NASCAR’s Cup Series and Xfinity Series at Road America drew more than 100,000 racing fans, some traveling across state lines and camping overnight in tents and RVs to experience the four-day event over Independence Day weekend.
The Jockey Made in America 250 Presented by Kwik Trip was the first NASCAR Cup Series race to take place at the Elkhart Lake road course in 65 years. Since it opened in 1955, Road America has hosted elite racing competitions and some of the biggest names in auto racing, but mostly in the open-wheel IndyCar circuit. NASCAR’s top stock car racing series had only competed one other time at the 4-mile track, in 1956. Road America has hosted NASCAR’s second highest level of competition, the Xfinity Series, since 2010.
Attracting spectators to Road America from as far away as Kansas, Texas and Arizona, the Cup Series was touted by racetrack officials as the largest motor sports event ever to occur in Wisconsin.
“People had heard about Road America from other events, such as IndyCar and motorcycle racing, but people wanted to be a part of the first (Cup Series race at the track in 65 years),” said Road America communications director John Ewert. “We’re encouraged by that because everybody had such a positive experience that they were talking about wanting to come back.”
“It’s good for Sheboygan County, it’s good for Wisconsin, it’s good for Road America and it’s good for all of our partners,” Ewert said.
