| America's Legendary Oval The Mile | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Paved Oval (1954–present) | |
| Location | Wisconsin State Fair Park 640 S. 84th St,West Allis, WI, |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 (UTC−05:00DST) |
| Coordinates | 43°01′12″N88°00′36″W / 43.02000°N 88.01000°W /43.02000; -88.01000 |
| Capacity | Approx. 37,000 |
| Owner | State of Wisconsin |
| Operator | Wisconsin State Fair Park |
| Broke ground | 29 September 1899; 125 years ago (1899-09-29) |
| Opened | 11 September 1903; 121 years ago (1903-09-11) |
| Construction cost | $150 million (USD) |
| Former names | Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway (1949–1989) Wisconsin State Fair Speedway (1903–1948) |
| Major events | Current: IndyCar Milwaukee Mile 250 (2004–2009, 2011–2015, 2024–present) Indy NXT Milwaukee 100 (1986–2001, 2004–2009, 2011–2015, 2024–present) Former: NASCAR Truck Series LiUNA! 175 (1995–2009, 2023–2024) ARCA Menards Series Sprecher 150 (1982–1983, 2005–2007, 2021–2024) NASCAR Xfinity Series NorthernTool.com 250 (1984–1985, 1993–2009) Can-Am (1987) USAC Stock Car Milwaukee 200[1] (1960–1980) NASCAR Midwest Series (2001, 2005) Atlantic Championship (1988, 1993–2004) Barber Pro Series (2003) ASA National Tour (1998–2000, 2004) X-1R Pro Cup Series (1997, 2008) NASCAR Southeast Series (1993–1994) |
| Website | milwaukeemileracing |
| Paved Oval (1954–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.015 miles (1.633 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Turns: 9.25° Straights: 2.5° |
| Race lap record | 0:21.519 ( Scott Pruett,Reynard 97I,1998,CART) |
| Infield Road Course (1955–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.800 miles (2.897 km) |
| Turns | 10 |
| Original Dirt Oval (1903–1953) | |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Length | 1.000 miles (1.609 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
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TheMilwaukee Mile is a 1.015 mi (1.633 km) ovalrace track in the central United States, located on the grounds of theWisconsin State Fair Park inWest Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb west ofMilwaukee. 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 1.800 mi (2.897 km) road circuit located in the infield.[2]
As the oldest operating motor speedway in the world, the Milwaukee Mile has hosted at least one auto race every year from 1903 to 2025 (except during U.S. involvement in World War II).[3] The track has held events sanctioned by major bodies, such as theAAA,USAC,NASCAR,CART/CCWS, and theIndyCar Series. There have also been many races in regional series such asARTGO.
Famous racers who have won at 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, andTony Kanaan.
On December 16, 2009, Wisconsin State Fair Park officials confirmed that the Milwaukee Mile would not host any NASCAR or IndyCar races in 2010.[4] NASCAR confirmed that their June Nationwide Series date would remain in Wisconsin for 2010, as they announced they would hold a race atRoad America for the first time since theGrand National Series raced there in 1956.[5] NASCAR also announced on January 20, 2010, that the Milwaukee date for the truck series would be moved to August.[6] The track hosted twoASA Late Model Series races in 2010.[7]
IndyCar returned to 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.[8] The event was promoted by Andretti Sports Marketing, owned by former Indy driverMichael Andretti, and was billed as theMilwaukee IndyFest.[9] The event included open-wheel racing featuring theIndyCar Series and theFirestone 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.[10] 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, the site was purchased by the Agricultural Society of the State of Wisconsin to create a permanent site for theWisconsin 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 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 hisIndianapolis 500 win. Oldfield drove 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 (16 to 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 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 was won byRex 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 movieWinning whereRobert Wagner's character delivered the line "Everybody goes to Milwaukee after Indianapolis".[11]
The Milwaukee Mile held more national championship midget, stock, and Indy car races than any other track in 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 hisLotus-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 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 the Milwaukee Mile.
The track was repaved before the 1967 season. By 1967. both the 0.250 mi (0.402 km) dirt track and 0.500 mi (0.805 km) mile road course were closed to accommodate the pit area.Lloyd Ruby swept bothUSAC 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 killedRonnie Duman.
In 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 finisherAl 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 lastsports car race was held on the infield road course on June 16, 1984. The track had deteriorated. It was repaved before October 2004.[12] The course still hosts club road races sanctioned by theMidwestern 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 sonMichael 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 in1966.
Al Unser Jr. won the 1990 CART race afterMichael 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 (fatherAl Unser Sr. and uncleBobby 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 cousinJohn, and third to his father Mario. Michael's brotherJeff finished 11th.
Milwaukee was in danger of losing its CART date in 1992. To save the date, the fair board hiredCarl Haas to organize all track activities.
The 1992 CART event was again won by Michael Andretti. In 1993, reigningFormula One championNigel Mansell got his first oval track win on his way to winning the CART championship. In 2000,Juan Pablo Montoya gaveToyota its first CART win. History was made again when in 2004Ryan Hunter-Reay led all of 250 laps to the victory. The finalChamp Car race was held in 2006, with eventual championSébastien Bourdais winning.
