[Keith Collantine]

We should have a special klaxon for this: IndyCar is returning to the fabulous Road America circuit at Elkhart Lake next year!

http://www.indycar.com/News/2015/08/8-8-Indy-car-racing-returns-to-Road-America-in-2016

Here’s an onboard lap from the last time America’s premier open-wheel category visited the ‘Spa of North America’:

[Atticus]

It certainly is a tricky proposition although I always thought America has even better ones – like the Glen, Sonoma, Laguna Seca or Road Atlanta. It’s funny how they run their most popular races on ovals (in NASCAR) or on street circuits (in IndyCar, where next to no-one turns up for the ovals), yet they still have a bunch of the best road courses in the world.

In Road America, I always found the Carousel and the blind Turn 4 to be the most difficult corners in the sim, although nailing the big stops, especially Turns 3 and Canada Corner is hard as well. Strangely, I never had issues in the “confidence lift” corners, such as Turn 5 and Turn… 8? (The one after the Carousel.)

NASCAR already ran some special races there, despite it being a relatively recent addition to the XFINITY series calendar. It was here that Alex Tagliani did a monstrous last 2 laps, moving up like 15 spots, after running out of fuel near the end, and it was here that it took the maximum 3 green-white-checkered attempts to finish a race for the first time.

[PorscheF1]

How about WEC returning, is that rumour any bit true?

[JackySteeg]

Now that’s a mouthwatering prospect! Always thought it was a shame that IndyCar neglects America’s great road courses, which are among the best on the planet. Here’s hoping we see IndyCars racing at Road Atlanta, Laguna Seca, VIR and the short and beautifully simple Lime Rock Park.

[Iestyn Davies]

Great news, I wonder why it took so long to return? This combo is one I’ve definitely driven in iRacing. Seems like Indycar has a liking for the street courses like F1 is increasingly adding. But there is variety in a calendar which is 1/3rds Oval, Street and Road.

Rahal looks so young^, while I didn’t recognise the cars, expecting a previous generation.. Road America would’ve been a great F1 track, you just know there’d be DRS down the front straight and into T3.

[dragoll]

Why did they stop going there in the first place? It is one of the better circuits in America.

[Iestyn Davies]

@dragoll Looks like Road America moved to NASCAR after CART 2008’s cancellation/Indycar reunification.

From then till now, ovals were lost in favour of street courses. Now, a step in the right direction, Road America, maybe Laguna Seca, Mexico City are back, plus ovals for balance.. Watkins Glen would be another good re-addition.

NOLA is an example of recent replacements – I wonder if it’s to save costs or via low viewer numbers. Returning to better tracks and having more races might help to revive the series.

[dragoll]

Watkins Glen is only passable as a road course for Nascar, it doesn’t particularly offer me anything for open-wheelers.
Laguna Seca is a good circuit, but the corkscrew is overrated, it isn’t really an overtaking place, because of the right hand kink leading into it, unless thats been modified recently.

[Atticus]

@dragoll That’s quite right – stock cars are probably the only remaining vehicles for which the Esses still presents its great challenge. In others, it’s just flat-out sweeps. It’s strange how a corner goes from a beast to zero in an instant once it becomes flat-out.

And yeah, Laguna Seca is not the most renowned place for overtaking, it never was.

However, that’s not to say they aren’t great circuits by themselves.

[dragoll]

@atticus-2 don’t get me wrong, both those circuits I’ve mentioned will always remain as legendary circuits, however, I think Watkins Glen will remain legendary to me, in the same sense as Avon and Paul Ricard. These circuits were of greatness in yesteryear.

Laguna Seca, to me is exactly what epitomises Indy Car, and for me is one of the circuits, like Road Atlanta, or Elkart Lake that Indy Car found its spiritual home. I was just making the point that everyone raves on about the corkscrew, which to me is there initially because it functionally served a purpose, it was the only way the course designers could get the circuit to go down the hill again after they reached the top, without plunging into the river behind. Its almost as if, the corkscrew is some circus attraction, while the rest of the circuit on its own is quite technical and rewards both aggressive and patient drivers alike.

[Author]

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