IRL chief takes turn with Mile
Dave Kallman from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Bernard says small support from state crucial for plan to work
Indy Racing League CEO Randy Bernard believes he and two partners can turn about $400,000 from the State of Wisconsin into a tourist attraction that would provide a return on the investment for years to come.
Bernard, who took over as head of the IndyCar Series sanctioning body last winter, was in Milwaukee last week to pitch his ideas for his series to come back to the Milwaukee Mile.
The track fell off the IRL and NASCAR schedules after promoter Wisconsin Motorsports defaulted last year on millions of dollars in payments due to both of them as well as landlord State Fair Park and other creditors.
Bernard met with Fair officials Thursday to share his ideas.
"We'd try to bring in ancillary events around it with some strong entertainment value to them," Bernard told the Journal Sentinel. "My goal would be to make it not just a city or state event but to bring in tourists."
That the IRL would even consider coming back to the Mile after going unpaid last time is a sign of the league's commitment to the proposed event, Bernard said.
"That track's sitting there not doing anything right now," he said.
Indy Racing League CEO Randy Bernard believes he and two partners can turn about $400,000 from the State of Wisconsin into a tourist attraction that would provide a return on the investment for years to come.
Bernard, who took over as head of the IndyCar Series sanctioning body last winter, was in Milwaukee last week to pitch his ideas for his series to come back to the Milwaukee Mile.
The track fell off the IRL and NASCAR schedules after promoter Wisconsin Motorsports defaulted last year on millions of dollars in payments due to both of them as well as landlord State Fair Park and other creditors.
Bernard met with Fair officials Thursday to share his ideas.
"We'd try to bring in ancillary events around it with some strong entertainment value to them," Bernard told the Journal Sentinel. "My goal would be to make it not just a city or state event but to bring in tourists."
That the IRL would even consider coming back to the Mile after going unpaid last time is a sign of the league's commitment to the proposed event, Bernard said.
"That track's sitting there not doing anything right now," he said.