Milwaukee Mile officially cuts ties with promoter
The Wisconsin State Fair Park Board of Directors formally ended its contract with Wisconsin Motorsports on Monday night. Wisconsin Motorsports Chief Executive Officer and President Claude Napier had given the board permission last week to find a new promoter, and the move Monday was expected.
“It is time for me to step aside and let someone else take the wheel,” Napier said in a news release from the state. “I sincerely hope and pray that someone steps forward and presents a proposal that works for everyone involved so that we can keep IRL and NASCAR at the oldest race track in the country. I know the Fair Park Board wishes for the same thing.”
Napier honored more than $1 million in race tickets for which his company received no monetary compensation – the tickets were sold before Napier took over the promotion of the track in February – and also faced several other unanticipated and insurmountable financial challenges.
“We appreciate the hard work and efforts of the staff and volunteers at the Milwaukee Mile,” said Fair Park Board Chairman Susan Crane. “This is difficult because we know the passion behind the efforts made by everyone at Wisconsin Motorsports. However, this is what must be done if we are to have any hope of keeping major racing.”
Wisconsin Motorsports reportedly owes NASCAR more than $1.8 million for the Camping World Truck and Nationwide series races last month. Those fees likely would need to be paid before NASCAR would sanction races there in 2010. It is anticipated that anyone who would enter into an agreement with the state to promote the track would ask the state to foot that bill.
The Milwaukee Mile, established in 1903, is the oldest operating race track in the United States. The Nationwide Series has conducted events there for the last 17 years and the Truck series has competed there for the last 15 years.
