June 21, 2022
Friends, rallyists, track day superstars, lend me your ears – the Milwaukee Region has come to bury the notion that an SCCA road racing weekend is only for road racing.
In fact, at the inaugural Milwaukee Region Festival of Speed at Road America, slated for July 7 -10, 2022, they aren’t even staying exclusively at the track. And with 75 years of experience behind them as they celebrate their Diamond Anniversary this year, the Region has scheduled an event for everyone.
The centerpiece of the event is the Cat Majors, a two-day road race run on Saturday and Sunday at Road America in Plymouth, WI. As a point of interest, many assume the annual event is short for something – why would a race event be named after a cat? A fair question, but this event isn’t named after a cat – rather, it’s named after the cat, the “bloodshot blur with fur,” Brian Redman’s cat.
But we digress. The Cat Majors is the longest running part of the Milwaukee Region Festival of Speed, but it’s only the anchor leg this weekend – and it’s the only part that requires a specialty license.
Beginning on Thursday, those who want to lap Road America can do so during the “Wide Open Throttle” Track Day. No race car, no problem – you can experience the thrill of Road America, at speed. No matter if it’s your first time or you are a veteran track driver, there’s a group for you – complete with personal coaches, if you’d like.
After tearing around the track on Thursday, Friday brings fun on the roads around the track. Take a “Scenic Precision Drive” as part of the RoadRally and Trek. Precision is key in a TSD (Time, Speed, Distance) RoadRally. Follow a set route through the scenic Kettle Moraine Forest and check in at specified points. All you need is a street legal vehicle, a navigator, and a mobile phone – no special equipment or additional car prep is necessary. Not ready for the competition? A Trek Class (leisurely drive) is available if you just want to see the scenery.
We mentioned the Cat Majors, but that’s not the only competition at Road America during this Milwaukee Region weekend. Get dirty with the “Off-Road America” RallyCross event. RallyCross is akin to autocross, albeit in dirt and grass, so it can be done in the same street car that you’ve been using since Thursday – a good washing will send it back to work on Monday in good fashion (experienced RallyCrossers may come with prepped cars, but that’s alright).
Add in some social activities, and there’s no excuse not to have fun with your car at and around Road America with the Milwaukee Region, July 7-10.
Visit Milwaukee Region’s Festival of Speed website for more information about how to register for each of these events.
Photos by James Heine, Jay Bonvouloir, and Rupert Berrington
