Madison International Speedway facts for kids
| The Track of Champions, Wisconsin's Fastest Half Mile. | |
|---|---|
| Location | Town of Rutland, Dane County, Wisconsin |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 (UTC−05:00 DST) |
| Coordinates | 42°54′21.85″N 89°19′36.3″W / 42.9060694°N 89.326750°W |
| Capacity | 10,000+ |
| Owner | Gregg & Angie McKarns (2015–present) |
| Opened | 1969 |
| Former names | Capital Super Speedway Impact Speedway |
| Major events | Current: ASA STARS National Tour (2024–present) ARCA Menards Series Badger 200 (2011–2014, 2016–2019, 2025) Former: X1-R Pro Cup (2005–2007) ASA National Tour (2000–2004) NASCAR Midwest Series (1998–2002) |
| Outer Oval | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 0.500 mi (0.805 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | 18° |
| Race lap record | 0:18.643 ( Max Reaves, Toyota Camry, 2025, ARCA Menards) |
| Inner Oval | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 0.250 mi (0.402 km) |
Madison International Speedway (often called MIS) is a cool half-mile oval racetrack in Rutland, Wisconsin. It's close to Oregon, Wisconsin, in the United States. The track has exciting 18-degree banked turns. Because of this, it's known as "The Track of Champions" and "Wisconsin's Fastest Half Mile."
MIS hosts thrilling weekly races every Friday night. These races are part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. It also features big events like the ARCA Menards Series' Badger 200 race.
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The History of Madison International Speedway
The racetrack first opened in the 1950s. Back then, it was a quarter-mile dirt track called Oregon Legion Speedway. In 1963, Sam Bartus bought the track and paved it. Later, in 1969, he completely rebuilt it. He created a brand new, high-banked half-mile oval and named it "Capital Super Speedway."
Over the years, the track changed hands several times. In the 1980s, Tony and Bob Zidar added more seating and a scoreboard. They also built a smaller quarter-mile track inside the main half-mile oval. This allowed different types of cars to race there. For a few years, from 1987 to 1989, the track even went back to being a dirt track. It was called Impact Speedway during this time.
The track closed for a short time before Wayne Erickson took over in 1992. Many different owners and promoters have managed MIS since then. Each one helped improve the track for both racers and fans. In 2015, Gregg McKarns bought the speedway. He decided to bring back weekly Late Model races.
That same year, MIS became a weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track. This made it one of only three NASCAR weekly tracks in Wisconsin. A fun new racing group, called the 6Shooter division, also started in 2015. It's for older six-cylinder cars and is a low-cost way for new drivers to experience racing. It's all about having fun!
About the Racetrack
The main track at Madison International Speedway is a half-mile paved oval. It was built in 1969, replacing an older quarter-mile track. The very first winner on the new half-mile track was Ramo Stott. The track can hold over 10,000 fans, so there's plenty of space to watch the races!
Inside the big half-mile track, there's also a smaller quarter-mile track. This allows for different kinds of racing. Drivers say that to go fast, you have to be brave in the corners. The more you push yourself, the quicker your lap times will be!
Weekly Racing Divisions
As of 2010, MIS has several exciting weekly racing groups. Three main groups race on the half-mile outer track:
- Late models
- Area Sportsman
- Hobby Stock
On the inner quarter-mile track, you can see:
- Legends
- Bandits (cars with 4-cylinder engines)
Other special groups, like Super Late Models and Midgets, also race on certain nights. The Late Model class is currently the top racing group at the track.
Special Races and Touring Series
Madison International Speedway also hosts bigger, special events. These include races from the ASA Midwest Tour and the ASA Late Model Series. In 2011, the track welcomed the ARCA Racing Series back for the first time since 1973.
In the past, many other famous racing series have visited MIS. These include the American Speed Association (ASA National Tour) and the NASCAR Midwest Series. These events bring some of the best stock car racers to Wisconsin.