TheIndy Racing LeagueIndyCar Series came to the Mile in2004.Dario Franchitti won the inaugural event. His team,Andretti Autosport has won three races at the Mile withTony Kanaan winning in 2006 and 2007. The other races have been won byPenske Racing driversSam Hornish Jr. in 2005,Ryan Briscoe in 2008, andChip Ganassi Racing driverScott 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 the following season.[13] After an eight-year hiatus, the IndyCar Series is scheduled to return for a doubleheader in 2024.[14]
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 racerMyron Fohr.[15] After the AAA ended competition in 1955, following seasons were sanctioned by USAC.Don White, the all-time winner inAAA/USAC Stock Car history, holds the most victories in stock car competition at the Mile with 14.[16]
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NASCAR held twoNASCAR Busch Series stock car races at Milwaukee in 1984 and 1985. The 1984 field was full ofNASCAR Winston Cup drivers:Alan Kulwicki (2nd),Dick Trickle (3rd),Bobby Allison (4th),Davey Allison (5th),Dale Jarrett (6th), andDarrell Waltrip (25th). The 1984 race was won bySam Ard.
On July 3, 1993, theNASCAR Busch Series returned to Milwaukee. The event was won bySteve Grissom. In 1996 Wisconsin nativeDick Trickle was passed with four laps to go byBuckshot Jones, who nosed outMike McLaughlin and won the race from the furthest starting spot (32nd) and by the closest margin of victory inNASCAR Xfinity Series history (0.002 seconds). The Busch Series ran every year from 1993 to 2009. Five drivers who won 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, andGreg 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 andPaul Menard/Eau Claire in 2006). Menard also became the third driver to make the race at Milwaukee his first career series win, joining Jones in 1996 andCasey Atwood in 1999.
TheNASCAR 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 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 the truck race in 1999 and the Busch race in 2001 and 2002.
The track was resurfaced after the 1995 season. In 2003, temporaryMusco 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:
As of August 2024, the fastest official race lap records of 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 1.000 mi (1.609 km).[27] The IRL timing and scoring used a length of 1.015 mi (1.633 km).[28] CART used a length of 1.032 mi (1.661 km) between 1997 and 2006.[29] For theTruck race in 2023, NASCAR also used the 1.015 mi (1.633 km) length.[30]
| Type | Distance (miles / km) | Date | Driver | Time | Average speed (mph / km/h) | Race |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying (1 lap) | 1.006 / 1.619 | 2024 | William Sawalich | 0:00:29.002 | 125.991 / 202.763 | 2024 Sprecher 150 |
IndyCar Series/Champ Car World Series
| Type | Distance (miles / km) | Date | Driver | Time | Average speed (mph / km/h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying (IndyCar) (2 lap average) | 1.015 / 1.633 | 2011 |  Dario Franchitti | 0:00:21.3826 | 170.841 / 274.499 |
| Qualifying (Champ Car) (1 lap) | 1.032 / 1.66 | 1998 |  Patrick Carpentier | 0:00:20.028 | 185.500 / 298.888 |
| Race (225 laps) | 226.350 / 364.275 | 2000 |  Juan Pablo Montoya | 1:37:38.526 | 142.684 / 229.628 |
| Type | Distance (miles / km) | Date | Driver | Time | Average speed (mph / km/h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying (1 lap) | 1.015 / 1.633 | 2011 |  Esteban Guerrieri | 149.005 / 239.800 |
| Type | Distance (miles / km) | Date | Driver | Time | Average speed (mph / km/h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying (1 lap) | 1.015 / 1.633 | 2004 | Jon Fogarty | 0:00:24.676 | 148.079 / 238.310[31] |
| Type | Distance (miles / km) | Date | Driver | Time | Average speed (mph / km/h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying (1 lap) | 1.015 / 1.633 | June 2, 1989 | Mark Smith | 0:00:27.872 | 129.161 / 207.864 |
| Race (62 laps) | 201.200 / 323.800 | June 3, 1989 | Mark Smith | 0:29:24.520 | 126.490 / 203.565[32] |
| 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 |
The infield of the quarter-mile dirt infield track at the Mile near the current media center was also the location of afootballstadium, informally known as theDairy Bowl.[33] It hosted theNFL'sGreen Bay Packers from1934 through1951, including theNFL championship game in1939, a 27–0 shutout of theNew York Giants on December 10 to secure a fifth league title.[34][35][36]
In 1940 and 1941, the Dairy Bowl also served as the home of theMilwaukee Chiefs of thethird American Football League. The 50-yard line sat where the start-finish line is currently located.[37] The city's own entry in the NFL, theMilwaukee Badgers, lasted just five seasons, from1922 to1926, and played at Athletic Park, renamed Borchert Field in 1928.
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Although Hopes were buoyed by the arrival of gusty winds in time for qualifying. Mark Shrugged off the tricky conditions to post a 27.872 on his first lap and very nearly put it in the Turn Two wall on his second tour.
| Preceded by | Milwaukee Home of the Green Bay Packers 1934 – 1951 | Succeeded by |
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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