Road America and the Runoffs

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Rocky Zamarocy
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Joined: Thu May 15, 2008 11:25 am

Road America and the Runoffs

Post by Rocky Zamarocy »

I don't know about many of you, but from all that I have watched, HPT was a totally boring track, and held no interest for me. But I am so totally thrilled that my old home away from home, Road America, was picked to host the Runoffs in 2009! I've run about 2 time trials there (even had my old ASP 79 RX7 run out of revs/power at the top of 5th gear!!!!!!), but for many years I had been first a paddoch marshal, then a course marshal (have to be invited to become one, and an ex-road racer - I was the only solo driver allowed!) there when I was in Chicago Region. That track is a BLAST! Let alone extremely looooong :) And it has just about every type of challenge you can imagine there, a carrosel, reverse camber turn (Turn 5, my favorite spot!), height changes, blind turns, etc. Not to mention it is one of the most scenic track around (Kettle Moraine area). And you haven't seen a real race till you seen either the old IMSA there, or the long running June Sprints with 80+ HP Sprites or Formula V's trying to make it through Turn 1 first. While working there, I got to meet a lot of cool folks! Paul Newman (back in the IMSA 300Z GTO days), Derek Bell and David Hobbs (anually, started with their last win on the BMW 3.0CSI Turbo), Mario Andretti, all the old Mazda IMSA GTU folks (used to go to Roger Mandville's BBQ's), Jack Baldwin and Ira Hoff (who originally owned the Malibu GP tracks), and a host of others.

RA was also known for the THREE B's! Beer, Brats, and Broads - not always in that order though LOL. But if you ever go, try to stay at Seiblkins downtown Elkhart Lake! Or if it is still there, there was a cool restaurant that ALL the drivers and workers used to hang out at another place a few miles away in a town that was so small, if you didn't have to stop at the stop sign, you'd miss it. Darn I forgot the name! But the place was a blast, and the folks you got to meet there were amazing.

And, if you ever fly in there through Milwakee or O'Hare airports, you MUST make a stop at the Safe House http://www.safe-house.com/ !!!! This place was a tradition for all us Chicago Region workers. Every newbie got his baptism at the Safe House :)
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