Nationwide Series going to Road America

Dec. 21, 2009 - Despite the demise of the Milwaukee Mile, NASCAR still plans to come to Wisconsin in 2010.
Elkhart Lake's Road America -- arguably the best road course in the country -- will host the Nationwide Series on June 19, the date that had been held for the Mile, NASCAR announced Monday.

That will make for a road-racing doubleheader weekend for NASCAR, with the Sprint Cup Series in Sonoma, Calif. Double-duty drivers racing for the Nationwide title are expected to make the trip, series director Joe Balash said in an e-mail.
"I’d give anything to race there . . . except a Cup race,” said road-racing veteran Boris Said, a winner at the track in Trans-Am who is committed to Sonoma and won't make the trip.

Stock cars aren't entirely new to RA. Tim Flock won in NASCAR's premier division in its only appearance in 1956. Lower divisions have competed at the track, including the defunct NASCAR Midwest Series in 2001, a race won by current Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series driver Paul Menard.

“It’s a really big deal for us, and I’m really excited because this is a new audience for us in large part and really showcase our facility to new fans,” said George Bruggenthies, president and general manager for Road America.

“We’ve had five generations of fans coming to Road America, and it’s definitely a unique experience.” There's been no word about where the truck race may land.

Advance tickets will be available in February. Prices, good through June 9, will be $50 for Saturday (less for Thursday, Friday and Sunday) and $85 for the weekend.

Bruggenthies said he's been working toward a race with Grand-Am -- NASCAR's road-racing series -- and might have a race for 2011. Whether that would run with Nationwide or on a different weekend remains to be seen. The track does have the American Le Mans Series scheduled for Aug. 13-18.

The addition will involve some shuffling of the schedule. The SCCA June Sprints had been scheduled for that weekend but will move back one week.