It seems all around us we see tracks shutting the doors or being sold to people who want to make it a parking lot or something that does not fit the bill of a racing facility. We see all these negative things and sometimes we have to look at the other side and praise the positive.
This weekend we get a victory.
The ARCA Midwest Tour will bring Super Late Model racing back to The Milwaukee Mile. The historic venue outside downtown Milwaukee is one of the most historic tracks in the country, and it will be in action again with a full card of racing.
It’s nothing new for the Midwest Tour to visit West Allis, as they held three races at The Mile in 2012, 2013 and 2014. This came after having run there in 2008. The five-year layoff will end this weekend as 40 plus cars are expected for the show.
Looking at the history we can see that racing has been going on for a long time in Milwaukee. The first race at the venue was held in 1903, when William Jones of Chicago won a 5-lap race around the mile.
Before Super Late Model racing, there were Full Bodied Stock Cars which started at The Mile in 1950 when Myron Fohr won a 150-lap event under the AAA Stock Car Series. Driving a 1949 Lincoln, Fohr drove car No. 1 to victory after starting first in a 26 car field.
From there, USAC Stock Cars ran several races along with open wheel cars in the 70’s and 80’s.
In 1978, ASA visited The Mile for the first time when Bob Senneker won the series first race at the venue in May. ASA would run just about every year after that until they folded in 2004.
Along the way the ASA cars transitioned away from the Super Late Model brand of the time which paved the way for the ARTGO Challenge Series, the All Pro Series and other Late Model Series.
Over the years, 19 NASCAR Xfinity races, 15 NASCAR Truck races, and tons of open wheel races have been held at the track. Names like AJ Foyt, Al Unser, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have tasted victory at the mile.
Some of the famous families who have run well include the Unsers, who won nine times between Al Unser, Bobby Unser and Al Unser, Jr.
The Sauter family has also had success with father Jim Sauter (ASA 1984), son Tim Sauter (All Pro 1994), son Johnny Sauter (Xfinity 2005) and nephew Travis Sauter (ARCA Midwest 2012) all winning at the Wisconsin track.
For the fans and drivers who will be on hand this weekend it will be a chance to add their name to history on the historic mile. A big thanks to the ARCA Midwest Tour for giving us another chapter to this track, and hopefully not the last.
