the cockpit of his Lola, which is powered by a big formula A Chevrolet engine, as he won his second straight race Saturday at Road America. Hansen won the Badger 200 kilometer event by 58 seconds over Hank Candler of Lakewood, Colorado.
37 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1975: Sunday's story from start to finish: Mario Andretti (5) leading Oliver in Formula 5000 race at Road America.
38 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1984: It'll be a vintage racing weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake July 20-22, highlighted by the Great American Road Race. Some drivers (above) got together for some practice laps Tuesday, and Augie Pabst (right) went cruising in a Porsche 356. A Ferrari vs. Porsche Challenge and a Sports 2000 race are included on the fourth annual program. The Great American Road Race will be open to the public, and partial proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Maryville City of Youth.
39 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1985: Bruce Lind, with passenger Jack Hart, took a turn ahead of John Daliley and Art Dailey during the sidecar race Sunday at Road America.
40 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1986: Robert Patterson led Bill Morrison and Paul Canary as a trio of Corvettes topped the pack during Sunday's Vintage Auto Race Weekend at Road America.
41 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1981: Eddie Lawson showed the form that led him to the Superbike victory Saturday at Road America.
42 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1987: Lyn St. James (right) and Deborah Gregg have teamed up in racing, but have not found the going easy. The pair had to leave the 500-mile Lowenbrau Classic at Road America in Elkhart Lake Sunday when the transmission broke with St. James behind the wheel on the 29th lap.
43 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1981: Those fans who wanted a close view of Sunday's races at Road America in Elkhart Lake were packed in close to a fence.
44 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1981: Steve Thomson's car (7) skidded off the track coming out of a turn, but got back into the Formula Vee race at Road America Saturday afternoon.
45 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1988: Augie Pabst hops on a motor scooter next to his metallic blue Scarab racer at Road America during a vintage car race on a recent weekend. Pabst drove the car, which is one of only three of its type ever manufactured, to a second place finish against a similar model. A bright red 1930s Talbot (left) was exhibited during the vintage car weekend at the Elkhart Lake track.
46 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1958: Jim Jeffords took the checkered flag after winning Road America.
47 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1978: Greg Pickett, driving no. 6, sat on the pole for Monday's Phase I race he won. He also went on to win the 100 mile Trans-Am race at Road America.
48 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1982: Al Holbert drives his Chevrolet-powered VDS Lola to victory Sunday in the 160-mile Can-Am race at Road America. He averaged 113.227 mph and finished 20.24 seconds ahead of Danny Sullivan, who placed second.
49 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1981: Australian Geoff Brabham popped the cork on a freshly chilled bottle of champagne Sunday after winning the Canadian-American Challenge Cup 160-mile race at Road America.
50 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1981: Geoff Brabham, in car No. 3, was in the middle of a pack at this stage of Sunday's Can-Am race at Road America. He was flanked by Randy Lewis, left, and by Jeff Wood (1), with Al Holbert (14) bringing up the rear. But Brabham was alone well out in front at the finish.
51 / 51
How racing at Road America looked in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s
1986: Mario Andretti was ahead of the pack and on his way to victory in the 200-mile race for Indy championship cars Sunday at the four-mile Road America course in Elkhart Lake.
Entry and Turn 12 area got more upgrades
Kertscher: The first thing fans will see when they come in, or even competitors, right outside of Gate 6 here, just to the west, we built a new bathroom. That area was a bit underserved with regards to decent restrooms, even access to water. Weâve taken this as an opportunity to do that, but then also to improve the concession stand offerings. The first thing people are looking for [when teams stage to enter the facility] is a restroom, and why not put our best foot forward? So thatâs a big one.
Pit lane is longer and the staging area behind part of it will be more spacious and easier on drivers
Kertscher: We created a second pit lane from the tunnel to the north, that is now a second functioning pit lane. We needed to expand our pit lane slightly for IMSA, because theyâre going to have over 50 cars, but we took that as an opportunity to expand and make this entire run suitable for pit lane operations, so power, water, CCTV [closed circuit television], all the things the teams need.
Then we improved this false grid. We really attacked the elevation that we have. Going uphill, thatâs hard for guys with a short-throw clutch to do it. Plus, we had elevation sloping to the west. So we put a retaining wall in here, beautiful outcropping stone sourced locally. That area is a bigtime improvement and kind of fits right in with our continued strategic plan with improving this area.
