Road America 500 Elkhart Lake Wisconsin 1964

This vibrant 1964 original poster for the Road America “500” captures the spirit of American road racing at a pivotal moment in the sport’s history. Designed by Kent Koop, one of the most inventive poster artists working in U.S. motorsport promotion, the poster announces the September 12–13 race weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, one of North America’s most storied permanent road circuits.

Koop’s distinctive painterly style is immediately evident. Rather than photographic realism, he employs loose brushwork, expressive color, and flattened forms to suggest speed and atmosphere. The elongated red race car slicing across the center of the composition appears almost abstracted, a streak of motion rather than a machine. In the foreground, the profile of a spectator anchors the scene, creating a cinematic viewpoint that places the viewer at trackside, watching the spectacle unfold.

The design skillfully balances European modernist influence with American advertising boldness. Cool blues and creams dominate the background, allowing the car’s red bodywork to surge forward visually. The typography—clean, confident, and rhythmically spaced—reinforces the sense of a major sporting event, while the dense informational block at the bottom reflects the practical role of such posters in mid-century racing culture.

Historically, the Road America 500 was one of the most important endurance-style events in American motorsport during the 1960s, drawing top domestic and international competitors. Posters like this were central to building the identity of American road racing, presenting it not merely as competition but as spectacle, lifestyle, and modern entertainment.

Today, this poster stands as both a striking work of graphic design and a valuable document of early American circuit racing. It is especially prized by collectors for its bold composition, painterly execution, and its association with Kent Koop, whose work helped define the visual language of U.S. motorsport promotion in the 1960s.

Original Poster

Sport - Automobile - United States

The badger 200

Very good condition