View source for Angell Park Speedway

{{Short description|Race track in Sun Prairie, WI}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox motorsport venue
|Name             =Angell Park Speedway
|Time             =UTC-6
|Location         =[[Sun Prairie, Wisconsin]]
|Coordinates      ={{coord|43|10|40|N|89|12|40|W|region:US-WI_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
|Image            =[[Image:MidgetCarsRacingAngellParkMay2010.jpg|Midget car racing in 2010|250px]]
|Image_size       =
|Capacity         =
|Owner            =
|Operator         =
|Opened           =1936
|Closed           =
|Construction_cost=
|Architect        =
|Events           = USAC Midgets<br />IRA Sprint Cars
|Layout1          =Oval
|Surface          =Dirt
|Miles_first      =True 
|Length_km        =.54
|Length_mi        =1/3
|Turns            =4
|Record_time      = 14.316
|Record_driver    = [[Bryan Clauson]]
|Record_team      =
|Record_year      =2015
|Record_class     =USAC Midget}}
[[Image:AngellSpeedwaySign.jpg|thumb|right|Welcome sign]]
'''Angell Park Speedway''' is a 1/3 mile ({{convert|1/3|mi|disp=output only}}) [[dirt track racing|dirt]] [[racetrack]] located in [[Sun Prairie, Wisconsin]]. The track has been run by the city's fire department since 1903.<ref name="CapitalTimes" /> Racing occurs every Sunday approximately [[Memorial Day]] until [[Labor Day (United States)|Labor Day]].  Special racing events and the weather may alter the schedule. The races were sanctioned by the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association (BMARA), the oldest midget organization in the world.<ref name="CapitalTimes" />  Some events are co-sanctioned by the [[United States Automobile Club]] (USAC). BMARA sanctions several midget car events at other nearby tracks. The [[World of Outlaws]] held their first [[sprint car racing|sprint car]] races at the track in August 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title=Outlaws to Visit Angell Park Speedway|url=http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/World-of-Outlaws/News/Articles/2016/08/Outaws-to-Visit-Angell-Park-Speedway.aspx|publisher=[[Motor Racing Network]]|access-date=August 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823050830/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/World-of-Outlaws/News/Articles/2016/08/Outaws-to-Visit-Angell-Park-Speedway.aspx|archive-date=August 23, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Image:NationalMidgetAutoRacingHallOfFameBuilding.jpg|thumb|right|[[National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame]] building in turn 1]]

In addition to the racetrack, the facility features the [[National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame]], a [[pavilion]], and the Sun Prairie Firemans Park in the Prairie. The park was built by the Sun Prairie community on September 18, 2007, and was dedicated on October 7, 2007. The project was led by Sun Prairie residents Rebecca Ketelson and Anita Holcomb. Leather's and Associates was the project architect.

==History==

The part was donated by Col. William Angell to the Sun Prairie Fire Department in 1903.<ref name="SLSHans">{{cite news |title=SLS & Hans Lein Take The Reins At Angell Park |url=https://www.speedsport.com/weekly-racing/midwest/sls-hans-lein-take-the-reins-at-angell-park/ |access-date=June 28, 2021 |work=[[Speed Sport]] |date=January 29, 2021}}</ref> The track is nationally known for its [[midget car racing|midget car races]], which began racing in 1936. As of the 2008 season, it is the only track in the United States to host weekly midget car races.<ref name="CapitalTimes">{{cite news|url=http://www.madison.com/tct/entertainment/77staging/296550|title=Off to the races: Checking out the tracks and speed demons who play there|last=Cisar|first=Katjusa|date=July 17, 2008|publisher=[[Capital Times]]|access-date=July 18, 2008}}</ref> The track was closed between 1942 and 1945, since all racing in the United States was halted during [[World War II]].

The Badger Midget Auto Racing Association (BMARA) began sanction at the track in 1946 when racing resumed after World War II.<ref name="SLSHans" /> Night racing at Angell Park began in 1948.<ref name="SLSHans" /> With the lights installed, Kelly Peters of Lake Forest, IL set fast time, won his heat and captured the first feature race run under the lights. From that point forward, weekly Sunday night racing has been held at the facility<ref name="SLSHans" /> except for a few shortened seasons for minor contract disputes in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The track began hosting its first non-midget car races in 2007 when an occasional touring event was added to its program and by 2010 every race evening featured a class from another track or a touring series. The Angell Park Speedway board and the sanctioning body BMARA had a fall out before the 2010 season.<ref name="NewManagement">{{cite web | title=New Direction for Race Management of Angell Park Speedway | website=Angell Park Speedway | date=April 14, 2003 | url=http://www.angellpark.com/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100917065400/http://www.angellpark.com/ | archive-date=September 17, 2010 | url-status=dead | access-date=October 10, 2007 }}</ref> The track ran its own sanction during May 2010. At the end of the month weekly track operation halted for the 2010 season except for special events (two USAC midget weekends and the Fireman's Nationals).<ref name=NewManagement /> The track returned to occasional events in 2011 including BMARA sanction.<ref>{{cite web |title=2011 Printable Schedule |url=http://www.bmara.com/schedule/media.aspx?s=3886 |website=www.bmara.com |access-date=June 28, 2021 |date=2011}}</ref>

