What you need to know about NASCAR weekend at Road America and how to watch in person or on TV
NASCAR is back in Wisconsin this weekend with the Xfinity Series racing the Henry 180 on Saturday and the Cup Series racing the Kwik Trip 250 on Sunday at Road America.
The 4.048-mile road course just outside Elkhart Lake has hosted the second-tier Xfinity Series since 2010. The premier division returned last season for the first time in 56 years.
Here’s a look at the weekend.
More: Road America has never had a repeat NASCAR winner in 14 races. Will that change this weekend?
What is the schedule?
The track opens Thursday for Trans Am and MX-5, and those support series are back throughout the weekend.
NASCAR is first on track Friday, with Xfinity Series practice at 4:30 p.m. followed by group qualifying at 5 p.m.
On Saturday, the Cup Series practices at 10:30 a.m. and qualifies at 11 a.m. The Xfinity 45-lap Henry 180 is set for 1:30 p.m. The first timed MX-5 race is set for 9:05 a.m. and the timed Trans Am race for 5 p.m.
The 62-lap Kwik Trip 250 is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday. Also on the schedule are timed races for MX-5 at 9:05 a.m. and Trans Am’s TA2 division at 10:30 a.m.
More: Five fun facts about Elkhart Lake's Road America, Wisconsin's IndyCar and NASCAR racetrack
How much do tickets cost?
Individual day admission is available ($40 Thursday, $45 Friday, $75 Saturday, $100 Sunday) as is full weekend admission ($190).
Tickets can be purchased at roadamerica.com and at the gates, although management is encouraging people to purchase Sunday tickets in advance to minimize backups at the gate.
Is Road America a good place for kids?
Admission for children 16 and under is free with a paid adult admission. The 640-acre property provides free space to roam, and no one is confined to one seat.
Is parking free at Road America?
Parking is included with admission Thursday through Saturday, but the rules change Sunday.
For Sunday only, there is limited on-site parking sold only in advance through roadamerica.com. The cost is $10 per car, and the passes are gate-specific.
As an alternative, there is free parking available at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, about five miles away, with a shuttle to Road America.
More: Road America frequently asked questions
What about tailgating?
Carry-ins are permitted. This isn’t altogether uncommon for racetracks, but it’s a huge difference from most sporting events.
Given that on-site parking is within the gates, you can literally take the tailgate party into the event.
Where are the races on TV and radio?
Both NASCAR races, the pre- and postrace shows and all but one on-track session will be televised on the USA Network on cable.
USA is part of the NBC family of channels and became part of the television package with the shutdown of the NBC Sports Channel. It can be found on Channel 37 on Spectrum cable, 122 on AT&T U-verse, 105 on Dish Network and 242 on DirecTV.
The half-hour Cup Series practice on Saturday is the only session not on USA. It will be available online at NBCSports.com and on the NBC Sports app.
WOKY-AM (920) is scheduled to carry the MRN broadcast of both races.
Where’s the best place to watch a race at Road America?
That’s a trick question. The beauty of the facility — beyond its parklike atmosphere — is that spectators have the ability to roam and take in the action from different vantage points.
The first thought that typically comes to mind is Turn 5, the downhill left-hander that is one of the most challenging areas on the track. Winner Chase Elliott’s celebration there was spectacular last year.
Options that might provide some more elbow room include Turn 3, which offers shade both inside and outside; the path along the straightaway that leads to 5 and the stretch between Turns 10 and 12; and Turn 7, which from some vantage points provides a look at the exit of 6 and entrance to 8.
Also, a viewing area was opened last year between Turn 14 and the start/finish line to the driver’ left.
Who are the drivers to watch?
The Cup Series has been all about parity this year with the introduction of a new car. Twelve drivers have won through 17 races with no one winning more than twice.
Ross Chastain is the most surprising of those two-time winners, given he had just nine top-10 finishes in his first 115 Cup races and already has 10 this year. Chastain sits second in points. The first of those victories came on a road course, the Circuit of the Americas.
Defending Road America winner and 2020 Cup champion Chase Elliott leads the standings. Of the 15 victories in his Cup career, seven have come on road courses.
Two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch won the Xfinity race last year and then contended Sunday.
Rookie Austin Cindric ran Road America last year as part of a seven-race Cup schedule and was a frontrunner until being eliminated by a mechanical failure. He won the Xfinity race in 2020 after finishing second the year before.
A.J. Allmendinger, a full-timer in the Xfinity Series and part-timer in Cup with Kaulig Racing, is scheduled to run both races. Both of his Cup wins and eight of his 12 Xfinity victories have come on road courses, including Road America 2013. He also won at RA with Champ Car.
Although most of Kyle Larson’s 17 Cup victories have come on intermediate tracks, he has won at Sonoma and Watkins Glen and twice at the Charlotte “Roval.” He started second last year at Road America and was headed for a podium finish before a late tangle left him 16th.
Christopher Bell grew up in short track open-wheel racing, but his first Cup victory came on a road course (Daytona 2021) and his first road course win in the Xfinity Series came at Road America (2019). He finished second to Elliott last July.
Will there be drivers from Wisconsin competing?
Josh Bilicki of Richfield is the only driver from the state competing regularly in the Cup Series this season. He’ll also compete Saturday in the Xfinity Series race.
Sam Mayer of Franklin will make his second Xfinity start at the track after joining the series after turning 18 last June.
Westby native Dexter Bean, an occasional Xfinity Series racer, is entered in the Henry 180.
It’s not uncommon for road racers from Wisconsin to make a rare NASCAR start in the Xfinity race, so there may be others when the official entry lists come out.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: NASCAR at Elkhart Lake's Road America: What to know, how to watch
