By Kevin Ramsell
As you drive south of Madison, you begin to enjoy its beautiful countryside. You find yourself driving down Sunrise Road, just east of Oregon, WI. Farms on the right and a heavily wooded area on the left. Then all of a sudden you are there, at one of the more historical racetracks in the Midwest...Madison International Speedway, an ASA Member Track.
It was in May, 1969 that Wisconsin’s Fastest Half-Mile opened with Jerry Eckhardt taking the first ever win. Since that time, it has had several different owners, had three different names, and even had was a dirt track for a short time.
The track originally opened as Capital Super Speedway and became the proving grounds for drivers like Dick Trickle, Joe Shear, Tom Reffner, Mark Martin, Jim Back, Johnny Ziegler and many more. Through the 70’s and the 80’s it was the premiere facility where the drivers from central Wisconsin would drive down to challenge the drivers from state line and Chicagoland area.
It became the “Friday Night Tradition.” A great way to end the work week and to start the weekend. Things were going well until the mid 80’s when the track fell under some bad times. A new owner even tried to make it a premiere dirt track by remaming it IMPACT Speedway, but that didn’t last long, and for a few years the countryside was quiet from the sound of engines.
But in late 1991, Wayne Erickson, owner of Slinger Speedway, bought the facility and asked Jerry Eckhardt and Johnny Ziegler to come and have a race on the track so the township could renew its soon to be expiring conditional use permit. They raced around trees and ruts but had a race and in May, 1992, after some major renovation and a new surface was placed, the new Madison International Speedway opened for business and has been opened ever since.
Since that 1992 re-opening some of the track champions have included Matt Kenseth, Robbie Reiser, Conrad Morgan, Travis Kvapil, Todd Kluever, Bobby Wilberg, and others. In fact, I believe its the only speedway in the United States that had two of its former track champions also be champions in the top three NASCAR series in the same year. That happened in 2003 when Matt Kenseth (1994 MIS Champion) was the NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion and Travis Kvapil (1996 MIS Champion) was the NASCAR Truck Series Champion.
Today, the track continues its Friday Night Tradition with their weekly program that consists of the Rockweiler Insulation Late Models, Brown Heating and Air Conditioning Area Sportsman, Weaver Auto Parts Hobby Stocks, Roto Rooter Bandits, and Pellitteri Waste Systems Legends. Pit gates open at 3:30, practice at 4:45, qualifying at 6:20 with racing at 7:30. Adult ticket prices are just $9.00 with children eleven and under free.
Each week you will see some of the best seasoned veterans compete against the future stars in local racing. All with having the dream of having their name on the great list of champions at MIS. Their name will be among the greatest drivers to have compete in the Midwest.
The track has already hosted the American Speed Association Midwest Tour this season as their opener.
On June 30, for the fourth consecutive year, it will host The Swiss Colony All-Star Challenge featuring Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart competing in a super late model event. The Big 8 Series will also be competing that night as well. The event is promoted by RK Race Promotions.
On September 25-26, it will host its third annual Fall Classic weekend to close out its 2009 season.
For more information about MIS, please visit their website at www.madisoninternationalspeedway.com.
This article was posted to the website on May 21st, 2009 • Click to view all related content in the following categories
