Madison International Speedway facts for kids
| The Track of Champions, Wisconsin's Fastest Half Mile. | |
|---|---|
 Quarter mile, turns 3/4 of half mile
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| Location | Town of Rutland, Dane County, Wisconsin |
| Coordinates | 42°54′22″N 89°19′36″W / 42.90607°N 89.32675°W |
| Capacity | 10,000+ |
| Owner | Gregg McKarns |
| Opened | 1969 |
| Former names | Capital Super Speedway, Impact Speedway |
| Major events | ARCA Racing Series, ARCA Midwest Tour, Big 8 Late Model Series, NASCAR Whelen All-American Series weekly races |
| Outer half mile | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 0.5 mi (0.3 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Inner quarter mile | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 0.25 mi (0.4 km) |
The Madison International Speedway (often called MIS) is a cool place for stock car racing! It's an oval track located in the Town of Rutland, close to Oregon, Wisconsin. People call it "The Track of Champions" and "Wisconsin's Fastest Half Mile" because it's known for exciting races. Every Friday night, you can watch thrilling races here as part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
Contents
History of the Speedway
The Madison International Speedway has a long and interesting history. It first opened in the 1950s as a dirt track. Back then, it was a quarter-mile long and known as Oregon Legion Speedway.
From Dirt to Pavement
In 1963, Sam Bartus bought the track and decided to pave it. This made the races even faster! Then, in 1969, he made a big change. He tore down the old quarter-mile track. In its place, he built a brand new, high-banked half-mile oval. He named this impressive new track "Capital Super Speedway."
New Owners and Big Changes
Over the years, the track had several owners. Fred Nielsen bought it in 1980. Later, in 1983, Tony and Bob Zidar took over. They added many new grandstand seats, so more fans could watch the races. They also built a smaller quarter-mile track inside the half-mile oval. This allowed different types of cars to race there.
For a short time, from 1987 to 1989, the track went back to being a dirt track. It was called Impact Speedway then. Famous World of Outlaws Sprint Cars even raced there!
Back to Pavement and NASCAR
The track was closed for a few years until 1992. That's when Wayne Erickson, who also owned Slinger Speedway, took charge. He brought paved racing back. In 2015, Gregg McKarns, who owns the ARCA Midwest Tour, bought the speedway. He decided to bring weekly Late model races back. Madison International Speedway also became a weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track. This was a big deal for racing fans in Wisconsin!
Fun and Affordable Racing
In 2015, a new racing division called "6Shooter" started. This division is for six-cylinder American cars from 2002 or older. It's a "True Entry-Level" division. This means it's a great way for new drivers to get racing experience without spending a lot of money. It's all about having fun on the track!
The Race Tracks
The Madison International Speedway has two main tracks. The larger one is a half-mile paved oval. Inside it, there's a smaller quarter-mile paved track.
Racing on the Half-Mile
The half-mile track was built in 1969. The very first winner on this new track was Ramo Stott. The track can hold over 10,000 fans, so there's plenty of space to watch the action! Drivers say that to go fast on this track, you have to be brave in the corners. The more you push yourself, the faster your lap times will be!
Weekly Racing Divisions
MIS hosts different types of races every week. On the big half-mile track, you can see:
- Late models: These are powerful, specially built race cars.
- Area Sportsman: These cars are a step up from hobby stocks.
- Hobby Stock: These are cars that are closer to regular street cars, but modified for racing.
On the smaller quarter-mile track, you'll find:
- Legends: These are small, fun cars that look like old-school race cars.
- Bandits: These are cars with 4-cylinder engines.
Sometimes, special events feature other types of cars. These include Super Late Models, Super Trucks, and Midgets.
Special Racing Events
Madison International Speedway also hosts exciting special events and touring series. These are races where professional teams travel from different places to compete.
- The ARCA Midwest Tour holds races here.
- The track has also hosted the ARCA Racing Series.
- Many other famous racing series have visited MIS in the past. These include the American Speed Association and the NASCAR Midwest Series.
Famous Drivers and Champions
Many talented drivers have raced at Madison International Speedway. Some have even become track champions!
Track Champions
Here are some of the drivers who have won championships at MIS:
- Matt Kenseth
- Travis Kvapil (1996)
- Bryan Reffner (1989, 1990)
- Joe Shear
- Dick Trickle
- Bobby Wilberg
- Johnny Ziegler
- Tom Reffner
- Dale Nottestad
- Rich Bickle (1985, 1986)
Other Notable Racers
Many other well-known drivers have competed at the track:
- Steve Carlson
- Nathan Haseleu
- Ryan Mathews
- Ty Majeski
- Michael Pickens
- Brett Sontag
Images for kids
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Panoramic view of the track in the fall of 2014.
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Scoring tower
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Madison International Speedway grandstands from the parking lot
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Ticket booth
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Sign along WIS 138
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Late models, 2010
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Sportsman, 2010
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Hobby stocks, 2010
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Legends, 2010
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Bandits, 2010
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International car (left) and Short Tracker in 2008. The former class is now known as Bandit.
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2018 ARCA race field in Turns 1 and 2
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Start-Finish line in 2019
