The Milwaukee Mile Logo

“It depends totally if I’m able to get some investors,” promoter Claude Napier said Thursday in a telephone interview from Texas.

“I knew I was going to be short of money.”

Napier, president and chief executive officer of Wisconsin Motorsports, admitted to the Journal Sentinel for the first time that he had no other financial backers when he entered into a deal in February with State Fair Park, where the track is located.

Napier’s organization owes NASCAR nearly $1.9 million for staging two races in June and owes the Indy Racing League an undisclosed amount for its weekend in May. The organizer of a spectator event in August – the track’s final opportunity for a significant payday this season – said this week that he is ready to walk away from his commitment.

- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Copart 200 Logo

The Copart 200, as the event will be called, is an extension of Copart’s involvement in NASCAR, specifically with the Truck Series teams of Germain Racing with driver Todd Bodine and Kevin Harvick Inc. with driver Ron Hornaday for a set amount of races this season. This is the first time Copart will be a NASCAR event entitlement sponsor.

“We are very proud to be able to sponsor what we anticipate to be a very exciting race,” said Copart President Jay Adair. “This is just one more way Copart is reaching out to NASCAR fans and letting them know about our extensive inventory of classic, early, and late model cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, boats, snow mobiles, jet skis and recreational vehicles. NASCAR fans love cars and we have zillions to choose from!”

Defending Milwaukee event champion Johnny Benson will lead four returning series champions at America’s Legendary Oval, as he’ll battle it out with past champs Mike Skinner, Hornaday and Bodine, among others. Adding to the mix of an expected field of 36 trucks is Necedah, Wis. native Johnny Sauter, who drove to a dominant victory at The Mile in 2005 in a NASCAR Nationwide Series event.

“We’re proud of Copart’s involvement in bringing our loyal fans some of the best racing in NASCAR in the Copart 200 under the lights on Friday night, June 19. This is a great fit in matching up our extremely loyal NASCAR fans with Copart’s access to tens of thousands of vehicles for sale every day on their website, Copart.com,” commented Milwaukee Mile President & CEO Claude Napier.

The Copart 200 caps off a full day of NCWTS on-track activity Friday, June 19. The one-day format will include practice from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. followed by single truck qualifying at 5:30 p.m. and the start of the Copart 200 shortly after 8:00 p.m. All times are local, subject to change.

Terms of the agreement were not announced.

For tickets to the June 19 Copart 200 race day at The Milwaukee Mile, call (414) 453-8277 or visit the speedway’s website, www.milwaukeemile.com.

About Copart

Copart, founded in 1982, sells more than 1 million vehicles each year online for insurance companies, banks, finance companies, fleet operators, dealers, the general public and others. Copart’s extensive inventory allows buyers to browse more than 50,000 vehicles each day. For details, visit www.Copart.com.

About NASCAR Racing at The Milwaukee Mile

The Milwaukee Mile is the oldest active motor speedway in the world, dating back to 1903. There have been 32 NASCAR-sanctioned events held at America’s Legendary Oval since 1984. The Mile is also one of the four original tracks still on the NCWTS schedule since the series’ inception in 1995. For details on the speedway’s entire 2009 season, visit www.milwaukeemile.com.

- The Milwaukee Mile Press Release