Slinger Speedway

The Slinger Speedway (also known as Slinger Super Speedway) is a quarter mile paved oval automobile race track with 33-degree banked corners located in Slinger, Wisconsin.

Slinger Speedway
World's Fastest 1/4 Mile Oval
LocationSlinger, Wisconsin
Capacity10000
Opened1948
Major eventsSlinger Nationals
Oval
SurfaceAsphalt
Length0.25 mi (0.40 km)
Turns4
BankingTurns: 33°
Race lap record9.908 seconds (Jeff Bloom, , 2010, Xtreme Sprint Series)

The track is billed as the "World's Fastest Quarter Mile Oval." The current track record was set by Jeff Bloom in a 410 extreme winged sprint car on August 21, 2010 at a time of 9.908 seconds.[1] This is the first lap record under 10 seconds on a quarter mile oval track of any type, breaking Anderson Speedway's 10.28 second lap record.[1] Bloom's lap eclipsed the track record set by USAC midget car driver Tracy Hines on May 17, 2008 at an elapsed time of 10.845 seconds.[1] The lap was the fastest ever midget car lap on an asphalt quarter mile track.[2] He eclipsed the long-standing mark of 11.095 seconds set by Tony Strupp's late model on June 12, 1994.

Track history

The track opened in 1948 and continued with a clay surface through the 1973 season. When it opened for the 1974 season, it was an asphalt, high-banked oval, as it remains to this day. In 1974 and 1975, the premier division was supermodifieds, and the first track champion of the paved track was Larry Ninneman. In 1976, the track featured late-model stock cars as its premier division, and it remains so. It also had a paved "X" infield added in the late 1970s, allowing for figure 8 racing at the end of the weekly Sunday night race events.

Weekly divisions

There are seven divisions running for points in a weekly program:

  • Super late model
  • Late model
  • Midwest sportsman
  • Slinger Bees - 4-cylinder cars
  • Figure 8
  • Spectator eliminator - non-points race between fans' street cars

Notable drivers to appear at the track
Entrance

Rich Bickle, Erik Darnell, Matt Kenseth (1991 Late Model Rookie of the Year), Alan Kulwicki (1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion), Ryan Mathews (2001 Late Model Rookie of the Year), Robbie Reiser, Joe Shear, Lowell Bennett, Dick Trickle, and Scott Wimmer competed at Slinger before they moved to NASCAR.

Slinger Nationals

The track's biggest race of the year is the Slinger Nationals. The 200 lap super late model stock car race occurs in the middle of summer.[3] The winner wins the Larry Detjens Memorial Trophy, which was named for the 1980 winner who died in a racing incident at another Wisconsin track later in the season.

The event is usually held on a Tuesday night in order for the nationally and regionally known drivers to participate in the Nationals. NASCAR stars frequently come to the circuit for a one time drive in a local car owner's car in the signature race.[4] Non-local NASCAR drivers frequently race in the event. The 1987 event featured Davey Allison, his father Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Alan Kulwicki, Mark Martin, Ted Musgrave, and Butch Miller.[5] Kenseth was already a Cup regular when he won his second Nationals in 2002. Three Roush Racing drivers, one from each of the three national series, raced in 2006. The 2007 event had ten drivers with experience in at least one of the three major NASCAR series: Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Erik Darnell, Dick Trickle, Rich Bickle, Scott Wimmer, Chris Wimmer, Lowell Bennett, Kelly Bires, and Brad Mueller.[6][7] Other notable drivers who have raced in the Slinger Nationals include Neil Bonnett, Harry Gant, Ernie Irvan, Dale Jarrett, Sterling Marlin, Kyle Petty, Rusty Wallace, Ken Schrader and Michael Waltrip.[5]

List of Slinger Nationals winners
2019 Slinger Nationals field

References
  1. Paul, Gregg. "Slinger Lays Claim To Be World's Fastest Quarter Mile Oval". Xtra Laps.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  2. Auto racing: World midget speed record set at Slinger; May 18, 2008; Capital Times; Retrieved May 18, 2008
  3. Kallmann, Dave (July 19, 2016). "Unofficial Slinger Nationals results". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  4. Scott Wimmer And Erik Darnell Added To Miller Lite Slinger Nationals, racingwisconsin.com, Dated June 28, 2007, Retrieved July 15, 2007
  5. Slinger Nationals a really big deal for Trickle, Kenseth Archived 2007-09-26 at the Wayback Machine; Dave Kallman; July 17, 2006 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Retrieved July 25, 2007
  6. Scott Wimmer And Erik Darnell Added To Miller Lite Slinger Nationals, June 28, 2007, Retrieved July 18, 2007
  7. Lowell Bennett Bests NASCAR Drivers To Win 28th Annual Miller Lite Slinger Nationals; Steve Zautke July 17, 2007, Retrieved July 18, 2007
  8. "Kenseth sets record: Driver wins event for the fifth time". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 2009-07-22. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
  9. Kallmann, Dave (July 12, 2010). "Slinger Nationals results: Bennett's fifth victory". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  10. Kallmann, Dave. "Steve Apel disqualified; Rich Bickle named winner at Slinger Nationals". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved July 11, 2013.

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