World Class Drivers
Mario Andretti at the 1967 Can-Am at Road America. Photo by Jack P. Salika. Courtesy of Road America Archives.
Mario Andretti is the most successful driver in motorsports history. With 109 career wins in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship, and NASCAR, Andretti holds four IndyCar championship titles and a Formula One World Championship. Andretti first competed at Road America’s Can-Am in 1967, 1968 and 1969. Unfortunately, the cars Andretti raced at Road America’s Can-Ams were not up to the demands of the challenging Road America course. Andretti had better success in Road America’s F5000 series. Andretti secured Road America F5000 wins in 1974 and 1975 driving a Lola T332-Chevrolet for Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing. Andretti began racing IndyCars at Road America in 1982 driving for Newman-Haas Racing. Andretti secured the team's first win at Road America in 1983, with repeat wins in 1984 and 1987. Although Andretti retired from racing in 1994, he often returns to Road America. When asked by a Des Moines Register reporter what’s special about Road America, Andretti said “It’s the layout… It has just about all the varieties you want on a road course. It’s got high speed, low speed. It’s got elevation changes, and here you really stretch your legs. … You have three long straightaways where overtaking is really quite good… the drivers - we all like that.”
Suzy Dietrich at the 1961 June Sprints. Photo Courtesy of Road America Archives.
Suzy Dietrich was one of the pioneers of female endurance motor racing in the fifties and sixties. She competed in more than 60 races at locations such as Watkins Glen, Sebring, Nassau, and many other circuits around the country. Dietrich was the first woman to race at Road America. She competed in the 1955 SCCA National, Road America’s very first race. She finished in 11th place driving her MG-TC. Dietrich returned and competed in two Road America 500s and another Road America SCCA National in 1961. In 1966 Dietrich joined Janet Guthrie and Donna Mae Mims to enter the 24 Hours of Daytona, becoming one of the first women's teams to finish a 24-hour race. After retiring from racing, Dietrich operated a Formula B racing team which also competed at Road America. She remained active in the SCCA and wrote a racing column. Dietrich once said Road America was among her favorite tracks. She also once remarked “I may not win, but I’m hard to beat.”
Jim Hall in the drivers’ seat of one of his Chaparral creations discusses race strategy in pits at Road America. Photo by Gordon Means. Courtesy of Road America Archives.
Jim Hall was an accomplished driver and one of the most innovative racing car engineers of all time. Hall, an engineer and Texas oilman, began his career racing for Carroll Shelby’s dealership. Hall’s first appearance at Road America was the 1960 Road America Grand Prix, where he took 2nd place in a Maserati Tipo 61. He regularly competed in Road America’s June Sprints, Road America 500, and Can-Am. Hall frequently entered his innovative designs, continually testing his pioneering innovations such as aerodynamic wings and devices, side-mounted radiators, semi-automatic transmissions, and fiberglass chassis materials. He won 1965 Road America driving his innovative Chaparral 2A that marked a win for both his engineering and driving prowess. Hall later competed in Road America’s Trans-Am in 1970, driving a Chevrolet Camaro. After leaving the driver's seat, Hall partnered with Carl Haas to form legendary Haas-Hall racing. Hall served as team manager. Combined with the driving skill of Brian Redman, Haas-Hall racing secured seven series titles between the F5000 and the Revived Can-Am series.
Jerry Hansen poses with Miss Road America 1976, Molly Riley. Courtesy of Road America Archives.
Jerry Hansen is perhaps the winningest amateur driver in Road America’s history, with 30 race wins at the track. He is also the most winningest driver in SCCA history, having captured 27 SCCA National Championships. Hansen was a Minnesota stockbroker and real estate investor turned race driver. He competed in open wheel, sportscar, and GT races. Hansen first raced at Road America during the 1962 June Sprints where he spun out while navigating the carousel and crashed. Undeterred, Hansen returned to Road America as a regular competitor for the next two decades racing in his signature orange #44 cars. Hansen competed in Road America’s F5000, Formula Atlantic, Formula Vee, Can-Am, and Trans-Am races. His first Road America win was the 1968 Badger 200 in a Lola T140 Chevrolet V8. In 1971 Hansen won 3 classes of SCCA National Championship runoffs. It was the first time a driver won three classes the same year, earning him the SCCA President's Cup. Hansen also found success the Trans-Am, winning at Road America in 1975 and 1982. In 1977 he finished in 3rd after starting 39th in the field. At Road America, Hansen is most remembered for his many races at the June Sprints. In 1983, he won three out of four June Sprints races entered.
