Annual Dinner Events
Dinner Events are typically held three times per year concurrent with the vintage race weekends in May, July, and September in Elkhart Lake. All three dinner events include a pre-dinner reception, and a full course sit down dinner followed by a Program featuring luminaries from sports car racing past and present.
Remember, HRC members receive a discount on the dinner reservation. If you would like to become a member, please click on the “Become an HRC Member – Sign Up Today” page.
Fall Dinner
Welcome to the third event of 2025 for the Elkhart Lake Race Circuits Preservation Society, as we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Road Racing in the Village of Elkhart Lake, and the 70th Anniversary of the opening of Road America. This event, The Fall Dinner Program will be held at Road America, Thursday September 11. The event will include, as last year, the chance to do a Sunset Cruise in your own car on the racecourse; members are encouraged to bring a “sporty” car to enjoy the Sunset Cruise.
Following the Sunset Cruise will be a cash bar and a sumptuous Wisconsin buffet dinner from Millhome Supper Club in the Tufte Center. The buffet dinner will include three choices, Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast, Grilled Mahi Mahi, and Roast Beef, including a Tossed Salad and Cheesecake for Dessert. There will be a coffee, tea, and water setup, along with the cash bar.
For our Program, the HRC will honor those Elkhart Lake Villagers and other racing enthusiasts who made the 1950-1952 Road Races an international success and set the stage for the opening of America’s National Park of Speed … Road America! Although the ‘movers & shakers’ from the early years have taken their final checkered flag, their ‘sons and daughters’ will tell interesting and humorous stories gathered from their observations, as we honor their parents … I wonder how many family racing secrets will be revealed.
There will be a panel with drivers from the 1950-1952 races, builders of Road America, and racers who participated in the 1st Road America race weekend in September of 1955.
The panels will feature:
Johnathon Laun: Past Chairman & Road America Board Member for 44 years.
William ‘Bill’ Wuesthoff: Former Road America Board Member. Driver of a VW Bettle in the Inaugural 1955 Race. And the Winner of the 1963 Road America 500 with Augie Pabst.
Fred Stratton: Former Road America Board Member and son of Fred Stratton Sr., who raced an MG-TC in 1950 race.
Robert ‘Bob’ Birmingham: Race car driver and attended the 1952 Elkhart Int’l Road Race and author of many books, including: “Mis-Shifting Fast Cars, Fond Memories, Fine Friendships, Remembering The Early Days of Auto Racing,” “Augie Pabst Behind The Wheel,” “Bill Wuesthoff: Smooth and Fast, Nuff Said,” “Brook Stevens and the Stevens Family Legacy: From Excaliburs to Wienermobiles,”“Fred Wacker, Gentleman Racer,”“Jim Jeffords, The Natural”
Richard ‘Racer Dick’ Eisenmann. Race car driver at over 30 tracks and attended the 1952 Elkhart Lake Road Races (ELRR) with Bob Birmingham. He drove the Chaparral 1 under the ‘Schlitz’ banner, won the 1966 June Sprints in a Lotus 26 sponsored by Pabst Motors, was the race winner in Cooper Formula Junior previously owned by Briggs Cunningham, and has been an SCCA Steward since 1968.
Ward Torke. Most know him as a Master Coffee Roaster since 1949, but he is also a huge Road America event sponsor and worked for Cliff Tufte! He probably has a few good stories for us! He is also a Road America Shareholder.
Frank Thielman. Attended 1952 ELRR and is a Road America shareholder. Frank’s father founded the family owned EL butcher shop that supplied meat to Road America in the early years. Has attended races at Road America since 1955, without missing a season.
Yvonne Gessert Landgraf. Former owner of Gesserts Ice Cream & Confectionery established 1922. Attended 1952 ELRR when 20 years old. She has vivid recollections (and stories) of the early years and the villagers who worked to make the races a success.
Marcia Stoltenberg Schamberger. Attended 1950-1952 ELRR. Owner of Schamberger (Photography) Gallery. Lifelong resident of Elkhart Lake.
Other contributors to our program include:
Fred Wacker III, the son of Fred Wacker Jr. Race Car Driver and SCCA official who brought racing to Elkhart Lake in 1950-1952.
Cliff Tufte’s grandchildren, Scott, Janice, Chris and Eric Matheson. Cliff Tufte is considered the “Godfather of Road America”. He was a Civil Engineer, owned Elkhart Moraine Sand & Gravel, and initiated the sale of Road America stock to fund its construction.
Everett Nemetz, who owned a hardware store and the Village Green, now the Paddock Club. Everett was the Road America secretary from 1955-1970, and a former Village President. His sons, John Nemetz and Henry ‘Hank’ Nemetz, and daughter-in-law Patty Nemetz hope to attend and have fascinating recollections of the early years.
Jim Moersch, the grandson of Jim Johnson, President Bank of Elkhart Lake and a local race organizer from 1950-1952.
Doug Lueck, the former owner of Siebkens Resort with his wife Pam, is the son-in-law of Ollie Siebken Moeller. Ollie previously owned Siebkens Resort and participated in organizing the 1950-1952 races. The Siebkens Stop-Inn Tavern has for 75 years, been the playground for drivers, race teams, and road racing enthusiasts and was voted by race fans world-wide, their most favorite watering hole.
The complete agenda for this historic evening events is as follows:
4:15 PM – Sunset Cruisers should arrive at Gate 6 of Road America, sign the waiver, follow the HRC signs up the hill to the HRC designated parking area which is the area west of Victory Lane across from the Paddock Shop.
4:45 PM – Drivers Meeting for Sunset Cruise Participants run by longtime SCCA racer and Board Member Mike Froh.
5:15 PM – Green Flag for the Sunset Cruise Participants. Enter Track on North side of tunnel.
5:30 PM – Gate 6 is open for HRC Members and Guests attending the Social Gathering (Cash Bar), Dinner, and to hear our guest speakers.
– Tufte Center Opens/Cash Bar Opens.
5:45 PM – Checkered Flag for the Sunset Cruisers.
7:00 PM – Buffet Dinner in the Tufte Center followed by the special guests’ presentations. The formal program topic is the Historic Race Circuits of Elkhart Lake and the 75th Anniversary of Road Racing in the Village, and the 70th Anniversary of the opening of Road America
9:00 PM – At the Conclusion of the dinner event exit through Gate 6 and have a good evening.
This event promises to be an outstanding end to the HRC’s 75th Anniversary celebration of road racing in Elkhart Lake and the 70th Anniversary of the opening of America’s National Park of Speed…Road America. So, make your reservations early because seating is limited.
To assist you in making your reservations for the dinner, there are, as always, three ways that it can be done. Either by: (1) downloading the reservation form and mailing it in to HRC, PO Box 51, Elkhart Lake, WI, 53020, (2) By making use of HRC’s online registration capability at www.historicracecircuits.com and (3) You will also receive, by snail mail, an invitation that can be mailed in as in the past.
Thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you on September 11th!
$55.00 Member, $65.00 Non-Member.
Each additional guest $55.00 Member, $65.00 Non-Member.
Please note that Non-Member reservations are subject to space availability.
