Madison International Speedway: Looks ahead to 2012, super lates to make six appearances

Madison International Speedway
Official Press Release
Contact John Wells
608.225.1913

Monday, November 14, 2011 (Oregon, WI)- Track officials at Madison International Speedway have announced plans for the 2012 weekly racing program along with some exciting news about many special events planned for the season including super late models and the return of the ARCA Series. In addition, a former racer has joined the staff as the new business / marketing manager.

Three Weekly Divisions in 2012

The upcoming season will feature three weekly divisions: Late Models, Sportsman, and Legends. “We are going with three weekly racing divisions this year. It was a difficult decision to drop the Bandits, but we needed to make some adjustments in our weekly program. By having three weekly divisions it will give us some flexibility to bring in a visiting fourth division,” said MIS General Manager Dave Grueneberg.

“We are expecting a very competitive field in each of our three weekly divisions,” added Grueneberg. An informational meeting for Sportsman teams was held last week and a late model meeting is planned for early December.

Tentative plans are for the weekly racing season to begin on Sunday, May 26th and continue on Friday nights until Season Championship night on August 17th. Rain dates will not be built into the schedule like they were in 2011 except for season championship night. The only Friday night that will not feature racing once the season begins is August 3rd due to the ASA Midwest Tour event that weekend.

Super Late Models on Super Fridays in 2012

Preliminary plans are in the works for four nights of super late model racing at MIS in 2012. “We are excited to have the super late models back on the weekly schedule for four events,” said Grueneberg. “We are hoping that many of the super late teams in the area and beyond come out and run these Super Friday events at Madison.” The super late models will join the program with the other three divisions on the nights they will be racing.

Along with the two ASA Midwest Tour events, a total of six super late model races will be on the schedule in 2012. Fans should stay tuned for more updates.

Special Events Galore in 2012

In addition to the super late models during selected weekly racing events, MIS is also proud to announce that the ASA Midwest Tour Super Late Models will make two visits to Wisconsin’s Fastest Half-Mile in 2012.

The ASA Midwest Tour will be here on Sunday, May 5th for the Joe Shear Classic and return on Sunday, August 5th.

The ARCA Series will return to Madison International Speedway in 2012 for a Sunday afternoon event on August 26th. “We believe the switch to a Sunday event will allow fans from out of the area to easily make the trip to MIS. The race in 2011 was very exciting,” said Grueneberg.

But there’s more. The annual Fireworks Extravaganza will be held on Friday, June 29th and will feature two touring divisions still to be announced. A “Night of Destruction” event that will also include a four cylinder enduro is currently in the planning stage. Tractor and truck pulls will return in 2012 on the pulling track inside the “Ring of Fire.”

The season will culminate with the sixth annual MIS Fall Classic tentatively scheduled for September 22nd and 23rd. “The Fall Classic will take on a slightly different look in 2012,” added Grueneberg.

MIS Welcomes Jason Tyler

Former racer and Stoughton native Jason Tyler has joined the MIS staff and will be serving as the Business and Marketing Manager. “I am really looking forward to having Jason on board with us. He has a great knowledge base about racing and understands the sport. Jason has many, many contacts in the area and it’s going to be great having him out promoting the speedway,” said Grueneberg.

“I am really looking forward to this opportunity,” noted Tyler. “I have many objectives I want to accomplish yet in 2011 primarily by making connections with potential sponsors as well as current and former racers.”

More information will be released as the schedule becomes finalized. Fans are encouraged to checkout the track website at madisoninternationalspeedway.com or follow us on Facebook.