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45-749: It also contains venues such as the Milwaukee Mile , the oldest continuously operating motor speedway in the world, and the Pettit National Ice Center , a U.S. Olympic training facility which is independently owned. The Park is policed by the Wisconsin State Fair Park Police Department . In 1891, the Wisconsin Agricultural Society purchased almost 100 acres (40  ha ) of farmland from George Stevens, in what

90-450: A sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 2004 to 2008. It was the successor to Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), which sanctioned open-wheel racing from 1979 until dissolving after the 2003 season. Champ Cars were single-seat, open-wheel racing cars , with mid-mounted engines. Champ cars had sculpted undersides to create ground effect and prominent wings to create downforce . The cars would use

135-489: A 'de facto' all road-course format. The series would experiment with dramatic rule changes, including special compound tires that were to be used for a fixed portion of the race, standing starts, and timed races. Both Champ Car and the IRL continued to suffer from reduced fields, sponsorship, and television ratings. Merger talks in 2006 were halted after disagreements regarding Champ Car's upcoming Panoz chassis and leaked details of

180-681: A February 22 agreement in principle to merge with the IRL. The IRL purchased the CCWS's sanctioning contracts, the Champ Car Mobile Medical Unit, the series history, and goodwill for $ 6 million, with Forsythe and Kalkhoven signing a non-compete agreement in exchange for $ 2 million each. While the first "merged" event of the rechristened " IndyCar Series" was the GAINSCO Auto Insurance Indy 300 from Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 29, 2008, due to

225-562: A different aerodynamic kit on the occasions they raced on an oval. With funds low, development was effectively frozen with a focus on developing a universal chassis, and the series generally ran on CART-spec 2002 Lola chassis from 2003 to 2006. The new chassis was developed by Panoz and debuted in 2007 as the Panoz DP01 . The chassis was well received by drivers and fans. The series leased 750hp 2.65 L V-8 turbocharged Cosworth XFE engines to teams, which had been purchased by CART for

270-464: A gold car built by Harry Miller that completely enclosed the driver (called the " Golden Submarine "), and in June 1917, he beat DePalma in a series of 10 to 25 mi (40 km) match races. The July 17, 1933, race 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

315-417: A scheduling conflict with the 2008 Indy Japan 300 , the 2008 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach was held on April 20, 2008, as a Champ Car sanctioned event using CCWS-spec Panoz-Cosworth cars and the winners getting IRL points, with the event described as a final celebration of CART/CCWS. Spike TV aired all races in 2004, with select races aired on high definition channel HDNet . In 2005 and 2006, coverage

360-523: A second triumph in 2004, both behind the wheel of the No. 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 Xfinity Series race at Milwaukee. Ron Hornaday won in the truck race in 1996 and the Busch race in 2004, while Greg Biffle won

405-405: A shared new series upset IMS. The 2007 season saw the withdrawal of Bridgestone and Ford as presenting sponsors and some race cancellations. By January 2008, both the IRL and Champ Car feared they did not have enough participating cars to maintain their TV and sanctioning contract minimums. After successful merger negotiations, in mid-February 2008, Champ Car authorized bankruptcy to facilitate

450-542: Is a 1.015 mi (1.633 km) oval race track in the central United States, located on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin , a suburb west of Milwaukee . Its grandstand and bleachers seats approximately 37,000 spectators. Opened in 1903 as a dirt track, it was paved in 1954. In addition to the oval, there is a 1.8 mi (2.9 km) road circuit located in

495-592: Is a law enforcement agency that protects the fair grounds and, if necessary, the area surrounding it. Officers enjoy full police powers, and has close connections to the West Allis Police Department. The department was founded in 1907 as a police entity. It continued to operate as such until 1999, when it was dissolved. Between 2000 and 2006, the Wisconsin Capitol Police were responsible for law enforcement operations during

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540-836: Is located at Lake Park in Milwaukee.) Four pre-historic mounds originally populated the location, which were built by the Woodlands People from 100 to 1000 AD. They contained artifacts dating to 8000 BC, some of which can be found at the West Allis Historical Museum. On July 25–27, 1969 the Midwest Rock Festival was held at the State Fair Park. The Wisconsin State Fair Park Police Department

585-535: The IndyCar Series and the Firestone Indy Lights , as well as a driver question period and autograph sessions, music and other attractions. The series again left after the 2015 season when Andretti Sports Marketing went out of business. The track hosted no major professional races until ARCA returned in 2021. The track was a one mile (1.6 km) private horse racing track by 1876. In 1891,

630-655: The Wisconsin State Fair . In 2007, the Wisconsin State Fair Park Police Department was recreated to provide year-round protection for the park grounds. †= Team's stadium under construction or refurbishment at time 1 = A team used the stadium when their permanent stadium was unable to be used as a result of damage. 43°1′19″N 88°0′46″W  /  43.02194°N 88.01278°W  / 43.02194; -88.01278 Milwaukee Mile The Milwaukee Mile

