No Cup race at Road America in 2014

Wisconsin racing fans won't get the NASCAR Sprint Cup race they have craved and that had been rumored, at least not next year. As for NASCAR at Road America, Bruggenthies said the deal for the fifth running of the Nationwide Series in 2014 is all but done and he is confident it again will fall on the third weekend in June. Bruggenthies has made it no secret he'd like to bring NASCAR's premier division to Road America. Changes to the Sprint Cup Series are anticipated in 2015 to coincide with a new television contract, but the fact that the 2014 schedule hasn't been announced had led to speculation they could come sooner. That flared up again last week.

"They like our event. They like Road America," Bruggenthies said. "They're not saying no. Will it be next year? No. We're continuing to bring our facility up to a standard for the Cup guys, because, understand, they don't run in the rain, they've got a couple more horsepower and they go a little faster, so what we've done in Turn 1 and Turn 5 with barriers and the fencing are what we're doing at Turn 6 and Turn 8 at the end of this season."

The Sprint Cup Series races twice on road courses, although NASCAR has seen some interest in adding a third, possibly as part of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship shootout. One possibility floated was that Sonoma Raceway in California could move into the Chase, freeing up the Sunday on the weekend Road America typically has Nationwide. "When and if they go more road racing, we hope to be considered," Bruggenthies said. "There's no guarantees, obviously." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel