Milwaukee Mile 250s; IndyCar Series' return years in the making

IndyCar's Milwaukee return years in the making

The IndyCar Series makes its return to the Milwaukee Mile this weekend for the first time since 2015.

MILWAUKEE - The IndyCar Series makes its return to the Milwaukee Mile this weekend for the first time since 2015.

There's nothing quite like racing at the Milwaukee Mile. History and pageantry surround the world's most historic operating speedway.

"We care a lot about the history," said Mark Miles, IndyCar CEO. "In that context, there are a lot of IndyCar race fans here. We’ve got a lot of history on the track. We’re in the Midwest, and the Midwest is kind of our heartland, so all those are great reasons to be here. We’re looking forward to a great event that reignites the relationship with fans in this area."

The return to the Mile has been years in the making. On Labor Day weekend at Wisconsin State Fair Park, the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s will take over the racetrack.

IndyCar at Milwaukee Mile

"I think everybody was thrilled," said Miles. "The drivers love it – it’s so competitive, so exciting – but so do fans. There’s not a boring moment on a short oval, a mile-long oval, with that many cars going that fast."

Even better, fans will get to watch the first-ever IndyCar doubleheader weekend at the Mile.

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"We thought it was a great way to re-introduce ourselves, and it’s great for the teams," said Miles. "We’re coming down to the end of the 2024 IndyCar championship. The second of the two races here will be the penultimate event for our championship. It’s a really important stop from the point of view of the racing and competition for the whole year."

IndyCar's re-entry to Milwaukee also hopes to bring in plenty of race fans.

IndyCar at Milwaukee Mile

"It’ll be really thrilling, and I think the overall mix is going to be family oriented, people should bring their kids," said Miles. "IndyCar race drivers are very accessible, so like Friday night, everybody can come out and get autographs of all the drivers, so it really should be kind of a big block party."

Something else the IndyCar faithful can look forward to is where they can watch their favorite races moving forward. IndyCar is moving from its long-time broadcast partner NBC to FOX next year, so fans will be able to watch every race in 2025 on FOX6.

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"This is a huge thing for IndyCar racing and our sport and our prospective growth," said Miles. "The biggest audiences are delivered by live sports on network television, and FOX was so interested in IndyCar they were able to clear the schedule time so that every one of our races – all 17 races next year – will be live on FOX, so your audience knows where to go. They love IndyCar, so I think they’ll be very agile and creative in the way they create the stories and help us attract fans."

Of course, the Mile will once again be featured on the 2025 IndyCar schedule.

This weekend, the NTT IndyCar Series Race 1 begins on Saturday, Aug. 31. The NTT IndyCar Series Race 2 begins on Sunday, Sept. 1. For more information on the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s weekend, visit the event's website.