URC RACES AT LEGANDARY “ANCESTORAL HOME” OF CANAM CARS
The annual gathering of " The Hawk - presented bt Brian Redman " at Road America is a premier event with over 400 cars racing through the lush meadows and woods of Wisconsin. The sweet smell of the thick broad leaf forest is punctuated by the famous "BBQ Brats" wafting through the air as the sounds and colors of impressive cars recreate their original magic. Some 48 years ago, the first Can Am cars blasted down the long straight with a deafening roar. The names of McLaren, Donahue, Hulme, Andretti ,Stewart, and countless other legends are etched in the asphalt as well as the record books.
It is a course that remains identical to the original track in 1966, and 4 URC drivers were in attendance with 6 Nu Art Can Am cars, including 2 spares. The URC cars and drivers performed at the level expected and ran times that were only bested by the F1 cars, and would have placed them in the top 1/3rd of the Can Am field despite the additional power of 25% in some of the historic cars.
Overall, these results were the exact validation that was originally sought from the initial design phase. 4 cars started the race and 3 took the checkered flag with one stopping on the final corner due to a tire issue. The "in car" cameras also verified the forgiving nature of the chassis and set up, which was specifically designed for gentleman drivers.
On Saturday evening, the tiny village of Elkhart Lake came to life with over 100 race cars being driven from the track to the Concours 'd Elegance which is held downtown while the streets are lined with spectators. The town is buzzing with bands playing to full sidewalks, restaurants busy, friendly locals holding "tailgating" parties, while some of the fastest and most sensational cars were on display for the warm summer evening. Having dinner on any of the decks overlooking Elkhart Lake amongst the bands and Tiki torches is a great finish to the evening and should be experienced by all car aficionados.
The Nu Art Can Am cars of the Unlimited Racing Championship were honored and humbled to have continued the legend on what is considered "ground zero" for the Can Am since 1966.