Portrait of David Hobbs. Photo by Jeffery S. Drummond and Dale J. Robble. Courtesy of Road America Archives.
David Hobbs is a renowned British driver whose career spanned 3 decades. Hobbs has competed in Formula One, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500, NASCAR, as well as Can-Am, IMSA, F5000, and Trans Am. Hobbs started at the 24 Hours of Le Mans twenty times, finishing 3rd in 1969. His first competition at Road America took place in 1964 competing in the Road America 500. He returned run in Can-Am, F5000, and Trans-Am races. His Road America wins include the 1971 F5000 race, 1979 and 1982 IMSA GT and 1983 Trans-Am. Hobbs went on to win the 1983 Trans-Am Championship. After leaving the driver’s seat, Hobbs opened a Honda dealership in the Milwaukee suburb of Glendale, and became a race day commentator for CBS, ESPN, Fox, Speed, and NBC Sports.
Al Holbert in a racing suit chats with Alwin Springer at the 1985 IMSA race at Road America. Photo by Gloede Photography. Courtesy of Road America Archives.
Al Holbert was a five-time IMSA Camel GT series champion and one of the few drivers to achieve the triple crown of endurance racing. He was the son of driver Bob Holbert who operated a Pennsylvania dealership that imported Porsches. He first competed at Road America in the 1973 Trans-Am driving a Porsche Carrera RSR 911. He finished in 3rd place. Over his racing career Holbert competed in Road America Can-Am, Trans-Am, IMSA GT, and CART races. Holbert secured his first two IMSA titles in 1976 and 1977. His career included wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1983, 1986, and 1987, the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1986 and 1987, and the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1976 and 1981. Al Holbert was known for supporting Porches and allowed Porsche technicians to examine his Monza. What they learned resulted in Porsche entering IMSA with turbocharged cars, most notably the 934 that led Porsche dominance of the series. Holbert became head of Porsche North America's Motorsports Division, and became the de facto outlet for Porsche racing cars in North America during the 956/962 era. He operated his own racing team, Holbert Racing. Most fittingly, he won the 1980 Can-Am driving a Holbert CAC-1/Chevrolet, a car of his own design. Other wins at Road America included the 1982 Can-Am in a Lola VDS-001, and the 1984 and 1986 IMSA GT races in a Porsche 962 103.
Paul Newman walking the grounds of Road America during the summer of 1987. WHS Image ID: 40712
Award winning actor Paul Newman discovered his passion for racing during the making of the movie “Winning” partially filmed at Road America. Newman and co-star Robert Wagner trained under famed racecar driver Bob Bondurant. Both performed all their own driving and stunts in the film. On screen, Newman’s hit movies such as The Hustler, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Color of Money, entertained audiences far and wide. Newman's acting talent was recognized in Academy and Golden Globe Awards. Off the screen, Newman became an accomplished driver racing for Bob Sharp Racing. Newman often competed at Road America, driving under the pseudonym P. L. Newman. He finished 4th in Road America’s 1984 Trans-Am race driving a Nissan 300ZX and 5th in Road America’s 1991 IMSA Supercar race driving a Lotus Esprit. In 1983, Newman partnered with Carl Haas creating the successful Newman/Haas race team that competed in CART, Champ Car, and IndyCar. Newman/Haas was one of the most successful teams in the history of CART, winning eight championships and over 100 races. Some team drivers included Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, and Nigel Mansell.
Augie Pabst holds the cup for the 1979 Pabst 500. Courtesy of Road America Archives.
Wisconsin’s own Augie Pabst opened a car import business in Milwaukee and began racing soon thereafter. His first race at Road America (the 2nd of his career) took place at the 1956 June Sprints. Pabst competed at Road America every year from 1956-1965, often in multiple races. He won 4 races at Road America: the 1960 June Sprints with his Scarab-Chevrolet; 1961, 1963, and 1964 Road America 500 in a Tipo 163 Maserati, Elva Mk VII, and Ferrari 250 LM, respectively. Pabst retired from racing in 1966, returning as an executive in his family’s business, the Pabst Brewing Company. Pabst remained active with Road America, serving on the board of directors. The three-time Road America 500 winner was instrumental in the return of the Road America 500 in 1979.
