Road America is referred to as the National Park of Speed for good reason. The track itself is just over four miles long and it is spread over 700 acres of the Kettle Moraine in east central Wisconsin. Spectators can choose to walk the hilly grounds and many do. But there are several options available if you would rather ride. Cars are allowed into or near most of the popular viewing areas. If race fans have planned ahead and are willing to pay, they will have a golf cart rented and waiting for them when they arrive. But many fans choose to walk until they cannot anymore and those are my customers.
The shuttles take spectators on a route around the inside part of the track where only authorized vehicle are allowed. They also bring fans to some of the best vantage points to watch the races. Most of these are near one of the fourteen turns on the race track. In addition, the shuttle routes take riders into the paddock area and to the newly renovated Road America shop. The shop itself is worth the trip to the track. It would rival any store in Door County for the number of items and art work you can peruse. Instead of barns and sailboats, these items all revolve around racing at Road America.
I worked Friday, Saturday and Sunday on race weekend and rode my BMW R1200 GSA to Elkhart Lake each day. The big panniers allow me to carry rain gear, snacks, a lunch, extra water and anything else I might need when working outside for eight to ten hours. The weather was a little cool, but still great for motorcycle riding and open wheel car racing. I rode through a little rain on the way home on Sunday, but otherwise the weekend was dry.
When I got home Sunday night I put the bike in the garage and did not get back on it until Thursday morning. I had just pulled out of the driveway when the red light on the dash starting flashing and the Tire Pressure Monitoring System light was on. A closer look alerted me to the fact that my rear tire only had seventeen pounds of pressure. I nursed the bike around the block and put it back in the garage. I needed to be somewhere, so I closed the door and took my truck.
When I got home I put the bike on the centerstand and spun the wheel. It did not take long to identify the problem. There was a nail embedded in the tire tread. A call to my BMW dealer confirmed that their recommendation was a new tire rather than a plug. They had a Metzeler Tourance Next in the correct size in stock, so I was able to make an appointment for late Friday afternoon. It seemed that the tire held air pretty well, so I filled it and marked the time.
The next day I checked the tire and it had only leaked about six pounds of pressure in fourteen hours. So before I left for the ten mile ride to the dealership I filled the tire. According to the monitor it did not lose any pressure on the ride. An hour later I had a new tire mounted and was ready to ride again.
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