Marcus Hotels and Resorts, DHL Sign as the First IndyFest Sponsors

Tickets are now on sale for the 2012 Milwaukee IndyFest, which will take place June 15 and 16 at the Milwaukee Mile at the Wisconsin State Fair Park. IndyFest will feature an IZOD IndyCar Series race Saturday afternoon as well as many other family-friendly activities, and is being promoted by Andretti Sports Marketing Wisconsin, an agency led by IndyCar team owner Michael Andretti. The ticket details for the Father’s Day weekend event were unveiled today in a news conference at the historic Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee.

Advanced purchase general admission/infield tickets begin at $17.50, with adult reserved seats for Saturday’s race starting at $19 in advance. Fans can watch Friday’s practice and qualifying sessions from the grandstands for free. Overall ticket prices represent a reduction of more than thirty percent compared to the previous IndyCar event at the Milwaukee Mile. Fans can order tickets online at the official event website www.MilwaukeeIndyFest.com, or they can contact the State Fair Park box office at (414) 266-7100. The box office hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and tomorrow, and 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. this Saturday. Normal box office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.

Continue Reading

A Michael Andretti-backed group led by a former AirTran official will promote the return of IndyCar racing to the Milwaukee Mile this year.

Andretti Sports Management announced its entree into race promotion Friday, saying the race would be held on the Saturday of Father's Day weekend, June 16.

Kevin Healy, who was senior vice president of marketing and planning for AirTran, will serve as managing director of Milwaukee IndyFest.

The Friday-Saturday weekend is to include entertainment beyond the race itself on the grounds of State Fair Park.

“Andretti Sports Marketing is excited about promoting IndyFest at the Milwaukee Mile,” Michael Andretti, CEO of Andretti Sports Marketing, LLC, said in the announcement. “It’s a historic track in a great city, and it’s a place that has always been a favorite for my family. But, more importantly, it’s an ideal track for Indy cars and always produces exciting racing for the fans.”

Andretti won five times as a driver at the Mile and three as a team owner.

Dave Kallman of the Journal Sentinel is reporting this morning that Wisconsin State Fair Park was asked by the Izod IndyCar Series about track availability this upcoming June.  As the schedule stands right now, the only open weekend is once again Father's Day weekend.

In addition, it was reported by several  sources that new outside promoter was looking to operate the event.  WTMJ-TV 4 reported that the promoter group includes the lengendary Andretti family.

More details to follow as they become available!

Despite published reports in recent months that the Izod IndyCar Series will not return, speculation continues to swirl that the series may return to the historic to the Milwaukee Mile to help round out a road course heavy schedule for 2012.  The latest speculation comes from Indy Star writer Curt Cavin:

THANK YOU!

AB Promotions would like to thank all those who supported the Milwaukee 225. Presenting Seven Races in Two Days on Father's Day was a huge undertaking we hope that you, our fans, enjoyed and appreciated. It would not have been possible without the hard work of our devoted staff and volunteers.

We now look to build the event in 2012, a process that includes the renewal of commitments from our current sponsors. There was great racing at Wisconsin State Fair Park this weekend; we hope that it and the business community will consider truly supporting the Milwaukee 225 in the years ahead.

---

AB Promotions wants YOUR feedback! Tell them what you thought of the 2011 Milwaukee 225 race weekend:
http://www.milwaukeemile2011.com/Milwaukee_Mile_2011_Comments.html

Dario Franchitti celebrates in victory lane after winning the Milwaukee 225 on Sunday in the return of IndyCar racing to the Milwaukee Mile after a one-year absence.

West Allis - Ultimately the problem took care of itself Sunday, not that it mattered to Dario Franchitti.

He was perfectly happy to try to win the Milwaukee 225 outright, to run down Helio Castroneves and pass him wheel-to-wheel if that's what it took.

Instead the race fell back into Franchitti's lap. That happens.

"I was still so spitting mad from what Helio did on that restart, I was doing all I could to get up to him and past Tony (Kanaan) as well," Franchitti said after scoring his second IndyCar Series victory at the Milwaukee Mile.

What Castroneves had done, in Franchitti's mind, was throw a block on a Lap 176 restart that would make the Green Bay Packers' offensive line proud.

But a flat tire cost Castroneves his lead and a rare mistake doomed Kanaan, and suddenly the race was back in the hands of Franchitti, who had set the pace for most of the day.

"Anyway, just a great job by the Target team again, in the pits, and with the strategy, and you know, just typical Milwaukee though, working on traffic all day," Franchitti said.

"Great to be racing back here at Milwaukee Mile."

Read Entire Story on JSOnline

Promoters hopeful, but 'it’s got to make sense'

West Allis - IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said a 2012 Milwaukee 225 is a 50-50 proposition after a crowd of no more than 15,000 came out to the Milwaukee Mile on Sunday.

The race's fate could be decided as early as this week.

Chris McGrath, whose promotion group brought the series back after a one-year absence, said his team would go over the financial data from the weekend and then meet with Bernard to discuss the future.

The venue can hold about 40,000 people.

"Now we have something to build on, and the reaction initially from the fans is we had an excellent race and I hope they go home and bring somebody back with them next year," McGrath said. "(But) it's got to makes sense."

Among the obstacles promoters faced were a short time for marketing after the announcement of the race in September, ill will within the business community related to dealings with previous promoters, the loss of momentum from no 2010 race and then a rainstorm Sunday morning.

Bernard said he'd like to see Milwaukee remain on the schedule, particularly because the drivers and owners love the racetrack and because of its history and tradition.

It's also possible, though, that the series will go back to Joliet, Ill., at the request of title sponsor IZOD.

"Is there enough room for this event and Chicago?" Bernard said. "That would be a big question. I'm hopeful there's a chance we could have both races, this one and that one."

Even if McGrath's AB Promotions wishes to try again, the final determination will lie with IndyCar, Bernard said.

Read Full Article on JSOnline

It’s an off weekend of competition for the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights, but teams are using June 1-3 to test at the Milwaukee Mile for the June 17-19 race weekend.

Fourteen IZOD IndyCar Series drivers will put in a day on the oval June 1, while 10 more will test June 3. Thirteen Firestone Indy Lights driver/car combinations will be on the track June 2.

Fans can watch testing each day outside of turn 2, and Milwaukee 225 promoters will host a watching party (food, drinks, apparel, ticket purchase) June 3 in the Turn 2 parking lot.

www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/43182-busy-week-of-testing-on-and-39-off-weekand-39-for-series/

Milwaukee, WI - February 28, 2011 – The Milwaukee 225 IndyCar race pace cars are en route to the inaugural Pace Car Party on March 2, 2011, from 7-9 p.m. at Mo’s Irish Pub in downtown Milwaukee.

This will be the first in a series of seven Pace Car Parties that will take place every few weeks leading up to the race on Father’s Day weekend, June 18-19, 2011. The promoters have chosen to do seven Pace Car Parties to emphasize the excitement of race weekend, which will feature seven races in two days.

“This is a fun way to spread the message,” says Chris McGrath, promoter of the Milwaukee 225. “We want fans to know that the Milwaukee 225 IndyCar race is about fun and excitement, but not just on race weekend. Our whole team has strong ties to Milwaukee, The Mile and the state of Wisconsin. We want this race to remain on the IndyCar schedule for years to come, so consistently being in market and having fun is what we plan to do.”