675-474: The 1930s, with seating for 14,900 people. They replaced the original grandstands that had been built in 1914. A roof was placed over the grandstands in 1938. These grandstands stood until new aluminum grandstands were installed in September 2002. The 1939 race was the first AAA Championship race. The 1937 non-championship AAA event was best known for running 96 laps (instead of 100) due to a scoring error. It

720-498: 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 would not 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 107.881 mph (173.618 km/h). He led for 16 of 200 laps, and finished second. In 1965. Gordon Johncock scored his first career Indy Car win at

765-465: The 1983 CART 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. On appeal, the decision was overturned, and Sneva was awarded the win two weeks later. Sneva would repeat the win one year later in a new 200 mile race. The last sports car race was held on the infield road course on June 16, 1984. The track had deteriorated. It

810-502: The 1990 CART race after Michael Andretti ran out of fuel with two laps to go. The victory was Unser Jr's first IndyCar win on an oval and 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

855-487: The 2003 season. CART, following the departure of a number of top teams and engine manufacturers to the rival Indy Racing League (IRL), declared bankruptcy after the 2003 season. Gerald Forsythe , Kevin Kalkhoven , and Paul Gentilozzi founded Open-Wheel Racing Series LLC (OWRS) to bid on CART's assets and continue the series as its own entity. The IRL intended to bid a higher amount but had only committed to purchasing

900-547: The CART championship. In 2000, Juan Pablo Montoya gave Toyota its first CART win. History was made again when in 2004 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 Autosport has won three races at

945-423: The Mile with Tony Kanaan winning in 2006 and 2007. The other races have been won by Penske Racing drivers Sam Hornish Jr. in 2005, Ryan Briscoe in 2008, and Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon in 2009. After a one-year absence from Milwaukee, Franchitti won in the series' return to the track in 2011, for Ganassi. After promoter conflicts in late 2015, it was announced that the series would not return for

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990-715: The Milwaukee Mile are listed as: The track length is disputed by the three major series that run at the Milwaukee Mile. The NASCAR timing and scoring used a length of 1.00 mile (1.61 km). The IRL timing and scoring used a length of 1.015 miles (1.633 km). CART used a length of 1.032 miles (1.661 km) between 1997 and 2006. For the Truck race in 2023 , NASCAR also uses the 1.015 mile length. ARCA Menards Series IndyCar Series / Champ Car World Series Indy Lights Formula Atlantic Formula Super Vee NASCAR Nationwide Series The infield of

1035-624: The Milwaukee Mile would not host any NASCAR or IndyCar races in 2010. NASCAR confirmed that their June Nationwide Series date would remain in Wisconsin for 2010, as they announced they would hold a race at Road America for the first time since the Grand National Series raced there in 1956. NASCAR also announced on January 20, 2010, that the Milwaukee date for the truck series would be moved to August. The track hosted two ASA Late Model Series races in 2010. IndyCar returned to

1080-419: The Milwaukee Mile. The track was repaved before the 1967 season. By 1967. both the 1/4 dirt track and 1/2 mile road course were closed to accommodate the pit area. Lloyd Ruby swept both USAC races held at Milwaukee in 1968, giving him three wins at the Mile including his first win there in 1961. The June 1968 Rex Mays 150 was a tragic affair as a three-car crash and ensuing inferno killed Ronnie Duman . In

1125-650: The NASCAR Busch race at Milwaukee went on to win the Busch Series championship in the same year ( Steve Grissom in 1993, Randy LaJoie in 1997, Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 1998, Jeff Green in 2000, and Greg Biffle in 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, two NASCAR Busch Series races have been won by Wisconsin natives ( Johnny Sauter /Necedah in 2005 and Paul Menard /Eau Claire in 2006). Menard also became

1170-488: The all-time winner in AAA/USAC Stock Car history, holds the most victories in stock car competition at the Mile with 14. NASCAR held two Busch Series stock car races at Milwaukee in 1984 and 1985. The 1984 field was full of NASCAR Winston Cup drivers: Alan Kulwicki (2nd), Dick Trickle (3rd), Bobby Allison (4th), Davey Allison (5th), Dale Jarrett (6th), and Darrell Waltrip (25th). The 1984 race

1215-447: The country between 1947 and 1980. In 1954, the 1-mile (1.6 km) 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 penultimate race in a roadster. The rear-engine began dominating races in

1260-616: The final drivers announced just before practice began. The series featured three longtime CART teams, Forsythe Championship Racing , Newman/Haas Racing , and Dale Coyne Racing . OWRS also became owners of the Trans-Am Series and the Atlantic Championship . Champ Car was able to maintain a full field and most of CART's street circuit sanctioning agreements for 2004. Champ Car eventually moved into

1305-419: The first 100-mile (160 km) event in 1915, averaging 62.5 mph (100.6 km/h). 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 70.159 mph (112.910 km/h) in his "Blitzen Benz". In 1911, Ralph DePalma won the first Milwaukee Mile Championship car race, four years before his Indianapolis 500 win. Oldfield drove

