Milwaukee to keep IndyCar race

Sure there are a lot of red hats from Team Penske/Marlboro and Firestone meaning "free" tickets, but the attendance was up noticeably this year at Milwaukee despite the gasoline prices. The IRL/Champ Car merger means open wheel racing is back.

Shawn Payne/IRL

The Indy Racing League was looking for improvement in promotion and attendance at the Milwaukee Mile, and that's exactly what top officials saw Sunday. On a brilliant, sunny afternoon, a crowd estimated at 28,000 watched Ryan Briscoe win the ABC Supply Co. / A.J. Foyt 225, an increase of 30% or more from the race last year.

If solid progress continues in 2009, the final year of the contract, there's no reason to doubt the future of the race, said Terry Angstadt, president of the IRL's commercial division.

"You could see the stands," he said. "Much, much better. Good integrated approach (to marketing). Saw some billboards on the way into town. And it worked. We were very, very pleased." JSonline.com