VIP area upgraded
Kertscher: The suites, pretty proud to say that we continue to evolve and step up our VIP offerings. The finish line tower, last year, we bit off two suites in the upper level, and there were four remaining. And so that over the winter, the entire top floor is now completely renovated. ⊠Just the imagery on the walls in there and the latest and greatest offerings.
We looked at some of the offerings locally, the Packers and the Bucks, but then also from a race perspective looked at what some of the other venues had, and we wanted to modernize our space.
Fans at Canada Corner will see an upgraded concession stand among the enhancements Road America has made ahead of the 2026 season.
Fans at Canada Corner will see an upgraded concession stand among the enhancements Road America has made ahead of the 2026 season.
Small stuff matters to Road America
Kertscher: I think the biggest surprise that fans will notice is the attention to detail. We really bit off a lot of little projects that have been on the list a long time, things while theyâre not mission critical, theyâre certainly nice to have.
Concrete around our concession stands ⊠instead of standing on gravel and grass and get muddy and whatever else. Things like that. But just the attention of detail, our team is really honed in. The winnerâs circle ⊠we had a great floor here that served us well, but it was plastic and sometimes the wind and the rain would move it. ⊠We actually have concrete there now, and it [will be] stained. The checkered floor is a staple here at RA.
Expanded Grasscrete will help drivers, help keep races moving
Before 2025, Road America installed a product called Grasscrete outside the Kink. It is perforated concrete that allows grass to grow through the holes in an effort to give drivers a little more margin for error and cut down on dust and debris that contributes to the need for yellow flags.
Kertscher: I think we did five additional areas this year of Grasscrete. So if you saw last year, we did it [at the Kink]. It really worked well. It gives drivers some runoff, but it definitely improves the safety and itâll save them when sometimes they need saving.
It also eliminates the drop-offs and the bumps and things that occur, because we can put dirt out there in a drop-off at night and by mid next day thereâs a hole there again and itâs no fault of our teamâs. The drivers, theyâre looking for every last inch of racetrack, and sometimes that means cutting it a little close to the grass.
Itâs about a 60% reduction in grip, the engineers tell us, because you have a lot less surface area for the tire and its intermittent. It has holes. But visually, when youâre low in a race car â and I went out there and kneeled down and looked â it looks like grass, because you donât see the concrete. Sometimes perception is reality, and perception is itâs grass.
Turn 14 is one of several areas where Road America has installed Grasscrete, a perforated concrete product intended to enhance safety and decrease debris on track.
Turn 14 is one of several areas where Road America has installed Grasscrete, a perforated concrete product intended to enhance safety and decrease debris on track.
Trackside walls will be safer, look nicer
Although the track has more poured concrete barriers with tall fencing, there are long stretches of safety walls that are segmented and moveable.
Kertscher: Back in the day when they put all these Jersey barriers out here, they just set them on the lawn, and after sitting on the lawn for 30 years, you can imagine what happens. They sink, and they tilt, and they move. This will be the second year now that weâve done it. In five years, we hope to be able to be close to through, where weâve reset and reinforced all of the Jersey barriers here, the footings of them.
So basically we take all the fence down, move them out of the way, get the barriers out of the way, dig out the soil, put a proper base there, compact it, and then put the barriers back in, put the fence back on, clean the barriers. Thereâs a coating that gets applied to them, a stain, basically, so they look good and the water shields off of them and mold and mildew and stuff.
From a safety standpoint, you want a perpendicular wall vs. one thatâs tilted in or out. Also, over time, you sometimes get a leading edge or a trailing edge and you just take an opportunity to square all that stuff up. Thatâs a big deal. Itâs just attention to detail.
You can imagine, we have almost 8 miles of walls to do. We did over a mile, about a mile and a half this winter alone. ⊠Itâs not necessarily glamorous or exciting, but, hey, itâs all part of it.
What else might fans notice in 2026?
Kertscher: The little things that the fans are going to notice is improvements around our concession stands. We got a few new carvings coming [cut from trees that died].
I always love the first event, because our best customers, theyâre here. Itâs like Christmas. Theyâre looking around. What did the team do this year? Whatâs going on? And thatâs pretty cool because they can come back a handful of times and theyâre not gonna find them all.
Longer pit road probably wonât help cautions
Kertscher: Our trackâs big. Our pit lane, if itâs not the longest, itâs certainly got to be close. That weighs into that. When youâre talking a 4-mile track, you just have some of those challenges. Thatâs definitely one thing that we do watch it, and we encourage where we can, but ultimately it falls on the series and how they operate.
