# @speedyoulater on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CejNp5ft77s
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/13203038-speedyoulater-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/ac34aff2c8.jpg
- **Posted:** 2022-06-08T16:00:02.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Speed You Later | INDYCAR (@speedyoulater) — https://gondola.cc/speedyoulater

## Caption

The story of Road America begins in Elkhart Lake, in the late 1940s, when sports car racing was facing a severe lack of racing tracks. The Sports Car Club of America began looking for potential for a street circuit in Wisconsin. Locals, struggling economically, quickly granted support. 

Elkhart Lake street circuit races began in July 1950, the first course was to the north of the lake, 3.35-miles long. The first race featured, among the others, Phil Hill and Carroll Shelby. The event attracted 5000 spectators and the success made the organisers think bigger for the following year. 

A new, longer, course which extended the original circuit, came to action in 1951. In the following two years, up to 50000 enthusiasts came to watch the races. There was now a problem with the crowd: dangerous positioning. People were not allowed to seat, to make running away easier in case a car went offroad. Concerns about the crowd made the legislators ban street races and so, this brief history came to an end. Racing would never return to Elkhart Lake…

But then a previously abandoned idea for a permanent race track came up again. Cliff Tufte was a civil engineer who identified an ideal terrain two miles south of Elkhart Lake, near the town of Plymouth, and began gathering support for his plans, finding it in the SCCA. 

In October 1954, construction began. Tufte took inspiration from the surrounding countryside and public roads. The track was ready for April 1955, a new 4-mile long road course began a new era for racing in Wisconsin, becoming iconic through the years.

Written by _kubernetes 
Photo indycar 

#speedyoulater #indy #indy500 #indy500orbust #americagp #origins #drivers #race #indycart #indycarhelmet #indycar #indycarseries #indycars #road #roadamerica #wisconsin #wisconsinphotographer #elkhart #elkhartlake

## Stats

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- **Likes:** 40
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## Tags

elkhart, road, indycar, speedyoulater, indy500orbust, indy500, elkhartlake, drivers, race, indy, origins, indycarhelmet, roadamerica, wisconsin, americagp, indycart, indycarseries, wisconsinphotographer, indycars

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