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Milwaukee BACK on the schedule!
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WEST ALLIS, Wis. -- Johnny Rutherford's fond memories of The Milwaukee Mile outstretch his four Indy car victories. During the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series schedule announcement on the frontstretch, the three-time Indianapolis 500 champion pointed to the Wolcott Special driven by Rodger Ward (1957-58) and Len Sutton (1959) a few feet away. His longtime chief mechanic Herb Porter built the car. "I saw my first race here in 1960," Rutherford said. "It was a USAC sprint car race, a 50-lapper, and Tony Bettenhausen and A.J. Foyt were going at it. It was exciting. "This track has always meant so much to Indy car racing because it's been involved in it since virtually the beginning. The only regret I have is I didn't get to run this place when it was dirt. That would have been a lot of fun with those long corners. Herb Porter taught me a lot of running at this place. "I think it's great for IndyCar to put this track back on the schedule. It again fills a void that many of us who have raced here felt." A look at The Mile and Indy car: IZOD IndyCar Series at The Milwaukee Mile 2004: Dario Franchitti (winner). Vitor Meira (pole) 2005: Sam Hornish Jr. (winner and pole) 2006: Tony Kanaan (winner). Helio Castroneves (pole) 2007: Tony Kanaan (winner). Helio Castroneves (pole) 2008: Ryan Briscoe (winner). Marco Andretti (pole) 2009: Scott Dixon (winner). Ryan Briscoe (pole) In the May 31, 2009, race, Scott Dixon became the first two-time winner of the season and regained the championship points lead from Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Dario Franchitti by four. Team Penskes Ryan Briscoe, the pole sitter and 08 race winner, led 154 of the 225 laps of the ABC Supply Co. A.J. Foyt 225. Dixon took the lead for the second and final time on Lap 201 as Briscoe got held up in lapped traffic in Turn 1. Dixon then held off Briscoe by 2.1257 seconds in the race that only had two caution periods for 22 laps. Franchitti finished third, Graham Rahal was fourth and Danica Patrick finished fifth. Brief history of Indy car racing at The Mile Originally a privately owned horse-racing track, the one-mile oval has been in existence since at least 1876. In 1891, the Agricultural Society of the State of Wisconsin purchased the land to create a permanent site for the Wisconsin State Fair. The track has operated as part of the fairgrounds since. Auto racing at The Milwaukee Mile debuted on Sept. 11, 1903, when William Jones of Chicago won a five-lap speed contest. It has played host to auto racing every year since. It wasn't until 1915 that the first 100-mile race was held, with Louis Disbrow averaging 62.5 mph to take the checkered flag. The roster of past winners at The Milwaukee Mile is a veritable whos who of racing history, including Barney Oldfield, Rex Mays, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Rick Mears and Mario Andretti. Notable Ten of the 40 starters in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 raced at The Milwaukee Mile in a pair of races on the dirt oval. Wilbur Shaw won what was the first national championship Indy car points race at The Mile in 1933. Elbert "Babe" Stapp won in 1939 and Rex Mays won in 1941. National championship open-wheel racing returned to the track in 1946. In 1963, the first rear-engine car, a Lotus-Ford driven by Jim Clark, won at Milwaukee, and the following year, A.J. Foyt claimed the final win for a front-engine roadster. Active IZOD IndyCar Series drivers who have won at Milwaukee are Ryan Briscoe (2008), Scott Dixon (2009), Dario Franchitti (2004), Tony Kanaan (2006, 07) and Alex Lloyd (2007 in Firestone Indy Lights) under Indy Racing League sanction. Ryan Hunter-Reay (2004) and Paul Tracy (2005, 02, 99, 95) won under CART/Champ Car sanction. AAA post-World War II era (1946-55) winners and length of race 1946 Rex Mays (100 miles) 1947 Bill Holland (100), Charles Van Acker (100), Ted Horn (100) 1948 Emil Andres (100), Johnny Mantz (100) and Tony Bettenhausen/Myron Fohr (100) 1949 Myron Fohr (100) and Johnnie Parsons (100) 1950 Tony Bettenhausen (100) and Walt Faulkner (100) 1951 Tony Bettenhausen (100) and Walt Faulkner (200) 1952 Mike Nazaruk (100) and Chuck Stevenson (200) 1953 Jack McGrath (100) and Chuck Stevenson (200) 1954 Chuck Stevenson (100) and Manuel Ayulo (250) 1955 Johnny Thomson (100) and Pat Flaherty (250) USAC National Championship era (1956-79) 1956 Pat Flaherty (100) and Jimmy Bryan (250) 1957 Rodger Ward (100) and Jim Rahtmann (200) 1958 Art Bisch (100) and Rodger Ward (200) 1959 Johnny Thomson (100) and Rodger Ward (200) 1960 Rodger Ward (100) and Len Sutton (200) 1961 Rodger Ward (100) and Lloyd Ruby (200) 1962 A.J. Foyt (100) and Rodger Ward(200) 1963 Rodger Ward (100) and Jim Clark (200) 1964 A.J. Foyt (100 and Parnelli Jones (200) 1965 Parnelli Jones (100), Joe Leonard (15) and Gordon Johncock (200) 1966 Mario Andretti (100) and Mario Andretti (200) 1967 Gordon Johncock (150) and Mario Andretti (200) 1968 Lloyd Ruby (150) and Lloyd Ruby (200) 1969 Art Pollard (150) and Al Unser (200) 1970 Joe Leonard (150) and Al Unser (200) 1971 Al Unser (150) and Bobby Unser (200) 1972 Bobby Unser (150) and Joe Leonard (200) 1973 Bobby Unser (150) and Wally Dallenbach (200) 1974 Johnny Rutherford (150) and Gordon Johncock (200) 1975 A.J. Foyt (150) and Mike Mosley (200) 1976 Mike Mosley (150) and Al Unser (200) 1977 Johnny Rutherford (150) and Johnny Rutherford (200) 1978 Rick Mears (150) and Danny Ongais (200) 1979 A.J. Foyt (150) and Roger McCluskey (200) IRL and CART/Champ Car era (1980-present) CART and USAC united in 1980 under the banner of CRL. The first five races of the season were run under USAC sanction before the union dissolved. The remaining seven races were run under CART sanction. 1980 Bobby Unser (150) and Johnny Rutherford (200) 1981 Mike Mosley (150) and Tom Sneva (200) 1982 Gordon Johncock (150) and Tom Sneva (200) 1983 Tom Sneva (150) 1984 Tom Sneva (200) 1985 Mario Andretti (200) 1986 Michael Andretti (200) 1987 Michael Andretti (200) 1988 Rick Mears (200) 1989 Rick Mears (200) 1990 Al Unser Jr. (200) 1991 Michael Andretti (200) 1992 Michael Andretti (200) 1993 Nigel Mansell (200) 1994 Al Unser Jr. (200) 1995 Paul Tracy (200) 1996 Michael Andretti (200) 1997 Greg Moore (204.6) 1998 Jimmy Vasser (206.4) 1999 Paul Tracy (232.2) 2000 Juan Pablo Montoya (232.2) 2001 Kenny Brack (232.2) 2002 Paul Tracy (258) 2003 Michel Jourdain Jr. (258) 2004 Ryan Hunter-Reay (258) and Dario Franchitti (225) 2005 Paul Tracy (228.072) and Sam Hornish Jr. (225) 2006 Sebastien Bourdais (203.304) and Tony Kanaan (225) 2007 Tony Kanaan (225) 2008 Ryan Briscoe (225) 2009 Scott Dixon (225) | |||
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Further Resources: www.indycar.com | |||
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