For further changes at one of America's truly great race tracks, Road America, see:

http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=2748

One can only assume that the runoff area at the former bridge will now be widened. If so, unfortunately one more "I could die there" place will be removed from race tracks in the USA. Personally I think every good track needs an "I could die there" place or at least a place where a racer at least thinks about it for a second at speed....

Incidentally, the link was not marked confidential so I'm not being rude posting it.

 

That's my favorite part of that track.

 

That sucks! I loved that bridge

 

Yea this sucks - it was posted in the Sheboygan paper today. E-mails went wild around the area, many of us are not happy about this.

I fear something like this will make things more dangerous. Now instead of people holding back to avoid slamming into the way they will banzai into 13 hitting the wall that is now a few feet away.

In the article printed in the Sheboygan paper, the barn is also being torn down. Now the site does not mention this, I hope it's not true. That barn has been there since day one.

 

My favorite turn there too.

I've gotten to where I can keep my eyes open almost through the entire turn.

Full disclosure. I don't open my eyes at all in the Kink


I too hope they don't take away the barn. It's a Landmark. But then so was the Pagoda.

 

Yeah, this is one place that separated the field. If I did everything JUST right I could shift into 4th a bit short and stay flat.

My self preservation instinct caused me to leave a few 10ths on the table there, for sure.

 

Is there a better turn sequence in the country than the Carousel-Kink-Canada Corner-Billy Mithchell Bridge? I would see the big Snap-On sign and hold my breath all the way to the Road and Track sign.

I'm grateful I got to race it while it was still around.

 

This has been planned for sometime.

One of the big reasons I was told by someone who works there is that the area around the Bridge has almost no spectator viewing area and the run out of Canada can be one of the nicer spectator parts of the track.

From a selfish photography point of view it will add one more spot of the track that we can use safely. Saftey officails don't like anyone on the outside wall of 13A, especially after an Indy race weekend where 2 TV cameras were destroyed by debris from crashes.

That being said, it takes some of hte pucker factor out of the apex of faith going under the bridge. The exit will still be blind due to the track elevation changes. Maybe they'll still leave the terrain near the apex to keep the turn similar.

 

I don't think they are changing the track? Just moving the wall that supports the bridge by taking the bridge away.

I'm going to miss the giant "Road America" billboard for pictures.

Like last year, Speed Seakers will probably be the first open track weekend to break in the new turf. Hopefully there will not be any ice on the track like spring 2006. That was fun, never thought about brining Blizaks for the track car.

 

Very sad.

 

I didn't think Brown left anything on the table...
Nothing like going 2 wide under the bridge.

 

Well, all the paint is on my driver's side mirror, so based upon that I left something on the table

Spencer had my #### in that turn.

 

From the pics at the ALMS site, it looks like an open cut job, who knows how exactly the track at that turn will be reconfigured. I suspect that the turn will "race" alot different just without the walls there.

 

As being a local racer/spectator, I have grown up at Road America and have enjoyed some of the changes that have been implimented to the course both for racers and spectators. Some changes such as the motoplex, new viewing areas, enlarged paved pit areas, camping oportunities, etc. have made RA even mor enjoyable and I enjoy change. I do not like these two changes at all. Turn 13 is awesome and go ahead, take down another "racetrack landmark" and before you know it the track will be modified and evolve into a cookie cutter course. I remember as a kid sitting with my family on Sheboygan hill watching turn five and looking at the scoreboard on the barn, and hanging off of the snow fence by the bridge @ 13. Just my 2 cents and I'll miss these cool attractions...

 

What a shame...this is one of my favorite turns on the track and it's a landmark.