Yahoo Autos IndyCar Road Trip: Road America & Mid-Ohio
Coming up, the NTT IndyCar Series heads out for a Midwest swing that takes in two of the most challenging natural-terrain road courses on the schedule: Wisconsin’s Road America, June 18, followed by the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, July 2.
Heading trackside to watch the NTT IndyCar Series live takes your experience to a whole new level, and these two scenic venues provide the perfect stage to enjoy the sight, the sound and even the smell of a jostling pack of IndyCars from a multitude of excellent viewing locations. It’s a double dose of road racing at its purest and most spectacular.
NTT IndyCar Series event tickets offer exceptional value for money, so whether you call the Midwest home, or you’d be loading up the camping gear and heading in from further afield, it’s time to plan that road trip and get the full-on, immersive experience. See you at the race track!
Sunday, June 18
ROAD AMERICA, ELKHART LAKE, WIS. /
SONSIO GRAND PRIX Presented by AMR
Established in 1955 and located midway between Milwaukee and Green Bay in Elkhart Lake, Wis., Road America is the longest track on the NTT IndyCar Series. Its 4.048-mile, 14-turn layout with multiple elevation changes has remained largely unchanged through the years and still provides an epic challenge.
Not just the longest, it’s also the fastest road course on the schedule, with Alexander Rossi averaging 137.799mph on his way to last year’s pole. Classic sections such as Carousel, the Kink and Canada Corner, plus a 200mph blast down the front stretch before braking hard for Turn 1’s right-hander and the run through Moraine Sweep before pushing the brake pedal through the firewall for the Turn 5 left-hander, reward commitment and punish the smallest mistake.
The 640-acre, park-like grounds offer amazing viewing opportunities. If you’re there for practice and qualifying, checking out the action from multiple turns is a must. We like to walk, but many fans rent golf carts from the track, with a three-day minimum rental period. Find out more HERE.
For race day, you might want to grab a prime spot and hunker down. If so, there are multiple locations with great views and great action. Top of our list is Turn 5, a prime passing spot followed by the climb up to Turn 6. From there, you’ll also be able to track the cars half a lap later as they climb out of Thunder Valley and jink through Turns 13 and 14 before ascending the start/finish straight. We also recommend Canada Corner, a classic risk vs. reward passing spot, plus the inside of the long, fast Carousel right-hander.
When it comes to concessions, Road America is right up there, with plentiful locations and a vast array of must-eat options. It wouldn’t be a proper visit without at least one Johnsonville Brat, but Parker John’s BBQ & Wings and Los Amigos Locos’ magnificent street tacos are just a couple of the excellent alternatives available.
A Full Event Ticket for the Sonsio Grand Prix Presented by AMR comes in at just $190 and covers gate admission and general parking for the full event, from Thursday, June 15, through Sunday, June 19. And if you’re 16 and under, you get in free at the gate with a paying adult. Daily tickets are also available, with a Sunday ticket for gate admission and general parking costing $90. Find out more and purchase tickets HERE.
General parking at all Road America events is free with the purchase of an admission ticket and can be found in the majority of the grass areas across the property that aren’t marked as campsites or designated for vendors and competitors. Preferred Parking passes can be purchased for the area near the VIP Tower, allowing for easy walk-in access to the paddock.
More than 1,000 campsite spaces are available across the Road America site for motorhomes and tents, and five permanent restrooms/shower locations are placed throughout the property in addition to portable bathrooms and showers. Use of the showers is a complimentary service provided to event guests. To camp at Road America, guests older than 16 must possess a weekend event ticket and a camping wristband in addition to purchasing a camping spot.
Getting there: Road America is easily accessible from the north (Green Bay, Minneapolis), South (Milwaukee, Chicago) or West (Madison, Fond du Lac). For detailed directions, CLICK HERE.
And to get you in the mood for some Road America-style action, check out last year’s race highlights. Josef Newgarden was the winner, leading 26 of 55 laps. But with 11 lead changes among seven different drivers, the Team Penske ace didn’t have it all his own way…
Sunday, July 2
MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE, LEXINGTON, OHIO /
THE HONDA INDY 200 AT MID-OHIO
When Les Griebling used his intuition and a bulldozer to scrape out the route of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 1961, he came up with a classic track not just for drivers, but for spectators, too.
Sitting in 380 undulating acres, the 2.258-mile, 13-turn configuration raced on by the NTT IndyCar Series’s Honda Indy 200 is relatively unchanged from Griebling’s original layout, which hosted its first races in 1962. The track offers a little of everything – elevation changes, high-speed corners, flowing corners, tight corners, a narrow, 40ft. racing ribbon and a challenging entry to pit lane.
For the drivers, it’s a place that rewards patience, persistence and accuracy. Passing is an art, where you stalk your prey, choose your moment, then brave it out on the brakes. For spectators, it’s a track where moving around and checking out different sections provides a vivid demonstration of just how impressive an IndyCar is when it’s let loose on a natural-terrain road course.
During practice and qualifying, check out the incredibly quick changes of direction as a car flicks through the Esses (Turns 6, 7 and 8), the rapid acceleration out of Turn 9 and the buildup of speed through Thunder Valley, or the late-braking into and hustle through the Keyhole or the long, looping Carousel.
We enjoy experiencing it by foot power, but if you prefer, golf carts are available for rent (CLICK HERE for more details), or personal golf carts and non-street legal off road vehicles (including ATVs, UTVs, and side by sides) are permitted if they display the proper pass/sticker purchased from Mid-Ohio for $100 and follow the Golf Cart & Off Road Vehicle Policies & Guidelines.
Then, for race day, find your spot at the Esses or the Keyhole, or multiple other great locations on the voluminous grass banks around the track, and enjoy the thrill of the chase and the drama of 80 laps and 180.64 miles of the Honda Indy 200.
A weekend General Admission ticket costs $85 in advance and $95 on the gate, and single-day GA tickets are available for all three days, with a Sunday race day ticket coming in at $65 in advance or $75 on the gate.
Grandstand tickets are also available, priced at $95 for the weekend and $75 for Sunday only. A grandstand ticket includes general admission, as well as a reserved seat in the grandstands located in The Esses, and a limited quantity are available.
For all ticketing options, including camping, pit & paddock passes and infield parking, find out more HERE.
Getting there: Located in Lexington, Ohio, off of interstate 71, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is easy to get to, whatever direction you’re heading in from. For specific directions, at-track parking and shuttle services, camping and amenities info, and more, CLICK HERE.
In last year’s Honda Indy 200, Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward grabbed the pole with a 121.861mph flyer in the Firestone Fast Six and led the opening 28 laps before succumbing to a fuel-delivery issue. That left Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin out front and out of trouble as the field behind kicked up the dust and roughed itself up. Check out the highlights here
For details of all upcoming 2023 NTT IndyCar Series race, include how to purchase tickets, CLICK HERE.
