Category: History

Just as the race cars passed Seibkens the course took a downhill hard left followed by a right sweeper that passed along the eastern shore of Elkhart Lake.

The Chicago Region SCCA, June Sprints® is the longest consecutively run SCCA National Road Race.

The 1951-52 Elkhart Lake Races were the first and last events with true wheel to wheel completion through downtown Elkhart Lake.

After exiting Briggs’ Bend the track ran up-hill to a soft rolling peak and then headed back down hill to the “Hard Right” the last turn of the original race circuit.

As the cars of the 1950 Elkhart Lake race negotiated “Ted’s Turn” a tight 110 degree right hander, the field then headed west on a gentle uphill run. The first marker Peck’s Alley, is 0.1 tenth of a mile west of County J on Birchwood Drive (County JP, back in 1950 County X). The second marker on this part of the circuit is for Briggs’ Bend at the intersection of North Turtle Bay Road. This right hand bend in the road is followed with a sudden 15 to 20 foot drop in elevation.

At the end of the long straight drivers made another right hand turn on to County X is where the third historical marker “Teds Turn” is found on the original 3.35 mile 1950 race circuit.

As organized road racing began with the 1950 Elkhart Lake Road Races, the drivers of that year were the first and only ones to have the opportunity to charge this first turn.

We’ve all heard or know of the story of how it all began. How Chicago Region member and Wisconsin native Jim Kimberly brought a group up to the Elkhart Lake area searching for a suitable site for a race circuit.

In the coming months, as part of our celebration of “Seven Decades of Motorsports” we will be showcasing the Historic Markers placed around the original race circuit on the public roads in Elkhart Lake.