I just got back from a gorgeous weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where I was working with a team of drivers from Goldcrest Motorsports who were competing in the International GT event. The weather was absolutely stunning, with low humidity and daily temperatures in the mid-70s.
Road America has had a big change recently. The track underwent a repave during the winter, and it turned out beautifully. Not only was the new surface ultra-smooth, but all the existing character of the track was left intact, so it really didn’t change the personality of Road America as we know it.
I really enjoyed the opportunity to drive several of the Goldcrest cars, not only getting acquainted with the new surface and finding where the additional grip is, but also fine-tuning the cars to get them optimized for the event ahead.
The track has certainly picked up grip, as expected, and it was fun to explore the new surface as we dialed in the team’s cars on it. Not surprisingly, lap times were several seconds quicker as a result of the repave. I’ll get to use my knowledge of this latest version of Road America soon, since I’m heading up there next week for Carrera Cup testing.
The event had a great turnout of cars and competitive fields in a multitude of GT classes. After a day of successful testing, the Goldcrest cars and drivers were ready for the upcoming weekend, which saw personal bests for many of the drivers. That’s always so gratifying for me as a coach! The racing did not disappoint, either, with Reg Williams taking home a class victory.
It was a really rewarding weekend for me. Not only was I able to enjoy the incredible area that Road America is in, but I also got to help a great group of drivers surpass their goals and have a spectacular weekend both on and off the racetrack.
