Wisconsin International Raceway

History

Wisconsin International Raceway originally opened as KK Sports Arena, a nod to its location on County Trunk Highway KK, and opened its maiden season on May 30, 1964, with a single quarter-mile oval dirt track. A half mile D-shaped dirt track was inaugurated on August 1, 1965 with motorcycle races, by which time a figure-8 dirt track had been established inside the quarter-mile oval. Its paved drag strip opened on June 5, 1966. The half mile track was paved in 1968.

The name of the racing complex was changed to Wisconsin International Raceway on March 9, 1971.

Oval track

There are seven divisions at the track. The Super Late Model and Late Model divisions race on the half-mile track. The Super Stocks, Sport 4's (stock four cylinders modified for racing), Quarter-mile Late Models, and Wisconsin Sport Trucks divisions race on the quarter-mile track. The Figure 8 cars end programs on the Figure 8 track inside of the quarter-mile. An automated timing and scoring system was set up for the 2007 season, and each race car carries a transponder.

The Wisconsin Sport Trucks series ran as the Mini Champs series at the track from 1988-1995. Due to insurance issues, they developed a new prototype body which became a truck, different from Mini Champs' open-wheel-style vehicle. 1996 was the inaugural year for the modern Wisconsin Sport Trucks series as we know it today at the track.

The Fox River Racing Club began helping promote the weekly events in 1975. File:Lowell Bennett WIR Super Late Model.jpg|Super Late Model – Lowell Bennett Image:WisconsinInternationalRacewayLimitedLateModel2006DougMahlik.jpg|Late Model – Doug Mahlik Image:HudsonRacecar.jpg|Super Stock Image:Sport4.JPG|sizzlin 4's Image:WIRFigure8.jpg|Figure 8 cars Image:WisconsinInternationalRaceway2006SportTruckQuella.jpg|Wisconsin Sport Truck

Special events

The track had an annual American Speed Association event when the sanctioning body was in existence. The track resumed hosting ASA events after the series was reorganized, and it held an event in 2007 for the ASA Midwest Tour. That event, the Dixieland 250, is now part of the ARCA Midwest Tour schedule and is one of the most prestigious events on the calendar, attracting NASCAR champions Kevin Harvick and Ron Hornaday Jr. in 2009 and Kyle Busch in 2017. The race was part of the NASCAR Midwest Series between 1998 and 2004 and had 13 races under NASCAR banner. Earlier the USAC Stock Car series had raced at the track.

The track has hosted an annual Red, White, and Blue State Championship Series for super late models since 1972. The series consist of three races in June (red), July (white), and August (blue). The series changed from Saturday nights to Thursday nights to combine with the weekly series in 2009. The series was part of the Midwest Challenge Series (formerly ARTGO) and later part of the Wisconsin Challenge Series. 7,832 people watched Dick Trickle win the first red race.

ASA National Tour ran a race at the facility in 2002. The race was won by Kevin Cywinski.

Notable drivers

All drivers listed later competed in NASCAR nationally-sanctioned events

• Lowell Bennett (1991, 1998 and 2012 track champion, 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2010, 2012. Five Red, White & Blue championships )
• Rich Bickle
• Scott Hansen (1985–89 track champion)
• Matt Kenseth (1994 and 1995 track champion)
• Todd Kluever
• Alan Kulwicki (1979 and 1980 track champion)
• Ty Majeski
• Dave Marcis
• Mark Martin (Red, White, and Blue champion)
• Ted Musgrave
• Robbie Reiser
• Jim Sauter (1981 track champion)
• Tim Sauter
• Johnny Sauter
• Jason Schuler
• Dick Trickle (seven Red, White, and Blue championships)
• Dave Watson (two Red, White, and Blue championships)

Trickle carved enough of a legacy that the track dedicated the Dick Trickle Pavilion in Turn 2. Joe Shear won the Red, White, and Blue series 1979, 1987, and 1988.

Track champions

Dragstrip

The dragstrip is a 1/4 mile paved track. It is one of three operating dragstrips in Wisconsin.

Weekly divisions

There are six weekly divisions that compete on Saturday nights: Top Eliminator Class, Hot Rod Eliminator, Street Eliminator, Pro-Bike and Snowmobile, Street Bike, and Junior Dragsters. Image:WIRDragStreetEliminators.jpg|Street Eliminators Image:WIRHotRodEliminator.jpg|Hot Rod Eliminators Image:WIRDragSnowmobileProBike2.jpg|Snowmobile vs. Pro-Bike

Eve of Destruction

The track has hosted an annual "Eve of Destruction" each September since 1993 and it is the track's annual season finale for the oval track. The Eve of Destruction is one of the biggest events hosted at track, as the 10,000 seat raceway is generally packed. Drivers compete in a variety of unusual events such as chain races (two cars are chained together), spin to win (race backwards and then spin around forward for the finish), trailer races (part of the trailer must remain intact to continue racing), etc. In between races, fans are entertained by stunt car drivers. Ten school buses compete in a survival-of-the-fittest competition, where the last bus standing wins. Track owner Roger Van Daalwyk described the Eve of Destruction: "We kind of wreck everything." During the 2017 Eve of Destruction, a local driver died from injuries sustained in a figure-eight race.

Media

References

References

1. "Apel wins TUNDRA opener at WIR".
2. (2015). "Life in the Past Lane: A History of Stock Car Racing in Northeast Wisconsin from 1950 - 1980". M&B Global Solutions Inc.
3. (1964-05-29). "New Track to Open Saturday". The Post-Crescent.
4. (1965-07-29). "Top Cyclists Will Appear at Kaukauna". Manitowoc Herald-Times.
5. Grubba, Dale. (2000). "The Golden Age of Wisconsin Auto Racing". Badger Books.
6. (1966-06-04). "KK Sports Arena Opens Sunday". The Sheboygan Press.
7. (1971-03-10). "K-K alters name, to open April 4". The Daily Tribune.
8. Goff, Tom. (2009-05-26). "Get Your Motor Running". [[The Post Crescent]].
9. [http://www.wisporttrucks.com Wisporttrucks.com]
10. [https://www.wissporttrucks.com/club-history "https://www.wissporttrucks.com/club-history"]
11. "Stacked entry list highlights Dixieland 250 at Wisconsin International".
12. "Bay Darnell race results". Ultimate Racing History.
13. Goff, Tom. (2009-05-28). "Thunder and Lightning". [[The Post Crescent]].
14. Grubba, Dale. (2000). "The Golden Age of Wisconsin Auto Racing". Badger Books.
15. "Dave Watson, Larry Schuler to Sign Books at Midwest Motorsports Racers' Expo {{!}} Midwest Motorsports Racers' Expo".
16. Grubba, Dale. (2000). "The Golden Age of Wisconsin Auto Racing". Badger Books Inc..
17. ''Appleton Post-Crescent'' newspaper, May 21, 2006, Racing Report (page B-8)
18. [[The Post-Crescent]], September 16, 2006, "Crash fans covet Eve of Destruction" (page A1)
19. [[The Post-Crescent]], September 16, 2006, "Crash fans covet Eve of Destruction" (page A3)
20. "Driver killed at Wisconsin International Raceway remembered as 'all-around good guy'".