The "Milwaukee Mile" oval at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, WI is one of the oldest operating major auto race tracks in the nation. It is the site of CART, IRL and NASCAR Busch and Truck series races.
It is often forgotten that State Fair Park also has a strong sports car racing tradition. Within the oval is a hairpin shaped section that, combined with about 90% of the oval, provided an interesting road racing course. When used as part of the road course, the oval was run clockwise, opposite the normal direction, providing unusual banking in the turns.
Sports car races have been held at State Fair Park by different regions of the Sports Car Club of America, the Midwestern Council of Sports Car Clubs, and other independent race groups. In addition to actual wheel-to-wheel racing, the Park has been the site of many time trial and autocross type events.
State Fair Park was a horse track from the 1870s. Its first auto race is reported to have been held in 1903. It was a dirt oval until 1954, when it was paved. The road course was placed in the infield when the oval was paved. In the website is a group of pictures of an SCCA race held in 1954. I believe Midwestern Council ran the last ever wheel-to-wheel sports car races there on June 16, 1984.
The infield portion of the track was always narrow and rough. Eventually, the condition of the infield track surface, plus the proximity of the lanes exiting and re-entering the oval, caused SCCA to disapprove the track and MCSCC to stop using it.
The infield track at State Fair Park can still be easily seen and walked. It has disintegrated heavily from the semi haulers driven across it and parked on it for the pro races. While it is not inconceiveable the paving could be repaired and the SFP road course re-opened, that is not a likely scenerio.
I WAS WRONG. And am I ever glad! Click here to see. But can I now continue to call this a ghost track? Maybe a zombie track?
The photos on this site started out heavily slanted toward Midwestern Council races, as those are the archives to which I have access. We have since received some wonderful contributions showing other events from viewers. They are very much appreciated. Hopefully readers will continue to contribute photos and articles showing other road racing groups.
We actively solicit your photos or articles on road racing cars, karts and cycles at State Fair Park. E-mail the site author.
copyright (c) Ross Fosbender 2002-2005
