ONLINE: William Poveletich

press release:Join us for "Book Bites" - a series of brief Facebook Live book talks from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press exploring all things Wisconsin! The series streams on the WHS Press Facebook page.

On Wednesday, September 1 author William Povletich discusses his feature article in the new issue of the Wisconsin Magazine of History and reveals how Road America founder Clif Tufte transformed Elkhart Lake into one of the world's premiere auto racing destinations.

When road racing was banned from Wisconsin’s streets in 1953, it looked like the emerging sport might disappear in the rear-view mirror. Clif Tufte, president of Elkhart Sand and Gravel Company, had a much grander vision. He set out to build what would become one of the most unique and popular racing destinations in the world: Road America, whose serpentine turns and elevation shifts were shaped by the natural kettles and moraines of the region. The first road racing track in the Midwest has since become a national phenomenon, hosting every major North American race series and transforming Elkhart Lake into a tourist destination.

Native Wisconsinite William Povletich is the author of Some Like It Cold: Surfing the Malibu of the Midwest, Green Bay Packers: Trials, Triumphs and Tradition, Milwaukee Braves: Heroes and Heartbreak, and Green Bay Packers: Legends in Green and Gold  as well as numerous magazine articles including Brooks Stevens: Designing the American Dream and the award-winning Liberace: The Milwaukee Maestro. An Emmy Award-nominated and Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker, he also produced A Braves New World for PBS’s Milwaukee Public Television.