Wisconsin International Raceway
The Wisconsin International Raceway 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, Quarter-mile Late Models, and Wisconsin Sport Trucks 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.
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, July, and August. 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 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
- Rich Bickle
- Scott Hansen
- Matt Kenseth
- Todd Kluever
- Alan Kulwicki
- Ty Majeski
- Dave Marcis
- Mark Martin
- Ted Musgrave
- Robbie Reiser
- Jim Sauter
- Tim Sauter
- Johnny Sauter
- Jason Schuler
- Dick Trickle
- Dave Watson