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Racetracks in Midwest Wisconsin

The Best Racetracks in Midwest Wisconsin

Aside from being a beautiful area to live, Midwest Wisconsin is home to some of the finest racetracks in America. From internationally recognized tracks to humble homegrown speedways, you’re in for quite a treat, especially if you’re an avid racing and racecar fan. There are dozens of racetracks here, all of which feature tons of exciting events and experiences. Though they’re all worth visiting, especially if you love racing, we’ve picked out three of the best (and our personal favorite) ones to check out!

Madison International Speedway

The Madison International Speedway offers a ½ mile of paved oval track for stock car racing. Located in Oregon, WI, the speedway is known as “Wisconsin’s Fastest Half-Mile” track. The track hosts a variety of fun events, including the Joe Shear Classic Competition with a $10,000 winning prize, six Street Drag events, and weekly NASCAR Racing. Another notable event is the Racer’s Reunion Night on July 24th this year, where all drivers who have ever competed at the track are welcome to stop by for a full night of racing. Each former driver has no admittance cost, and seasoned fans can grab some autographs from their favorite drivers. There are plenty of other exciting events worth checking out at the Madison International Speedway, so be sure to check this year’s full listing.

Blackhawk Farms Raceway

Blackhawk Farms Raceway is a legendary racetrack located in South Beloit, Illinois (just outside the border of Wisconsin). The raceway is a well-known favorite frequented by many local and national race organizations. The track is designed to allow both racing organizations and smaller clubs safe access to it, providing what Blackhawk Farms calls “the ultimate on-track experience.” The raceway hosts a variety of automotive events, featuring beautiful older cars and the latest in new car tech. The outdoor setting is exceptionally comfortable for a close-up view of the action, and fans have a chance to meet some of their favorite drivers. The track also offers open access to regular drivers and cars (with some restrictions, which we’ll talk more about below), so you can take your vehicle for a spin on the track.

Automotive Track Days

Their road racing Track Days event offers open-track access to practically anyone, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced driver. For beginners and people who have a moderate amount of experience, there are expert instructors available who teach the fundamentals of track driving. Instructors teach the do’s and don’ts and offer constructive criticism of your technique to help better hone your driving skills. Each skill level is assessed accurately, and respective levels are broken up into different groups, with each group getting about 20-minute intervals of drive time.

Registration is open to all streetcars that meet their technical guidelines (they aren’t specified, contact the company for more info). Requirements include a “vehicle in good repair, an approved SNELL helmet with a SA, K, M 2010 or newer rating, closed-toe shoes, long pants, and long sleeves.” If you don’t happen to have a SNELL approved helmet laying around, they do provide helmets for rent. For more information on requirements, check the Track Days webpage. They also host a Motorcycle Track Days event, which follows the same basic guidelines of Automotive Track Days. For more information about motorcycle racing specifics and requirements, check here.

Overall, Blackhawk Farm Raceway is an excellent racetrack, especially if you want to do a little driving yourself!

Jefferson Speedway

While most tracks have a notable past, Jefferson Speedway has a vibrant history. Jefferson Speedway was officially birthed in 1952, consisting of only a quarter-mile dirt track with “little but cornfields for boundaries.” Over the years, the speedway underwent minor but still crucial improvements. By 1964, the track was paved, and they had switched to guard-rails instead of cornfields. In 1983 they finally changed from guard-rails to back-filled reinforced concrete, and a tall yellow scoring tower was built. Jumping ahead 37 years to 2020, the speedway has grown into a true quarter-mile track with an electronic scoreboard and extended turns with “progressive 6, 9, and 12-degree banking.”

While the newest season of events isn’t quite listed yet, you can expect a wide variety of division shows to look out for. Divisions include Late Model, Sportsman, International, Hobby Stock, Road Warrior, and Bandit divisions! Each division is split up based on the car model, engine power, and stock type (check the website for more info about the differences between the divisions).

Jefferson Speedway is an all-around fantastic modern racetrack that still manages to capture a homegrown, grassroots feel to it. The goal of the track is to maintain a “fair and affordable racing venue for both race teams and fans.” With consistently cheap ticket prices for fans and division rules that are flexible based on collective driver input, they have definitely nailed it!

Everything you need to know about racing in Midwest Wisconsin

Midwest Racing is your go-to blog for racing news and information in Midwest Wisconsin and surrounding areas. We cover the best racetracks to check out and the most exciting upcoming racing events and car shows of each year. Aside from general racing and track info, we also love everything about cars! You can expect a lot of content about them, from gushing about older style models to information about brand new tech innovations! We’re certainly not car or mechanic gurus, but we do our best to provide the most accurate and non-clickbaity content!

Think we left out a track that deserves mention? Let us know in the comments!