Improvements slated
for Milwaukee Mile
February 14, 2004
In what is now the third phase of retrofitting The Milwaukee
Mile, approval was granted yesterday by the Wisconsin State Building Commission to
provide $1.4 million in non-tax supported bonding for multiple improvements to be done
in time for the 2004 racing season at the historic facility.
Race Sanctioning Body mandates for safety improvements required the following
construction to be completed prior to the track's season opener, the scheduled June 3-5
Champ Car World Series race weekend:
* a new critical care building to replace the existing, outdated infield first aid and
restroom structure
* a new concrete pit wall to replace the existing crumbling components
* new paving for the hot pit working area used by team crews
* height extension of the safety fencing in front of the Grandstand seating to 18-feet.
* a 5-foot chain link fence will be erected separating hot pit road from the paddock
area
Other capital improvements to receive the go-ahead at The Milwaukee Mile,
included:
* renovation and repaving of the infield road course surface
* construction of a new, permanent media center building in the infield to eliminate
annual rental of trailers.
* purchase and installation of a replacement electronic leader board
* relocation of timing and scoring operations from the old infield structure to the
upstairs press box above the grandstand.
"We greatly appreciate the trust and support of the State Building Commission and our
Board in allowing us to proceed with these necessary safety and revenue generating
improvements" commented Joseph Chrnelich, Chief Executive Officer of Wisconsin State
Fair Park and The Milwaukee Mile. "The public should feel reassured that these
improvements will be paid for through already committed track rental fees, sponsorship
dollars and reallocation of annual equipment rental expenditures. In other words, these
improvements will comfortably pay for themselves" said Chrnelich.
These improvements are Phase III in the ongoing Milwaukee Mile renovation project.
"We're making great progress in bringing the Milwaukee Mile back to national
prominence". The grandstand seating construction is completed and now we can focus on
the track users, competitors and infield guests,"
Chrnelich continued. "We invite everyone to come home to The Milwaukee Mile to witness
world-class racing at a state-of-the-art facility."
The infield road course will receive new paving and minor directional adjustments, with
a course designed to accommodate all forms of motor sport. Hosting sports car clubs,
autocross events, motorcycle races, karting meets, vehicle roll-outs and race car
testing on the road course is certain to increase use of the 101 year-young facility,
which will in turn increase revenue.
"All the hard work our dedicated staff has put into the planning for these improvements
has paid off with the final approval," commented Mark Perrone, the track's Vice
President & General Manager. "We promised to bring in more events, which we've done in
doubling the number of event weekends this
coming year. We can now move forward in making improvements to provide modern facilities
for everyone, including race teams, members of the media, and our infield spectators.
The new road course will add a whole new dimension to racing at the 'Mile."
The State Facilities Development staff began the process yesterday of requesting bids on
formulating plans for the multitude of improvement projects.
"We're already in high gear knowing we have a lot of work ahead of us to be complete by
the season opener. It's an exciting time here at The Milwaukee Mile!" Perrone exclaimed.
The Milwaukee Mile is the longest running, continuously operated motorsports facility in
the country. The 2003 season marked the track's 100th Anniversary and the introduction
of a new grandstand, one of the many improvements at America's Legendary Oval. For 2004,
The Milwaukee Mile celebrates "100 Years and Accelerating" with a first-time offer of
season ticket packages for four great racing weekends: June 3, 4, 5 Champ Car World
Series AT THE SPEED OF NIGHT; June 24, 25, 26 NASCAR Craftsman Truck and NASCAR Busch
Series AT THE SPEED OF NIGHT; July 23, 24, 25 IRL IndyCar Series and USAC Silver Crown
and Midget divisions; August 27, 28, 29 ASA Racing Series and the Governor's Cup events.
All headline events will feature national television coverage. For details regarding
specific events and ticket/hospitality availability, visit
www.milwaukeemile.com.
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