A longer IMSA race brings new factors to watch
Q: Fans are getting the IMSA endurance race that theyâve wanted for years. What does it need to be at six hours to be a success thatâs different from what it needed to be at 2:40, besides longer?
Kertscher: I think it needs to have good racing. I think having a longer duration of race, hopefully weâll cut down some of the cautions because as a driver, you gotta make it. Itâs not all about the first corner anymore, or the first few laps. ⊠We have a big place, a lot of elevation change. I think the strategy comes into play a lot more with a longer endurance race of that sort. And who knows? We know the weather here changes by the minute sometimes, in the hour. You have a longer race, that certainly increases the odds that maybe the sun just goes away for a while or the wind picks up.
Dries Vanthoor climbs out of the GTP Team RLL BMW M Hybrid he shared with Philipp Eng after winning the 2025 IMSA Motul SportsCar Grand Prix at Road America.
Dries Vanthoor climbs out of the GTP Team RLL BMW M Hybrid he shared with Philipp Eng after winning the 2025 IMSA Motul SportsCar Grand Prix at Road America.
Kertscher: I get the question, "Are we going to run into the night sometime?" I mean, people still remember the [2012] ALMS outing and how that worked here. That was pretty cool.
So weâll see. Letâs get through a year. Weâve talked about it loosely. I think our team and their team [are] aligned in the sense of letâs just get one under our belt, see how it works. Thereâs gonna be changes.
The âright to raceâ veto wonât hurt Road America
A bill vetoed by Gov. Tony Evers would have shielded existing tracks from nuisance lawsuits. Road America hasnât been affected by those and isnât likely to be in the foreseeable future, Kertscher said.
Kertscher: Every racetrack in the state works hard with their neighbors ... towards keeping your neighbors happy. You need them. You need them to support you. Theyâre customers.
Our charitable impact in 2025 just last year â this is in-kind donations, events that raise money here â was nearly $700,000. That tells a hell of a story. Itâs an impactful message because that shows what a great community partner we are.
I told our [stateâs] short track operators â because the phone here was immediately ringing â how are you guys gonna handle it? What are you gonna do? Itâs really easy to complain and try to make yourselves feel good on social media, right? But donât do it. Take the high road, encourage your fans. ⊠And fans, theyâre protective of our sport. When I read some of that stuff, thatâs passion coming out. Sometimes youâve got to hold your tongue a little bit for the greater good. Itâs disappointing, sure, but itâs not changing our operation by any means.
Road America experience may not be what people expect
Q: A totally philosophical question: Whatâs the biggest misconception about Road America?
Kertscher: Weâve been saying for years, come for the experience, stay for the race. But we can say it all we want. Itâs how do people feel when theyâre here? How do they consume the park? Perception sometimes is, âI donât know. I donât know who won MotoAmerica last year or last week or whatever. I donât know who these guys are.â Thatâs perception. The reality is when youâre here, it doesnât matter. Itâs about the energy and the excitement. Itâs just as much social as it is the entertainment.
A big perception is that maybe you wonât fit in or you wonât have fun, but thatâs not reality. You can come here and people are welcoming. Not just our staff, but our fans. They want you to have fun. Theyâre invested in your experience, especially if theyâve been around here a long time. They want you to have fun. Itâs the passion coming through.
Road Americaâs president goes incognito for feedback
Kertscher: I get around, either on the facility here or in town, and not everyone knows who I am, and I always just like to get the feedback from people. They donât know who theyâre talking to and I just ask questions. I do that a lot and I really enjoy [the opportunity] to hear what somebody says, good or bad, because itâs the truth.
So oftentimes in a conversation like that, youâre gonna learn from somebody, like, what is their favorite thing about coming here? It could be something so minuscule that ⊠our team wouldnât even think about, but to them, thatâs the coolest thing. And you canât lose sight of that because those little things, thatâs what sets us apart.
Fans crowd a stage at a music performance during the Gridlife Summer Apex Music & Motorsports Festival in July 2024 at Road America.
Fans crowd a stage at a music performance during the Gridlife Summer Apex Music & Motorsports Festival in July 2024 at Road America.
Gridlife and a comedy show are off the schedule, and fans are curious
Gridlife, a motorsports/music/lifestyle festival, brought new fans to Road America in 2024 and â25 and gave frequent visitors a new experience. It fell off the schedule for 2026. Another outside-the-box feature of 2025 was a comedy show by Adam Carolla during the July vintage weekend.
