Local Rookie Hopes to Capture a Win at his Home Track

July 29, 2015 by Road America

ELKHART LAKE, Wis., July 29, 2015 - Road America is considered a home track to a bevy of Wisconsin racers, but Nic Hammann can legitimately claim the circuit is close to his family's backyard.

Robert and Marilyn Hammann - Nic's grandparents - reside on Hammann Road, less than two miles from the legendary 14-turn, 4.048-mile road course.

Nic Hammann, an Elkhart Lake native, hopes to succeed in front of friends and family when he competes in his first professional race at Road America in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, a companion round in the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase that runs August 6-9 at Road America. Sunday's race for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is the premier event.

Hammann, will compete in a Nissan 370Z for Doran Racing. Hammann earned his ride by clinching last year's Nissan Gran Turismo Academy USA championship. The Kiel High School graduate snared the title ahead of 11 North American drivers at Silverstone Racing Circuit in England.

Currently a part-time mechanical engineering student at University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Hammann won his first go-karting race at Road America has high hopes to perform well in front of his home town crowd on a professional level. The 22-year-old is cautiously optimistic that he'll post strong results this weekend with co-driver Steve Doherty.

'A podium would be really cool and a win would be Cinderella story stuff,' Hammann said. 'That would be amazing, but if we get a podium or top-four or top-five finish, that would be a good starting point to build for the rest of the season.'

He's continued to rack up international frequent flyer miles flying to the U.K. for driver training and racing in the United Arab Emirates and Russia in 2015. Hammann competed in his first-ever 24-hour race in January in Dubai, and spent the first weekend in July running a Nissan GT-R GT3 car at Moscow Raceway. 'I have done more driving in the last year than most club racing drivers do in their entire lives, I am living my dream,' he said.

Getting the opportunity to sight-see, the highlights of Hammann's trips were strolling around Red Square and viewing the Kremlin, and a ride on Formula Rossa at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the world's largest indoor theme park. A ride traveling at 120 to 130 miles per hour, Formula Rossa is the world's fastest roller coaster.

Meanwhile, the hometown boy said he has vivid childhood memories of family excursions to Road America, which included father, Gary Hammann, a sports car club council coordinator. 'I remember going out to the track at age 3 before insurance was big, sitting in a car seat and getting parade laps with my dad in his car,' Nic said. 'I would have on a helmet, and the helmet was almost bigger than my whole body.'

As a young adult gaining valuable driving experience on high-level tracks, he now has an even greater appreciation for the intricacies and challenges at the 'flowing' circuit in Elkhart Lake. He enjoys the heavy braking and tight sections, going downhill in turns five through eight, and high speed corners like The Carousel and The Kink.

'There is a good balance,' Hammann said. 'When you picture a track in your mind, I would say Road America is one of the best ones that combine all aspects that a driver likes.'

Though Road America tugs at his heartstrings with a flood of memories, Hammann said RA finishes ahead of Spa-Francorchamps Circuit in Brussels at the top of his best-track list.

'People compare Road America, and say that Road America is North America's Spa,' Hammann said. 'Road America is it for me, because it's sentimental, it is my favorite track.

'Never in a million years did I imagine I'd be racing professionally at Road America. You'll dream about it but to finally get past that dream and make that a reality is really neat.'

Everything for the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase begins on Thursday with test sessions for all the classes from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Practice and qualifying takes up the majority of the day on Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., and there will be no shortage of things to do for fans on Friday night. The Tour de Road America runs from 6-8 p.m. where fans will get a chance to bike around the track with proceeds going to cancer research. A $50 entry fee includes a Friday all day ticket, commemorative event t-shirt and automatic donation to the Austin Hatcher foundation and fans are encouraged to visit www.TourDeRoadAmerica.com to register.

Road America will also be hosting its Most Awesome Campsite Contest over the weekend. Judging takes place on Friday with announcement of the winner at the fan forum on Saturday. Winning campsite and campers receive free tickets of their choice and a campsite to a 2016 Road America event.

Saturday is an action packed day full of world-class racing. The feature race will be the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge at 12:20 p.m. Earlier on Saturday will be the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites race at 10:40 a.m., then from 11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m., there will be a fan forum at the Road America Center.

Practice and qualifying for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race fills the afternoon as the best sports car racers in the world will be looking to get a good starting position for Sunday. IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge will host its first race of the weekend at 5:25 p.m., and their will be open karting all weekend at the Road America Motorplex plus the new Zip Line will be open daily. There will also be a free Family Fun Zone for Children age 12 and under on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Turn 1, all children must be with parent or guardian.

Sunday is just as exciting as Saturday with Cooper Tires Prototype Lites racing in the morning at 10:05 a.m., followed by the IMSA GT3 Cup second race at 11:15 a.m. Fans will have plenty to look forward to throughout the day with autograph sessions, parade laps, and a chance to get up-close to the cars on the front straightaway before the afternoon action begins.

The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship hits the twists and turns of Road America at 2:05 p.m., with some of the best sports cars and drivers in the world looking for a win on the revered 4-mile, 14-turn road course. The race will air on Fox Sports 1 from 2p.m. to 5 p.m. central time live on Sunday.

Tickets and camping areas are available and additional event details, schedules, ticket pricing and camping information can be found at www.roadamerica.com or by calling 800-365-7223. Kids 12 and under are free with an adult. All races run rain or shine.

About Road America: Established in 1955 as the first permanent road racing course in the United States, Road America is located midway between Milwaukee and Green Bay in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The world's best racers have competed at this legendary four-mile, 14-turn road circuit for 60 years. The 640-acre, park-like grounds offer amazing viewing opportunities, fantastic concessions and high-speed excitement to hundreds of thousands of spectators each year. In addition to public race weekends, Road America offers a variety of group event programs, the Road America Motorplex for karting and supermoto, and the Road America Motorcycle and Advanced Driving Schools. For more information, visit www.roadamerica.com Follow Road America onwww.facebook.com/RoadAmerica and on Twitter: @roadamerica or call 800-365-7223.

posted on conceptcarz.com

Local Rookie Hopes to Capture a Win at his Home Track

Recent Posts