Road America is a racetrack that sports car drivers both revere
and respect. Like the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit in
France, Road America’s extended straights are a test of
horsepower and its high-speed curves are a test of bravery.
We asked Corvette Racing driver Tommy Milner to take us for a
virtual lap around this fast, flowing circuit that winds through
the hills and valleys of Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine. Here is what
he had to say about this challenging 4-mile, 14-turn road course
that’s known as America’s National Park of Speed:
I like race tracks that are fast, with quick corners and a
layout that has a rhythm – and Road America has all of those
things. When my Corvette’s setup is right and the car feels
comfortable, it’s a very rewarding lap.
Turn 1 is very fast and very difficult because you are
turning and braking simultaneously. I approach the first turn
flat out in sixth gear, then downshift to fourth and use the
access road on the left side as my braking reference. The key
here is to carry the engine speed through the middle of the
corner and then get back on the power hard.
Coming out of Turn 1, I shift up to fifth gear through the
gentle Turn 2 bend and approach Turn 3, which can be a difficult
corner to get right. Going into the turn, I downshift to third;
with the camber in this corner, it’s easy to lock upright the
front tire. If you’re close behind another car coming out of Turn
1, then Turn 3 can be a good passing opportunity. However,
there’s not much room at the exit with a ditch behind the rumble
strips, so if you use the curb you have to get back on the road
quickly.
Turn 4 is just a gradual bend in the road, but Turn 5 is
super important because it’s a great passing opportunity. Going
downhill under the Sargento Bridge, I’m in sixth gear through one
of the fastest parts of the track. The braking zone for Turn 5 is
a great place to pass; we decelerate from 150 mph, so the balance
of the car under hard braking is critical. There’s room on the
exit to run wide, and then it’s back hard on the throttle going
up the hill to the Corvette Bridge.
You have to be easy on the brakes going under the Corvette
Bridge into Turn 6 because the car gets very light going over the
crest of the hill. It’s a blind corner, too, which adds to the
excitement factor. This corner has a lot of grip, so it’s
possible to toss the car across the apex and then let the track
catch it at end of Turn 6 – big fun!
I’m back on the throttle hard going into Turn 7 and through
the Hurry Downs, one of my favorite sections at Road America. The
car needs good balance to make this transition quickly; if it’s
right, you don’t use the brakes at all, just lift a little on the
throttle. Turn 8 is a tight, 90-degree corner, so if the guy in
front makes a mistake in Turn 7, you can really put the pressure
on here. The track is typically a little slippery here in the
braking zone. I go down to second gear, let the track catch the
car in the apex, and then power slide out of Turn 8.
Next up are Road America’s most famous corners, the Carousel
and the Kink. I hold my breath a bit and get settled for this
very difficult series of turns. Going into the Carousel, I bring
the car to the left and try to drive it as flat and long as
possible, usually taking several apexes. I turn the steering
wheel to the point that I can get the most out of the front
tires, and use my right foot on the gas pedal to steer the car.
The Carousel sets you up for the long, fast ride through the Kink
and Kettle Bottoms.
The Kink gets your undivided attention – it’s one quick
corner. There are faster corners, but the Kink is special because
you can’t take it flat out. It becomes a game to see who can stay
on the throttle the longest. Hitting a curb in the Kink can upset
the car, and that’s the last thing you want in that corner. I
enter the Kink in fifth or sixth gear, depending on the gear
ratios, and lift just a bit on the entry. I admit that on the
first lap I do tap the brake, but after that, I go through the
Kink without braking – although my foot is usually hovering over
the brake pedal!
After the Kink, it’s a flat-out run down through a tunnel of
trees to Canada Corner and another excellent overtaking
opportunity. If you have a fast car, you can really make up time
on a competitor, but it’s difficult to pull off a pass if he
drives a defensive line. I shift down to second gear for Canada
Corner, and it’s important to have a car that puts the power down
well to accelerate through Thunder Valley and the Bill Mitchell
Bend.
Turn 13 seems to get faster every year as the engineers find
new ways to give us more downforce. The exit is very fast, but
it’s tough to see where the apex is and how much room you have at
the exit. Last year I had a close encounter with the wall there
when I was pushing too hard on cold tires. I learned that Turn 13
can bite you.
It’s important to get a good exit from Turn 14, the final
corner because it leads onto the long, uphill straight. The car
gains speed slowly climbing the hill and then sets you back in
the seat when the track finally flattens out. The front straight
is a good place to draft. The GT cars often run two-wide here,
which makes it difficult for the faster Prototype cars to get
around us, but that’s just part of the multi-class racing at Road
America.