Q:After two summers, Gridlife is off the schedule. What happened?
Kertscher: It was two great years. I donât know that itâs gone forever. It got to a point where we needed to make a decision on our season.
And I think at the time, they just werenât ready to make a commitment, and we have a list of people that want to use this facility. Maybe not for as cool of events as Gridlife, but it was a business decision.
We know the fans liked it. We liked it. I personally enjoyed it. But if you want to see it back ⊠thatâs good feedback they should hear.
Q:Last year, you had a comedy show associated with the vintage weekend, which was something new. Did you learn anything that can help you in the future or was that just kind of a one off thing because Adam Carolla is an enthusiast?
Kertscher: Well sometimes opportunities, they just come to you. You can plan and be strategic and do all that stuff, but if you donât take advantage of opportunities when they come knocking, you miss the boat, and I think that one was one knocked on our door. Adam wanted to come to the event and race. Of course he wanted some professional courtesy, and we said, great, weâll put you to work.
I would venture a guess it was close to half in attendance had never been to Road America before. So it was like an opportunity for us to. It was a commercial, you know? Heâs funny, thereâs no doubt, but also selling the place and what we do.
I donât know that heâll come back this year, but maybe itâs a rotation thing. I know he really enjoyed the track. It was bigger and faster than I think he anticipated for his Datsun. But I know he had a good time.
Fans watch from behind the guardrail as Robert Patterson leads Bill Morrison and Paul Canary during the 1986 vintage races at Road America.
Fans watch from behind the guardrail as Robert Patterson leads Bill Morrison and Paul Canary during the 1986 vintage races at Road America.
Guardrail for sale? Fans love unique souvenirs
Q:I see that the paddock shop is selling pieces of old guardrail. Two parts: Why was that still lying around? And the second, where does that land on the nostalgia versus "thereâs a sucker born every minute" continuum?
Kertscher: It wasnât just lying around. That guardrail, when we rebuilt the false grid, had to come out.
We donât have any left. So for those that were waiting to buy smaller segments, sorry, we sold out already. But itâs pretty remarkable. Instead of some of that stuff over the years going to the landfill, itâs just like [itâs] going to get recycled. Weâre able to recycle in our own sort of fun way.
Nothing new on the NASCAR front
From 2010 through 2023, Road America hosted 14 races for what is now the OâReilly Auto Parts Series and two for the premier Cup Series. But at the end of its contract, NASCAR took the races to downtown Chicago for two years and now reopened Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet for 2026.
Q:Have you spoken with NASCAR lately about a possible return?
Kertscher: Once a year, Iâve got a reminder on my calendar to send [Ben Kennedy, NASCAR executive vice president] a note, and thatâs about as far as it goes. Weâve been a little busy around here. But yeah, every year we check in.
We just focus on what we do and making the park better, and thatâs who we are, what we got going on here.
Kertscher watched the NASCAR lawsuit from a distance
The big preseason story in racing was the antitrust suit brought against NASCAR by two of its teams that oftentimes turned bitter. The sides settled with the teams receiving more revenue sharing and a favorable change to the charter system.
Q:Whatâs your take, A) on that happening and B) on how it all played out?
Kertscher: I didnât follow it as much as maybe some of the fans. My take is how did I get there? Could it have been prevented? It would have been probably better for both parties if it hadnât got to that point, because it just creates a lot of hard feelings [of] âwe wonâ or âthey wonâ or âwe lost,â and I donât know. Oftentimes when you get legal involved with anything, there isnât a winner. ⊠Itâs hard for fans. Itâs hard for the sport to go through that because it gets ugly.
The health of the sport for sure affects all tracks. We donât necessarily want to see the sport ⊠lose momentum. And that isnât necessarily gonna be decided by that outcome of the legal proceedings. Thatâs gonna take years to see, did it, didnât it?
Road America touts season pass, competitive pricing
Q:Affordability has been a buzzword the past couple years, and inflation is real. Beyond allowing carry-ins and having free parking and kids admission ⊠what can you do to keep Road America within reach for people getting squeezed out?
Kertscher: If youâre gonna run a top venue and continue to improve, itâs expected that youâve got to keep up with the times. Our pricing strategy isnât to mine every nickel out of somebodyâs pocket. We want to have a sustainable model, one that fans can come here one time, and itâs not a one-time-and-gone thing. Theyâre back multiple times a year or they come every year.
