Milwaukee still dead, but not as much

For the last few months numerous stories have led us to believe that racing - IndyCar or otherwise - was likely to never again appear at the oldest speedway in the country. That too much corruption, mishandling, or plain old bad finances had done in the famed and historic Milwaukee Mile. That the track was going the way of an old, insignificant character in a Monty Python film.


The Dead Body That Claims It Isn't: I'm not dead.
The Dead Collector: 'Ere, he says he's not dead.
Large Man with Dead Body: Yes he is.
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn't: I'm not.
The Dead Collector: He isn't.
Large Man with Dead Body: Well, he will be soon, he's very ill.
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn't: I'm getting better.
Large Man with Dead Body: No you're not, you'll be stone dead in a moment.

The latest round of "not dead yet" focuses on YET ANOTHER group of promoters who have been tentatively approved to take over promotions at the trouble facility, this time including not only promoters who handled the track in the '90s, but also billionaire John Menard.

The Wisconsin State Fair Park Board unanimously agreed Friday to work with local businessmen Frank and Dominic Giuffre on a three-year contract to promote races at the Milwaukee Mile.

The Giuffre group would become the fourth promoter in six seasons, following State Fair Park, Milwaukee Mile Holdings (2006-'08) and Wisconsin Motorsports.

Still left unresolved is a long list of vendors who worked at the track with previous promoters. Those vendors have not been paid. Frank Giuffre said he has reached out to vendors to see if a settlement can be reached. So far, he said, no vendors have contacted him.
(MORE from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

To misquote Hamlet, "therein lies the rub". Prior promoters piled up quite a bit of debt and ill-will, not just with N****R and the IRL but with "a long list of vendors". As much as you or I would wish for it to be so, hanging YET ANOTHER sign that says "Now under new management!!!" doesn't make all of those unpaid bills magically go away, and it doesn't make any racing series still owed money come back to your track. It's all about the Benjamins, baby.

Perhaps The Milwaukee Mile is the Keith Richards of motorsports, a cockroach-like entity able to withstand such toxicity as to be nearly immortal. Or perhaps it dies tomorrow. As a race fan I certainly hope for the former, but I'm not holding my breath.