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Milwaukee Mile
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The Milwaukee Mile is a race track in West Allis, Wisconsin, USA. It is a long (1.032 mi, 1.619 km) oval track that seats about 50,000 spectators. It operated as a dirt track until 1953. The track was paved in 1954.
The Milwaukee Mile’s premier distinction is as the oldest operating motor speedway in the world, hosting at least one auto race every year since 1903. The track is located at the grounds for the Wisconsin State Fair.
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Encyclopedia
The Milwaukee Mile is a race track in West Allis, Wisconsin, USA. It is a long (1.032 mi, 1.619 km) oval track that seats about 50,000 spectators. It operated as a dirt track until 1953. The track was paved in 1954.
The Milwaukee Mile’s premier distinction is as the oldest operating motor speedway in the world, hosting at least one auto race every year since 1903. The track is located at the grounds for the Wisconsin State Fair. The track has held events sanctioned by major sanctioning bodies, such as the American Automobile Association, USAC, NASCAR, CART/Champ Car World Series, and the IndyCar Series. There have also been many races in regional series such as ARTGO.
Racers who have competed at the track are a Who's-Who of racing history: Barney Oldfield, Ralph DePalma, Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Bobby Unser, Mario Andretti, Bobby Rahal, Jim Clark, Darrell Waltrip, Alan Kulwicki, Emerson Fittipaldi, Bobby Allison, Davey Allison, Nigel Mansell, Michael Andretti, Harry Gant, Rusty Wallace, and Walker Evans, as well as current racing stars Danica Patrick, Marco Andretti, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Kasey Kahne, Dario Franchitti, Jeff Gordon, Sam Hornish, Jr., Tony Kanaan, Dale Jarrett, Juan Pablo Montoya and many others.
History
Dirt track history
The track started out as a one-mile (1.6 km) private horse racing track on or before 1876. In 1891, the site was purchased by the Agricultural Society of the State of Wisconsin to create a permanent site for the Wisconsin State Fair (which it still is).
The first event was held on September 11, 1903. William Jones of Chicago won a five lap speed contest, and set the first track record with a 72 second, lap. There were 24-hour endurance races in 1907 and 1908. Louis Disbrow won the first event in 1915, averaging .
Barney Oldfield's success at The Mile helped make him a legend. He set the track record in 1905 and raised his speed in 1910 to in his "Blitzen Benz". In 1911, Ralph DePalma won the first Milwaukee Mile Championship Car race a week before his Indianapolis 500 win. Oldfield made a gold car that completely enclosed the driver (called the "Golden Submarine"), and in June 1917 he beat DePalma in a series of 10 to match races.
The first Champ Car event was held on July 17, 1933. The show was rained out. Wilbur Shaw and the other drivers convinced the track promoters to run the race the following day and the term "Rain Date" was born.
Huge new grandstands were installed in the 1930s, with seating for 14900 people. They replaced the original grandstands built in the 1914. A roof was placed over the grandstands in 1938. These grandstands stood until new aluminum grandstands were installed in September 2002.
The 1937 Champ Car event was best known for running 96 laps (instead of 100) due to a scoring error. It was won by Rex Mays, who continued his domination throughout the 1940s by winning in 1941 and the next race (after World War II) in 1946.
The tradition of hosting the "race after the Indianapolis 500" began in 1947.
The Milwaukee Mile held more national Championship midget, stock and Indy car races than any other track in the country between 1947 and 1980.
Open Wheel
In 1954 the track was paved, and an infield road course was created. The 1/4 mile dirt infield track was kept for weekly programs during the 1950s and 1960s.
In 1963 Jim Clark won the first victory for a rear-engined Indy Car in his Lotus-Ford.
In 1964 A.J. Foyt dominated in what was to be his final race in a roadster. The rear-engine began dominating races in the 1960s, replacing the front-engine roadster, but not before one unexpected race. In 1965 A.J. Foyt had to tow his front-engine backup dirt car from Springfield because his primary car and crew wouldn't make it to Milwaukee in time for qualifying. He prepared the car himself for pavement, and put the car on the pole with a speed of . He led for 16 of 200 laps, and finished second.
The track was repaved after the 1967 season. By 1970 both the 1/4 dirt track and 1/2 mile road course were closed to accommodate the pit area.
In the CART 1983 race, Tom Sneva finished first by 10 seconds. Post race inspection found an improper ground clearance on the side mount skirts, so second place finisher Al Unser was given the win. Sneva's appeal was upheld, and Sneva was awarded the win two weeks later. Sneva was lucky that the 1984 event was lengthened from 100 to . He got his third straight win by passing Rick Mears on the final lap for the win.
The last sports car race was held on the infield road course on June 16 1984. The track had deteriorated. It was repaved before October 2004.
In the 1985 CART event, Mario Andretti won the pole on his way to his fourth career track win. His son Michael won the next two races in 1986 and 1987.
Al Unser Jr. won the 1990 CART race after Michael Andretti ran out of fuel with two laps to go. The victory was the ninth for the Unser family (father Al Unser, Sr. and uncle Bobby Unser each have four).
The 1991 CART event, however, was dominated by their archrival Andretti family. For the first time in the worldwide history of auto racing, three member of the same family finished 1-2-3. Michael Andretti won the race, second went to his cousin John, and third to his father Mario. Michael's brother Jeff finished 11th.
