At a Glance: June Sprints!

Storylines/Things to Watch:

61st Running of the WeatherTech® Chicago Region June Sprints – Road America opened its gates for the first time in September of 1955, and the first race run was an SCCA National race. The summer of 1956 was the first full season of racing at Road America, and it included the Chicago Region June Sprints. This first running of the June Sprints was part of the SCCA National Sports Car Championship, a series that determined the SCCA Champions prior to the now-familiar Runoffs, presented by Garmin VIRB. The June Sprints has been held every year at Road America since 1956. This makes it possibly the longest consecutively held road race in America.

Did You Know -- The 1956 Championship Series consisted of races at Walterboro, Pebble Beach, Cumberland, Eagle Mountain, Road America, Beverly, Seafair, Thompson, Watkins Glen and Palm Springs. Road America and Watkins Glen are the only circuits still in existence today. Notable entrants in the first June Sprints were drivers of the like of Carroll Shelby, Carl Haas, Birdie Martin, Jim Jeffords, Augie Pabst and Briggs Cunningham.

Another Strong Majors Showing -- More than 300 cars are entered across 28 classes for this weekend’s June Sprints SCCA U.S. Majors Tour at Road America. Some classes with strong car counts include Spec Miata, Spec Racer Ford Gen3, Formula 500, Formula Vee, Formula Enterprise, Super Touring Lite, Touring 2, E Production and F Production to name a few. Follow all the action live online at www.scca.com/live.

Northern Conference Midpoint – Races this weekend at Road America mark the midway point of the Northern Conference schedule. Next up is the July 9-10 SCCA U.S. Majors Tour at GingerMan Raceway in South Haven, Michigan, before a return visit to Road America for the July 30-31 Cat SCCA U.S. Majors Tour event. The Conference calendar then concludes with racing Aug. 13-14 during the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour at Grattan Raceway in Belding, Michigan.

Northern Conf. SCCA U.S. Majors Tour June 17-19: WeatherTech® Chicago Region June Sprints® @ Road America -- Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

Events/Circuits: U.S. Majors Tour Northern Conf.

Northern Conf. – Rounds Five and Six of 12

Road America; 4-mile, 14-turn circuit

Practice: 15-min. sessions Friday morning

Qualifying: Eight Majors Groups

Friday: 25-min. afternoon qualifying sessions

Saturday: 25-min. morning qualifying sessions

Races: Eight Majors Groups

Saturday: 25-min. afternoon races

Sunday: 13-lap morning and afternoon races; 15-lap Group 8 afternoon race.

Live Timing and Notes:   Live Timing & Scoring, lap notes and more via the SCCA® Pit Board are available for all sessions through www.scca.com/live.

Entry lists, full event schedules and more information available at www.sccamajors.com.

Photo: The June Sprints have been going on each year at Road America since 1956

Credit: Mark Weber