The Wisconsin International Raceway (abbreviated WIR) is an asphalt stock car racing oval and dragstrip in the Town of Buchanan, in Outagamie County, just outside Kaukauna, Wisconsin, USA.

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 TrucksWisporttrucks.com 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."https://www.wissporttrucks.com/club-history"

The Fox River Racing Club began helping promote the weekly events in 1975.

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 Year Super late model Super Stock Sizzlin' 4s Figure 8 Mini Champs &Wisconsin SportTrucks 1975 Rich Somers 1976 Larry Schuler 1977 Jerry "Medina" Smith Kenny Van Wychen 1978 Rich Somers Rick Zieler 1979 Alan Kulwicki Pete Berken Tom Munes 1980 Alan Kulwicki Pete Berken Tom Munes 1981 Jim Sauter Randy Rahn 1982 Terry BaldryDave Uttecht 1983 Terry Baldry Randy Rahn 1984 Terry Baldry Randy Rahn 1985 Scott Hansen Dan Gracyalny 1986 Scott Hansen Jeff Beschta 1987 Scott Hansen Dan Gracyalny 1988 Scott Hansen Dan Gracyalny Jeff Korinek 1989 Scott Hansen Terry Van Roy Bill Daul 1990 J. J. Smith Terry Van Roy Dan Gracyalny Bill Daul 1991 Lowell Bennett Terry Van Roy Dan Gracyalny Jeff Korinek 1992 Jim Weber Terry Van Roy Terry Van Roy Mike Springstroh 1993 Terry Baldry Terry Van Roy Rick Kaufert Mike Springstroh 1994 Matt Kenseth Terry Van Roy Terry Van Roy Hank Calmes 1995 Matt Kenseth Chris LaRocque Terry Van Roy Andy Geiger 1996 Mark Schroeder Chris LaRocque Dan Gracyalny Andy Geiger 1997 Terry Baldry Mike Rahn Terry Van Roy Mike Schneider 1998 Lowell Bennett Randy Van Roy Dan Gracyalny Mike Schneider 1999 Terry Baldry Terry Van Roy Randy Thiemer Andy Geiger 2000 Terry Baldry Chris LaRocque Terry Van Roy Robyn Wussow 2001 Terry Baldry Terry Van Roy Terry Van Roy Robyn Wussow 2002 Terry Baldry Terry Van Roy Terry Van Roy Hank Calmes 2003 Terry Baldry Andy Casavant Jeff Beschta Dan Hansen 2004 Terry Baldry Andy Casavant Bryan Monday Terry Van Roy Jason Van Handel 2005 Rod WheelerAppleton Post-Crescent newspaper, May 21, 2006, Racing Report (page B-8) Andy Casavant Phil Verboomen Donald Van Camp Todd Schuette 2006 Tim Rothe Randy Van Roy Nick Boldt Donald Van Camp Dan Vixmer 2007 Tim Rothe Greg Hauser Scott Verboomen Terry Van Roy Dan Vixmer 2008 Jeff Van Oudenhoven Greg HauserAndy Casavant Tom Schweitzer Jeff Wohlrabe Ron Magdanz 2009 Jeff Van Oudenhoven Todd Bauman Tim Richter Terry Van Roy Ron Magdanz 2010 Terry Baldry Greg HauserAndy Casavant Wayne Sonkowsky Dan Gracyalny Jason Plutz 2011 Jeff Van Oudenhoven Greg HauserAndy Casavant Cody Kippenhan Dan Gracyanly John Roeser 2012 Lowell Bennett Dylan Wenzel Cory Romenesko Craig Vandewettering Bryan Monday 2013 Jeff Van Oudenhoven Dylan Wenzel Ethan Beattie Jared Baughman Brett Van Horn 2014 Lowell Bennett Greg Hauser Wayne Sonkowsky Craig Vandewettering Brett Van Horn 2015 Lowell Bennett Schwalback/Van Roy Mike Klein Craig Vandewettering Brett Van Horn 2016 Jeff Van Oudenhoven Dyaln Wenzel Mike Klein Craig Vandewettering Brett Van Horn 2017 Andy Monday Dylan Wenzel Dan Thomson Craig VandewetteringTerry Van Roy Kyle Quella 2018 Casey Johnson Rachel Meyerhofer Andy Miller Craig Vandewettering Jason Plutz 2019 Casey Johnson Wayne SonkowskyGreg Hauser Emery BeattieEvan Beattie Mike Meyerhofer Jr Kyle Quella 2020 Bobby Kendall Shane Krueger Scott Wolf Nick Osberg Cody Vanderloop 2021 Maxwell Schultz Mitch MeyerhoferJosh Mueller Emery BeattieEthan Beattie Terry Van Roy Bobby Wautier 2022 Dalton Zehr Mitch MeyerhoferJosh Mueller Justin Fickel Russ Lorbiecki Bobby Wautier 2023 Sawyer Effertz George Schwalbach Mitchel Opsahl Mike Meyerhofer Jr. Jason Van Handel 2024 Chad Butz Mike King Gavin Klein Jordan Gracyalny Kyle Quella 2025 Grant Griesbach Dylan Wenzel Jeremy Czarapata Craig Vandewettering Brady Vanderloop 2026 Riley Stenjem Josh Mueller Jordan FickelJustin Fickel Craig VandeWettering Matthew Bauer Mason Calmes

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.

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.The Post-Crescent, September 16, 2006, "Crash fans covet Eve of Destruction" (page A1) 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."The Post-Crescent, September 16, 2006, "Crash fans covet Eve of Destruction" (page A3) During the 2017 Eve of Destruction, a local driver died from injuries sustained in a figure-eight race.

Media

Further reading Wisconsin International Raceway: Where the Big Ones Run!, Joe Verdegan. M&B Global Solutions, November 30, 2016, .

References

External links

Official website Wisconsin International Raceway race results at Racing-Reference Fox River Racing club official website Wisconsin Sport Truck division website Article on the Red, White, and Blue state championship series beginnings, accessed August 2006