SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (WMTV) – For the first time in nearly a decade, the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returned to Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie on Sunday night, giving Wisconsin racing fans one last big show before the season winds down.
Originally scheduled for June 8, the race was rescheduled to Oct. 19 because of weather. Gates opened early, with hot laps at 5:30 p.m. and the green flag waving just after 6:30 p.m. The event marked only the second time the national sprint-car tour has competed at Angell Park, with the previous time being in 2016.
“This is, you know, arguably the best short-track racing,” driver Bill Balog said. “Super high-horsepower cars, very fast, exciting, quick. There’s a lot to it. So yeah, it’s an adrenaline rush.”
Balog — nicknamed the North Pole Nightmare — calls Wisconsin home and has built a massive local following after winning 10 IRA titles. He said returning to Angell Park felt like a full-circle moment.
“Oh, it’s a long story,” Balog said with a laugh. “It’s a family thing. My dad did it. Grandpa raced. So yeah, just kind of caught the bug and stuck with it.”
The late-season stop was also a chance for fans to see local and national talent share the track. Among the next generation of racers watching closely was Lilly Fassbender, a teen competitor who races in the Midwest Legends series.
“A legend. It’s a little coupe car. It’s a 1250 Yamaha motorcycle motor, and we race all over — Sun Prairie, Beaver Dam, Plymouth — everywhere,” Fassbender said.
She said racing can be nerve-wracking, but once she’s behind the wheel, everything else fades.
“It’s awesome,” she said. “You get nervous sometimes, but once you’re in the car, that all goes away. You just think, go out there, have fun, and trust God, it usually goes your way.”
Fassbender said seeing the Outlaws up close was “inspiring.”
“Just watching the cars go around is awesome. They’re going over 100 miles an hour. The energy is awesome. You get really excited when you see the best of the best come out here and race,” she said.
Angell Park Speedway has hosted racing for more than a century. The track is also preparing for the future: a BMX facility is set to open on the grounds in 2026.
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