NASCAR postpones trucks race at Milwaukee, rescheduled for Saturday

NASCAR postpones Milwaukee trucks race to Saturday

WEST ALLIS, Wis. — The Camping World Truck series race at the Milwaukee Mile has been postponed by rain on Friday and is rescheduled for Saturday afternoon.

Heavy showers swept through the Milwaukee area for the second night in a row, forcing series officials to postpone the race until 12:30 p.m. CDT. The previous night’s storms also flooded a portion of the Milwaukee Brewers’ Miller Park.

Brian Ickler, whose team is leading the truck series owner points because Sprint Cup series star Kyle Busch won two races for them earlier in the season, will start on the pole Saturday. The Milwaukee Mile’s Nationwide Series race remains scheduled for Saturday night.

Sunny and warm weather is expected in the Milwaukee area Saturday.

The truck series arrived in Milwaukee without defending series champion and Milwaukee Mile race winner Johnny Benson, who lost his ride when his Red Horse Racing team failed to secure sponsorship earlier this month.

Benson then was hospitalized after crashing in a non-NASCAR race last weekend.

“I think it’s kind of a bummer not to have the series champion in the race, and then on top of it, him getting hurt,” said Nationwide series driver Jason Leffler, a former truck series racer.

Benson suffered burns and broken ribs after his vehicle collided with another car, slammed into a wall and burst into flames during an International SuperModified Association race at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich. He was released from the hospital Tuesday.

“I haven’t talked to him, but (driver) Todd Bodine told me that he has some broken ribs and maybe a collapsed lung, but he’s going to be all right,” Leffler said. “Our thoughts are with him, obviously.”

Milwaukee Mile spokesman Jim Tretow said tickets for Friday’s race would be honored for the rescheduled trucks race Saturday, and the grandstands then would be cleared out to make room for fans holding tickets to Saturday night’s previously scheduled Nationwide race.

Saturday Nationwide ticket holders also may enter the grandstands before the trucks race, but will be told their ticket is a general admission ticket — instead of a reserved seat — until the trucks race is over.

Track officials also warned that the infield entrance might not open immediately for parking Saturday morning because of potential flooding in the infield tunnel.