Looking at our season pass subscription, it grows every single year. Itâs already set a record for 2026 and we havenât even had a race yet. For under $600, you can come here 50 days a year. For 50 or 60 days a year, itâs affordable.
You look at a football game, you look at baseball, hockey, right on down the list, weâve had to make increases here for sure, but we are at the bottom of that pile as far as increases. Anybody that could tell me otherwise or argue the point otherwise, write me a letter or come find me because theyâre misguided.
You can still come here, pack a picnic lunch. ⊠If you come here without a pop in your cooler and without a sandwich, and you buy three meals here, thatâs your choice. We thank you for it though.
This is the last year for SCCA Runoffs at Road America for now
Kertscher: Theyâll be back. Thereâs no doubt. I think itâs good they move around a bit. Iâd like to see our competitors, our local ones, go to Road Atlanta, and defend their titles. Last year, so come on out. This is your chance to see some of the best racing, honestly, that we have here. The moms and the pops and the small teams, thatâs what itâs all about.
Q: Do the Runoffs have a significant impact on the company or is it more of a culture thing?
Kertscher: Itâs nowhere near our biggest event or anything like that but brings people from all over the country and we get to open the doors and show this place off. And thereâs a lot of prestige, in our eyes, and having it here, crowning a national champion at RA ⊠Road Americaâs got a lot of history, and our history is often on the backs of those grassroot folks that help make this place possible. ⊠ It isnât just about the bottom line.
Question from fans
The Journal Sentinel solicited questions from fans via social media. The following come from or are inspired by those suggestions.
Q: Not that F1 is in play, but where does Road America stack up to Formula One spec?
Kertscher: We get the question a lot. Youâd have to look up the FIA book and see the difference between a Grade 2 and a Grade 1 [track]. It substantial. The character of this place would change drastically in order to do it.
One would have to ask ourselves, someday, if itâs me or the team thatâs running the place at that time, if that opportunity comes up, is it worth it to change the charm and the character for one event?
Q: Are there any plans to upgrade the kids zone in Turn 1 to help kids and help parents with kids on what can be some long days?
Kertscher: Putting a real bathroom in that space last year is a huge upgrade. Kids want to have an ice cream cone down there, theyâve got to have somewhere to wash their hands.
We continue to look at it and bring some new, cool ideas. It changes for every event. We have staff there that operates our kidsâ club and if you have little ones, bring them down and they sign up. We mail them a birthday card. Little kids love getting mail.
Q:A regular camper asked about the possibility of adding big screens in Turn 8. Any possibility?
Kertscher: Weâre glad they come to Turn 8 and camp. Itâs a great spot, for sure. Itâs probably not in the cards to put a big screen to face 20 campsites or 10 campsites. Our idea here with the screens is sometimes less is more. The ones we have, we want them tip-top, working. Last year, we replaced one, this year we replaced another one.
Thereâs a pretty well-known F1 track in this country that when you go there, half the screens donât work. That ainât gonna happen here, but it could real easily if you get too many. Itâs a lot of work to keep them up to speed.
Iâd recommend he gets a StarLink and brings his TV with him, and he can watch the broadcast live with his StarLink on his own big screen in his tent.
Q:Youâre somewhat remote here. Where does wireless and cellular connectivity stand?
Kertscher: We have two cell towers on the property now. So two carriers, and if you donât get great cell coverage here, reach out to your carrier.
As far as wireless connectivity, I think we have five fan Wi-Fi zones now that weâve had for probably three years. ⊠We have zones because it simply isnât feasible to put wireless over a square mile for free internet. It just wouldnât work.
I think weâre still looking for a sponsor for those zones. So if anyoneâs interested, that asset is still available. Itâs a nice tie in.
Q:For those who want to watch the start, finish, pit stops, the bleachers on the main straight area donât seem particularly inviting. Any plan to upgrade that area?
Kertscher: It is hot there, thereâs no question, depending on the sun and time of day, but really itâs not a whole lot different than Turn 5. ⊠ The pit stops are great, for sure. But people want to go down in Turn 5 or go up to Firemanâs Hill, and so we see people in those bleachers, for sure, to start of the race and things like that. Thereâs no upgrades planned there.
Weâre looking currently at ⊠Firemenâs [Hill] and Turn 7. Those are huge amphitheaters type areas with historic wood bleachers. Maybe those boards are something that weâll sell next. Weâre looking at those two areas, especially, like, how do we modernize them without losing the small town charm? And thatâs not easy to do. Those two are in the engineering phase right now.