1350-547: The following season. After an eight-year hiatus, the IndyCar Series is scheduled to return for a doubleheader in 2024. The Milwaukee Mile was for decades the site of the most important races on the AAA, and later USAC, stock car racing calendar. The first AAA race was held on July 9, 1950, and was won by local racer Myron Fohr . After the AAA ended competition in 1955, following seasons were sanctioned by USAC. Don White ,

1395-633: The home of the Milwaukee Chiefs of the third American Football League . The 50-yard line sat where the start-finish line is currently located. The city's own entry in the NFL, the Milwaukee Badgers , lasted just five seasons, from 1922 to 1926 , and played at Athletic Park, renamed Borchert Field in 1928. Champ Car World Series Champ Car World Series ( CCWS ) was the series sanctioned by Open-Wheel Racing Series Inc.,

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1440-542: The infield. As the oldest operating motor speedway in the world, the Milwaukee Mile has hosted at least one auto race every year from 1903 to 2023 (except during U.S. involvement in World War II). The track has held events sanctioned by major bodies, such as the AAA , USAC , NASCAR , CART / CCWS , and the IndyCar Series . There have also been many races in regional series such as ARTGO . Famous racers who have won at

1485-715: The park from 1934 through 1951 , including the 1939 NFL Championship Game . After a year at Marquette Stadium in 1952 , the Packers moved their Milwaukee-area games to County Stadium when it opened in 1953 . Packer games in Milwaukee were ended after the 1994 season. The grounds of the State Fair, at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources park site, contain one of only two Indian effigy mounds remaining in Milwaukee County . (The other

1530-653: The quarter-mile dirt infield track at the Mile near the current media center was also the location of a football stadium , informally known as the Dairy Bowl . It hosted the NFL 's Green Bay Packers from 1934 through 1951 , including the NFL championship game in 1939 , a 27–0 shutout of the New York Giants on December 10 to secure a fifth league title. In 1940 and 1941, the Dairy Bowl also served as

1575-473: 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 fair board 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

1620-566: The series' Cosworth engines and the sanctioning contract for the Long Beach Grand Prix , effectively to make the series untenable and allow a takeover on their terms. OWRS was successful, as its bid allowed the highest probability CART vendors would get paid. Once CART's assets were secured, the series began a major push to be able to field enough cars and drivers for the April Long Beach Grand Prix, with

1665-548: 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 motorsports 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, 50 mph (80 km/h) lap. There were 24-hour endurance races in 1907 and 1908. Louis Disbrow won

1710-431: The third driver to make the race at Milwaukee his first career series win, joining 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 when he followed up victory in 2001 with

1755-531: The track in 2011, but the Mile was left off of the preliminary 2012 schedule after a poorly attended 2011 event that resulted in part from an inexperienced promoter. In February 2012, it was announced that IndyCar would return to the Mile on the weekend of June 15–16. The event was promoted by Andretti Sports Marketing, owned by former Indy driver Michael Andretti , and was billed as the Milwaukee IndyFest . The event included open-wheel racing featuring

1800-514: The track include: Barney Oldfield , Ralph DePalma , Rex Mays , Ted Horn , Johnny Mantz , Norm Nelson , Rodger Ward , Marshall Teague , Frank Mundy , Don White , Parnelli Jones , Paul Goldsmith , A. J. Foyt , Gordon Johncock , Mario Andretti , Al Unser , Jim Clark , Alan Kulwicki , Rick Mears , Tom Sneva , Michael Andretti , Nigel Mansell , Juan Pablo Montoya , Dario Franchitti , Kurt Busch , and Tony Kanaan . On December 16, 2009, Wisconsin State Fair Park officials confirmed that

1845-536: The truck race in 1999 and the Busch race in 2001 and 2002. The track was resurfaced after the 1995 season. In 2003, 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: [REDACTED] As of August 2024, the fastest official race lap records of

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1890-545: Was repaved before October 2004. The course still hosts club road races sanctioned by the Midwestern Council of Sports Car Clubs. 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. Milwaukee was also the site of Mario Andretti's first ever paved oval track win in Indy Car racing in 1966 . Al Unser Jr. won

1935-683: Was then North Greenfield (Honey Creek settlement), in order to secure a permanent site for the Wisconsin State Fair. The fairgrounds later became a staging ground for Camp Harvey during the Spanish–American War and World Wars I and II. Two Wisconsin historical markers, which are positioned at the entrance of the Wisconsin Exposition Center, document this history for visitors. The NFL's Green Bay Packers played several regular season home games per year at

1980-564: 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. This tradition was famously referenced in the 1969 movie Winning where Robert Wagner 's character delivered the line "Everybody goes to Milwaukee after Indianapolis". The Milwaukee Mile held more national championship midget, stock, and Indy car races than any other track in

2025-608: Was won by Sam Ard . On July 3, 1993, the NASCAR Busch 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 NASCAR Xfinity Series history (.002 seconds). The Busch Series ran every year from 1993 to 2009. Five drivers who won

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