Round 10: Kohler Grand Prix. Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. June 23-25.
The 2016 Kohler Grand Prix was the first major AOWR event to be held at Road America, since the Champ Car Generac Grand Prix of Road America, in August 2007. Up until then, Road America had been a perennial event on the CART/Champ Car calendar, from 1982 - 2007, with the exception of 2005 due to payment issues. The first race was won by Héctor Rebaque for Forsythe Racing, in a March 82C-Ford Cosworth DFX and Sébastien Bourdais won the 2007 race for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, in a Panoz DP-01-Cosworth XFE. With the merger of Champ Car and the IRL in 2008, the race was dropped from the calendar.
The very first race to be held at Elkhart Lake was in 1950 and organized by the Chicago Region and Milwaukee Region of The Sports Car Club of America. It was the first of three races from 1950 - 1952, which were held on courses layed out on public roads. However, after a fatal accident at Watkins Glen in 1952, it was decided to discontinue motor racing on all public roads and the event was moved to a private, purpose built course. Highway engineer Clif Tufte, got together with local citizens and the Chicago Region of the Sports Car Club of America to develop and build a permanent racecourse. On September 10, 1955, Road America held its first SCCA national race weekend.
Since then, the track has hosted many major American motorsport's series, including the American Le Mans Series, CART, NASCAR and the United States Road Racing Championship. During this time the layout has hardly changed, apart from a chicane that was installed for AMA motorcycle competitors at The Kink.
Last year's race was won by Will Power, equaling Johnny Rutherford with 13th place for the most IndyCar victories. Power qualified on Pole, taking the lead from the start of the race, where he remained for the duration largly unchallenged, except for the last few laps. Tony Kanaan was able to close the gap on Power to only half a second by the final lap. However, Power had saved most of his push-to-passes, allowing him to use them for most of the final lap, holding of Kanaan. There was only one caution period on On lap 40, when the rear suspension on Conor Daly's car failed, sending him into the wall in turn one.
Some trivia:
The driver with the most wins: 3.
Mario Andretti: 1983, 1984, 1987.
Emerson Fittipaldi, 1986, 1988, 1982.
Michael Andretti: 1991, 1992, 1996.
The team with the most wins: 10.
Newman/Haas Racing: 1983, 1984, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2007.
Original track layout:
Current track layout:
Length: 4.048 miles (6.515 km)
Turns: 14
Lap record:
Dario Franchitti, August 19, 2000. 1:39.866, 145.924 mph (234.84 km/h). Team Kool Green, Reynard 2KI-Honda HRK. CART FedEx Championship Series.
Last year's winner:
Will Power, Team Penske. Dallara DW12-Chevrolet IndyCar V6.
Laps 50
Distance 202.4 Miles (325.731 km)
Race Time 1:39:10.3044
Speed 121.426 Mph (195.416 km/h)
Cautions:
1, laps 4.
TV Broadcast
NBCSN, Jun 25.
12:30pm ET.