The track was closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="SLSHans" /> In January 2021, Hans Lein and SLS Promotions were announced as promoters of the track.<ref name="SLSHans" /> In February 2021, Gregg McKarns was announced as the new promoter of the track instead.<ref name="McKarnsNewPromoter">{{cite web |title=McKarns' New Promoters at Angell Park Speedway |url=https://www.ovaltracknews.com/angell-park-speedway/ |website=Oval Track News |access-date=June 27, 2021 |date=February 22, 2021}}</ref> McKarns also promotes [[Madison International Speedway]] and the [[ARCA Midwest Tour]].<ref name="McKarnsNewPromoter" /> Angell Park hosted its first USAC Midget race at the track since 2015 and 47th overall.<ref name="USACAngellPark">{{cite web |title=THE GUIDE: ALL EYES ON ANGELL PARK FOR USAC MIDGET RETURN ON SUNDAY - USAC Racing |url=http://usacracing.com/news/midget/item/10688-the-guide-all-eyes-on-angell-park-for-usac-midget-return-on-sunday |website=USAC Racing |access-date=September 5, 2021 |language=en-gb}}</ref> [[Tanner Thorson]] won his seventh race of the season.<ref name="2021USAC">{{Cite episode |title=Pepsi Nationals |episode-link= |url= |access-date= |series=USAC Midgets |series-link= |first= |last= |network=[[FloRacing]] |station= |date=September 5, 2021 |season= |series-no= |number= |minutes= |time=20:55 |transcript= |transcript-url= |quote= |language=}}</ref>

==Notable racers==
Some midget car drivers come from [[New Zealand]] and [[Australia]] during their country's winter to race during the United States' summer between May and September.<ref name="CapitalTimes" /> The 2008 season featured [[Michael Pickens]] from [[Auckland, New Zealand]] (who stayed at one of the other driver's house) and Matt Smith from [[Newcastle, Australia]].<ref name="CapitalTimes" />

Several notable racers raced at the track in its regular weekly series:
*[[Justin Allgaier]]
*[[Tom Bigelow]]
*[[A. J. Fike]]
*[[Aaron Fike]] (2002 BMARA champion)
*[[Stan Fox]] (1979 BMARA champion)
*[[Jeff Gordon]] (four-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion)
*[[Mel Kenyon]]
*[[Michael Pickens]] (many time New Zealand National Midget champion)
*[[Landy Scott]] (1947 BMARA champion and BMARA president from 1951 to 1959)

==Fireman Nationals==
The track's most notable event is its 50 lap Fireman Nationals midget car event.
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*1982 (overall) Bill Engelhart<ref>{{cite web | title=Track Records | website=angellpark.com | date=March 17, 2007 | url=http://www.angellpark.com/Track%20Records.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070319011621/http://www.angellpark.com/Track%20Records.htm | archive-date=March 19, 2007 | url-status=dead}}</ref>
*1983 Kevin Olson 
*1984 Dan Boorse 
*1985 [[Rich Vogler]] 
*1986 Kevin Olson (USAC)
*1987 Kevin Olson (USAC)
*1988 Kevin Doty (USAC)
*1989 Kevin Doty (USAC)
*1990 Kevin Doty (USAC)
*1991 [[Stevie Reeves]] (USAC)
*1992 Marty Davis 
*1993 Page Jones ([[Parnelli Jones]]' son)
*1994 Kevin Doty 
*1995 Kevin Doty 
*1996 Randy Koch 
*1997 Kevin Olson 
*1998 Kevin Olson 
*1999 Dan Boorse 
*2000 [[Jay Drake]] 
*2001 [[Tracy Hines]] 
*2002 [[Tracy Hines]]
*2003 Davey Ray 
*2004 Scott Hatton 
*2005 Scott Hatton 
*2006 (rained out)
*2007 [[Jerry Coons Jr.]]
*2008 [[Brady Bacon]]
*2009 [[Josh Wise]] (USAC)
*2010 [[Tracy Hines]] (USAC)
*2011 (rained out)<ref>{{cite web|title="Pepsi Nationals" Postponed by Rain|url=http://www.usacracing.com/midget_index/news_m/4918.html|publisher=USAC|access-date=January 21, 2012}}</ref>
*2012 Caleb Armstrong
*2013 Zach Daum
*2014 [[Tanner Thorson]] (USAC)
*2015 [[Rico Abreu]] (USAC)
*2016 Carson Macedo (POWRI) / Robbie Ray (BMARA)
*2017 Zach Daum<ref name="2021USAC" />
*2018 Tanner Carrick<ref name="2021USAC" />
*2019 Logan Seavey (POWRI)<ref name="2021USAC" />
*2020 not held (COVID)<ref name="2021USAC" />
*2021 [[Tanner Thorson]] (USAC)<ref name="2021USAC" />
{{div col end}}<br />
Reference (1982-2020):<ref name="2021USAC" />
{{wide image|Angell Park Speedway Panorama July 2012.jpg|1000px|alt=Angell Park Speedway, 2012|Angell Park Speedway, 2012}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Angell Park Speedway}}
*{{Official website|http://www.angellpark.net/}}
*[http://www.bmara.com/ BMARA (sanctioning body) official website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060829124007/http://bmara.com/points/champions.htm list of BMARA champions]

{{POWRi National Midgets race venues}}
{{All Star Circuit of Champions race venues}}
{{USAC National Sprint Car Series race venues}}
{{USAC National Midget Series race venues}}
{{World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series race venues}}

[[Category:Motorsport venues in Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Dane County, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Dane County, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Midget car racing]]