Roger Penske, with clipboard, sits alongside Harry Blanchard at the 1959 Road America 500. Photo by Pierre Perrin. Courtesy of Road America Archives.
Roger Penske got his start buying, repairing, and reselling cars as a high school student. Starting his racing career in hill climbing, Penske quickly accelerated in road racing competitions. Penske first competed at Road America in the 1959 June Sprints. His most thrilling race may be the 1961 June Sprints. Penske drove a Tipo 61 Maserati ‘Birdcage’ to the win, setting a new lap record of 86.45 MPH. Road America historian Tom Schultz described the race as a “howler” and “probably the most intense, exciting race ever held at the track.” Lead changes were almost constant. The thrilling race finished with Jim Hall and Roger Penske side by side; when a lapped car came into Hall’s way, Penske inched to victory. Building on his experience at Road America, Penske would become a national champion in SCCA racing. He founded Penske Racing (perhaps the winningest race team in U.S. history), running skilled drivers such as Mark Donohue, Mario Andretti, Danny Sullivan, Paul Tracy, Emercon Fittipaldi, Al Unser Sr., Rick Mears, and Boby Unser, among many others. Penske Racing competed regularly in Road America Can-Am, Trans-Am, and IndyCar races often with much success. Off the track, Penske became one of America’s most successful businessmen. He is founder and chairman of the Penske Corporation, a transportation services company with over 3,200 locations. He also owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Carrol Shelby in his “Texas Tuxedo” of bib overhauls receives trophy from Harvey Earl after winning the inaugural 1956 June Sprints feature race. Photo Courtesy of Road America Archives.
Carroll Shelby was a legendary Texas race driver, engineer, and entrepreneur. Although always a fan of speed, the former WWII pilot briefly operated a dump truck business, worked in the Texas oilfields, and operated a chicken farm before going pro as a race driver around 1952. By 1954 he was racing in competitions across the country, Argentina, and Europe. Shelby’s first competition at Road America was the 1956 June Sprints, which he won driving a Ferrari 121 LM. He crossed the finish line with four seconds to spare in front of an estimated 30,000 fans at an average speed of 80.04 mph. He returned later that year winning a supporting race driving Jim Kimberly’s Osca MT-4, and took 2nd in the 1957 Road America 500 in a Maserati 300S. Shelby would go on to win Le Mans in 1959, which he described as his greatest thrill in racing. After retiring for health reasons in 1960, Shelby opened a driving school and a car company, Shelby-American. Shelby became a renowned car designer and constructor. The first of his creations to race at Road America was the Shelby American Cobra that competed in the 1963 June Sprints. Collaborations with Ford led to improvements of the GT40, commemorated in the movie Ford vs. Ferrari. Shelby partnered and consulted with Ford on several other projects, including the Shelby Mustang. He also worked in partnerships with Dodge and Oldsmobile.
Lyn St. James promotional photo, 1985. Courtesy of Road America Archives.
Lyn St. James broke speed and gender barriers in her racing career. She started her racing career in 1973, winning the SCCA regional championships in Florida in 1976 and 1977. St. James went pro in 1979, and by 1981 was driving for Ford Motor Company. Lyn St. James competed in Road America’s IMSA, Trans-Am, and Road America 500 races in the 1980s. Her first professional sports car win occurred at Road America in 1985 in the IMSA GTO race co-driving with John Jones. In her career, Lyn St. James has set 21 international and national closed-circuit speed records and became the first woman driver to break the 200-mph barrier. She has competed at Daytona, Sebring, Le Mans, Nürburgring. After retiring from racing in 2001, St. James promotes other women in professional racing. She founded Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation in 1994 and is a motivational speaker.
These have been just a handful of the many talented drivers that have raced on Road America and made it what it is today. Today’s top racers continue the tradition. Road America continues to be where new wins are made, records broken, and skills perfected. Road America’s course continues to challenge and push today’s racers, some of whom will go on to one day become legends of the sport.