Milwaukee was in danger of losing its CART date in 1992. To save the date, the track hired Carl Haas to organize all track activities.
The 1992 CART event was again won by Michael Andretti. In 1993, reigning Formula One champion Nigel Mansell got his first oval track win on his way to winning the CART championship. In 2000, Juan Pablo Montoya gave Toyota its first CART win. History was made again when Ryan Hunter-Reay led all of 250 laps to the victory. The final Champ Car race was held in 2006, with eventual champion Sébastien Bourdais winning.
The Indy Racing League IndyCar Series came to the mile in 2004. Dario Franchitti won the inaugural event. His team, Andretti Green Racing has won three out of five races at the mile with the other two being won by Penske Racing drivers Sam Hornish Jr. in 2005 and Ryan Briscoe in 2008.
NASCAR Nationwide Series/Craftsman Truck Series
NASCAR held two Nationwide Series stock car races at Milwaukee in 1984 and 1985. The 1984 field was full of NASCAR legends: Alan Kulwicki (2nd), Dick Trickle (3rd), Bobby Allison (4th), Davey Allison (5th), Dale Jarrett (6th), and Darrell Waltrip (25th). The 1984 race was won by Sam Ard.
On July 3, 1993, the NASCAR Nationwide Series returned to Milwaukee. The event was won by Steve Grissom. In 1996 Wisconsin native Dick Trickle was passed with four laps to go by Buckshot Jones, who nosed out Mike McLaughlin and won the race from the furthest starting spot (32nd) and by the closest margin of victory in race and NASCAR Nationwide Series history (.002 seconds). The Nationwide Series has run every year since 1993. Five drivers that won the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Milwaukee went on to win the Busch Series championship in the same year (Steve Grissom-1993, Randy LaJoie-1997, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.-1998, Jeff Green-2000, Greg Biffle-2002). Biffle became the first repeat winner when he scored back-to-back victories in 2001 and 2002. Despite Trickle having come the closest previously, the last two NASCAR Nationwide Series races have been won by Wisconsin natives (Johnny Sauter/Necedah-2005 and Paul Menard/Eau Claire-2006). Menard also became the third driver to make the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Milwaukee his first career NASCAR Busch Series win, joining Buckshot Jones in 1996 and Casey Atwood in 1999.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (CTS) began racing at Milwaukee in its inaugural season in 1995. Mike Skinner won the event. The 1996 event featured 17 lead changes. The CTS has returned every season since 1995. Ted Musgrave became the only repeat winner as he followed up victory in 2001 with a second triumph in 2004, both behind the wheel of the #1 Mopar Performance Parts Dodge for Jim Smith and Ultra Motorsports. Musgrave is also the only Wisconsin native to have won the race. Two drivers have the distinction of having won both a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race and a NASCAR Busch Series race at Milwaukee. Ron Hornaday won in Truck race in 1996 and the Busch race in 2004, while Greg Biffle won the Truck race in 1999 and the Busch race in 2001 and 2002.
The track was resurfaced after the 1995 season.
In 2004 temporary Musco lights were brought in for the Champ Car World Series event. The temporary lights were also used for the CTS and Busch Series events in 2005 and 2006. The following is a map of Milwaukee Mile:
2008 Events & Results
2009 Schedule
| Date | Series | Race | Time | Results |
|---|
| May 31 09 | Firestone Indy Lights | Milwaukee 100 | 2:00 p.m. | Winner: | | May 31 09 | IndyCar Series | ABC Supply Company A.J. Foyt 225 | 4:00 p.m. | Winner: | | June 19 09 | NASCAR Camping World Truck Series | Camping World RV Sales 200 | 7:30 p.m. | Winner: | | June 20 09 | NASCAR Nationwide Series | Camping World RV Rental 250 | 7:00 p.m. | Winner: | | August 29 09 | ASA Midwest Tour | WI All-Stars 100 | 3:30 p.m. | Winner: | |
Records
ARCA RE/MAX Series
!Type
!Distance
(miles / km)
!Date
!Driver
!Time
!Average Speed
(mph / km/h)
|-
|align="center"| Qualifying
(1 lap)
|align="center"| 1.006 / 1.619
|align="center"| 2005
|| David Ragan
|align="center"| 0:00:30.016
|align="center"| 119.936 / 193.018
|}
IndyCar Series/Champ Car World Series
| Type | Distance
(miles / km) | Date | Driver | Time | Average Speed
(mph / km/h) |
|---|
Qualifying (IndyCar)
(1 lap) | 1.006 / 1.619 | 2005
| Sam Hornish, Jr. | 0:00:21.456 | 170.296 / 274.065 | Qualifying (Champ Car)
(1 lap) | 1.006 / 1.619 | 1998
| Patrick Carpentier | 0:00:20.028 | 185.500 / 298.533 | Race
(225 laps) | 226.350 / 364.275 | 2000
| | 1:37:38.526 | 142.684 / 229.628 |
NASCAR Nationwide Series
| Type | Distance
(miles / km) | Date | Driver | Time | Average Speed
(mph / km/h) |
|---|
Qualifying
(1 lap) | 1.006 / 1.619 | June 25, 2005
| Johnny Sauter | 0:00:29.365 | 122.595 / 197.298 | Race
(200 laps) | 201.200 / 323.800 | June 26, 2004
| Ron Hornaday | 2:26:59.??? | 105.052 / 169.065 |
Images
External links
- - Interactive Map with area Search and Weather
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