Road America

“Whether on a road course or an oval, perhaps the most difficult corner for any race driver is the fast one, the one that can ultimately be taken flat out. At first, ease out of the throttle well before the corner on the straightaway to reduce speed enough to make you confident. Then get back on full throttle prior to turning into the corner. This way, you will feel comfortable entering the corner at full throttle because the car will be going slow enough.”

Ultimate Speed Secrets — Ross Bentley

The Kink at Road America is a textbook commitment corner at 120+ mph. Bentley's progressive approach — scrubbing speed early on the straight, then committing to full throttle before turn-in — is the safest way to build up to flat-out. Lifting in the Kink itself unsettles the car at the worst possible moment. Over multiple sessions, reduce the early lift until you are carrying full speed through the corner.

“In a long braking zone, threshold braking from top speed down to the maximum speed the car will take at the turn-in point is the fastest way. No argument. The first step in a procedure for making up time on corner approaches is to push harder and harder on the brake pedal to identify where the threshold is.”

Going Faster! — Carl Lopez (Skip Barber)

Road America's T1, T5, and Canada Corner are sustained threshold braking zones where you decelerate from 150+ mph. Lopez's "Procedure" — identify maximum braking force first, then gradually move the brake point closer — is the disciplined approach required. The temptation to brake later is strong on the long straights, but moving the brake point before identifying your threshold wastes time and adds risk.

“Aerodynamic downforce increases the tires' cornering ability. The significance of aerodynamic downforce to race cars is extremely important and leads to major improvements in race car performance, especially on tracks with numerous high-speed, unbanked turns.”

Race Car Aerodynamics — Simon McBeath

The Kink and the carousel at Road America are high-speed corners where aerodynamic grip supplements mechanical grip. McBeath's downforce principle means that cars with wings or diffusers gain a compound advantage — more downforce at speed means more cornering force, which means more speed, which means even more downforce. Even modest aero additions show measurable gains at Road America's sustained high-speed sections.