If you’ve never been to the Hawk vintage races at Road America, you’re missing out on one of the coolest vintage car weekends in the country.  Above and beyond all of the incredible race cars that take to the track during the four day event, one of the most memorable parts is the race car parade on Friday night.

 

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Each year over 100 cars  travel from the track to the quaint village of Elkhart Lake via a police escort.  Seeing many of these cars on the track is a sight to see, but seeing them driving on public roads is something entirely different.  Everything from open wheel cars to Le Mans prototypes to pre-war racers make the trip, often with grinning passengers tagging along.  Locals and race fans reserve their spots hours in advance of the parade, akin to black friday bargain shoppers at Best Buy.  Except the crowd is bigger, numbering in the neighborhood of 10,000, with many encouraging the parade cars to rev their engines, spin their tires and let it rip.

 

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The spectator perspective is unlike any other car event you’ve seen and the view from the drivers seat is equally as exciting, but don’t take our word for it.  Spend some time to watch our view from the driver’s seat of a 1971 Porsche 914-6 race car below:

 

 

Now continue and watch the spectators perspective that an attendee posted form this year’s parade: