Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, going into the Kwik Trip 250 presented by JOCKEY Made in America on Sunday, July 3 at 3 p.m. ET on USA, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
Road America – Track Data
Season Race #: 18 of 36 (07-03-22)
Track Size: 4.048-miles
Track Type: Multi-Elevational Paved Road Course
Number of Turns: 14
Race Length: 62 laps / 250.98 miles
Stage 1 Length: 15 laps
Stage 2 Length: 15 laps
Final Stage Length: 32 laps
NASCAR Cup Series Road America Qualifying & Race Records
Track Qualifying Record:
William Byron, Chevrolet, 110.359 mph, 132.049 secs., July 4, 2021
Track Race Record:
Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 86.271 mph, (02:54:33), July 4, 2021
Road America:
HISTORY
In the early 1950‘s, sports car races were being run on the streets in and around Elkhart Lake, but the state legislature banned racing on public roads soon after.A man named Clif Tufte organized a group of local citizens and leaders of the Chicago Region of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). This group developed plans and sold stock to build a permanent racecourse. The overall vision of Road America grew out of the dreams of Tufte, a highway engineer, who chose 525 acres of Wisconsin farmland outside the Village of Elkhart Lake for the track.Ground breaking for Road America was held in April of 1955 and the track‘s first SCCA national race weekend was held later that same year (September 10, 1955).At 4.048-miles in length, with 14 turns, the track is virtually the same today as it was when it was first laid out. The natural topography of the glacial Kettle Moraine area was utilized for the track, sweeping around rolling hills and plunging through ravines making it one of the most challenging tracks in the world.The first, and up until last season, the only, NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America was on August 12, 1956. An estimated crowd of 10,000 braved terrible weather to watch the event. And in an unusual ruling, NASCAR limited the cars to 10 gallons of fuel at the start of the race.The August 12, 1956 race was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tim Flock driving a Mercury for car owner Bill Stroppe. Flock led 17 laps of the 63-lap event, making just two pit stops en route to his win; his fourth victory of the 1956 season.Bill Stroppe‘s cars actually finished 1-2 in the race with Flock winning and his teammate Billy Myers finishing second.Last season, Hendrick Motorsport‘s driver Chase Elliott won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America.This weekend‘s NASCAR Cup Series race the Kwik Trip 250 Presented by JOCKEY Made in America on Sunday, July 3 at 3 p.m. ET on USA, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90) will be just the third Cup series event held at Road America — 1956, 2021.
STARTS
A total of 66 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America. 26 competed in the first event in 1956 and 40 competed in last season‘s race.Three drivers have made their NASCAR Cup Series career debuts at Road America:In 1956 — Ansel Rakestraw from Hiram, Georgia and Jack Goodwin from Birmingham, Michigan. It was both driver‘s lone start in the series that season. Rakestraw started 26th and finished 19th. Goodwin started 21st and finished 15th.In 2021 — Ryan Eversley from Winder, Georgia made his first career start at Road America. He started 31st and finished 39th.
POLES
Two drivers have won a pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Road America — Buck Baker (1956) and William Byron (2021).NASCAR Hall of Famer Buck Baker won the pole for the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America in 1956 driving a Dodge.Youngest series pole winner at Road America: William Byron (07/04/2021) 23 years, 6 months, 5 days.Oldest series pole winner at Road America: Buck Baker (08/12/1956) 37 years, 5 months, and 8 days.
WINS
Two drivers have won at least one race in the NASCAR Cup Series at Road America — Tim Flock (1956) and Chase Elliott (2021).NASCAR Hall of Famer Tim Flock won the first NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America on August 12, 1956 with an average speed of 73.858 mph, and did it in 3 hours, 29 minutes, and 50 seconds. He won the race by a 17 second margin of victory.Hendrick Motorsport‘s Chase Elliott won the second NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America on July 4, 2021 with an average speed of 86.271 mph and did so in 2 hours, 54 minutes, and 33 seconds.Youngest series race winner at Road America: Chase Elliott (07/04/2021) 25 years, 7 months, 6 days.Oldest series race winner at Road America: Tim Flock (08/12/1956) 32 years, 3 months, 1 day.The inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America (1956) was won from the sixth starting position (Tim Flock, Mercury).Chase Elliott won the second NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America (2021) from the 34th starting position.Two manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Road America — Mercury (1956) and Chevrolet (2021).
ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS
Runner-Up Finishes:
Race winner Tim Flock‘s teammate, Billy Myers, finished runner-up in the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America on August 12, 1956.Joe Gibbs Racing‘s Christopher Bell finished runner-up in last season‘s NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America.
Top-Five Finishes:
10 different drivers have finished in the top-five in the two NASCAR Cup Series races at Road America:1956: 1. Tim Flock, Billy Myers, 3. Fireball Roberts, 4. Paul Goldsmith, 5. Joe Eubanks. 2021: 1. Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, 3. Kyle Busch, 4. Kurt Busch, 5. Denny Hamlin.
Top-Five Finishes:
20 different drivers have finished in the top-10 in the two NASCAR Cup Series races at Road America:1956: 1. Tim Flock, Billy Myers, 3. Fireball Roberts, 4. Paul Goldsmith, 5. Joe Eubanks, 6. Herb Thomas, 7. Jim Paschal, 8. Buck Baker, 9. Fred Johnson, 10. Johnny Dodson. 2021: 1. Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, 3. Kyle Busch, 4. Kurt Busch, 5. Denny Hamlin, 6. Chase Briscoe, 7. Ross Chastain, 8. Tyler Reddick, 9. Martin Truex Jr., 10. Matt DiBenedetto.
LAP LEADERS
A total of 12 different drivers have led at least one lap in the NASCAR Cup Series at Road America1956 — Marvin Panch (23 laps led), Speedy Thompson (18), Tim Flock (17) and Buck Baker (five).2021 — Chase Elliott (24 laps led), William Byron (15), Matt DiBenedetto (10), Tyler Reddick (five), Kyle Busch (four), Austin Cindric (two) and Aric Almirola, Martin Truex Jr. (each have one).Chase Elliott leads the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Road America with 24 laps led.The most laps led by the winner of a NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America was 24 of the scheduled 62 laps (38.7%) on July 4, 2021 by Chase Elliott. He started the race in 34th.The fewest laps led by the winner of a NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America was 17 of the scheduled 63 laps (26.9%) on August 12, 1956 by Tim Flock. He started the race in sixth.The most laps led by a driver that did not win a NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America was 23 of the scheduled 63 (36.5%) on August 12, 1956 by Marvin Panch; he started in second but ultimately finished the race in 22nd-place due to a rear end issue.
TRACK & EVENT SPECIFIC STATS
The inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America on August 12, 1956 was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tim Flock with a 17 second margin of victory over his teammate Billy Myers — the largest margin of victory in the series at the track.The closest Margin of Victory at Road America in the NASCAR Cup Series is 5.705 seconds by Chase Elliott over second place Christopher Bell on July 4, 2021.None of the NASCAR Cup Series races at Road America have ended in NASCAR Overtime.NASCAR Qualifying at Road America has never been cancelled.The inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America produced four lead changes among four different leaders — Marvin Panch (23 laps led), Speedy Thompson (18), Tim Flock (17) and Buck Baker (five).Last season‘s NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America produced 10 lead changes among eight different drivers – Chase Elliott (24 laps led), William Byron (15), Matt DiBenedetto (10), Tyler Reddick (five), Kyle Busch (four), Austin Cindric (two) and Aric Almirola, Martin Truex Jr. (each have one).
NASCAR IN WISCONSIN
There has been a total of 48 NASCAR national series races among two tracks held in the state of Wisconsin.Track NameCityCupXfinityTruckCombinedFirst YearRoad AmericaElkhart Lake2120141956Milwaukee MileWest Allis01915341984Totals2311548The first NASCAR national series race held in the state of Wisconsin was on August 12, 1956 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The event was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tim Flock driving for car owner Bill Stroppe.
WISCONSIN DRIVERS IN NASCAR
A total of 60 different drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Wisconsin.Of the 60 Wisconsin NASCAR drivers, 14 of them have won at least one NASCAR national series race.Matt Kenseth (Cambridge) leads all drivers from Wisconsin in wins with 68 NASCAR national series wins (39 Cup and 29 Xfinity).
NASCAR National Series Winners From Wisconsin
DriverCupXfinityTruckCombined1Matt Kenseth39290682Alan Kulwicki50053Dave Marcis50054Paul Menard13045Norm Nelson10016Scott Wimmer06067Johnny Sauter0324278Dick Trickle02029Ted Musgrave00171710Travis Kvapil009911Jay Sauter004412Rich Bickle003313Sam Mayer001114Bryan Reffner0011Totals514359153
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