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1. Miller Park. The event takes place in the parking lot of the stadium for the Major League Baseball team of the Milwaukee Brewers. The stadium and surrounding lots were completed in 2001, the surface has continued to get better over the years and is one of the best sites in the country. Grip levels are similar to Lincoln Airpark, as proof, many of the Milwaukee Region soloists run the exact same setup when they head to Nationals every year. The course looks to be challenging and fun… large offsets, a big fast sweeper that should be a hoot, some decreasing radius turns which will reward the patient, several transitional maneuvers, and a couple places for the horses under the hood to run free. If you can’t get enough of the parking lot, and would like to get a closer view of the stadium, Friday’s Front Row Sports Grill is located inside the stadium and open daily, you can head in there for lunch or dinner if you’d like. You can even request a table overlooking left field and enjoy the smells of great food and major league grass.
2. Local Culture, Live Music, Nightlife. If you are looking to explore what Milwaukee has to offer on Friday or Saturday night with your solo comrades, you have lots of options.
If you’d like to sway to the sounds of music you have a several choices. The Summerfest Grounds on the shores of Lake Michigan will be playing host to Irish Fest over the weekend, it features authentic Irish food, culture, and live music from Thursday until Sunday night. If you’re looking for something on the wild side, you are welcome to "Feast with the Beasts" at the Milwaukee Zoo’s a la Carte. Numerous national and local bands will be performing throughout the zoo grounds and more than 25 restaurants will be serving scrumptious food. With our last suggestion we have the Koss Lunar Series, the evening will be filled with relaxing sounds of jazz music, taking place on the tallest rooftop in Milwaukee, all while providing a perfect view of Lake Michigan. If you get into town earlier on Friday the Harley-Davidson Museum is one of the premier tourist attractions in Milwaukee and features more than 400 motorcycles on display, all located in a unique building on the riverfront. If motorcycles aren’t your thing, or you get into town later in the evening, you can seek out the award winning RiverWalk, which features about three miles of riverfront walkway through the heart of the City, includes interesting vistas and vantage points, art installations, restaurants, shopping, and watering holes.
3. Learn from the Best. There are lots of really good drivers in the area, not only will you get to compete against them at the Match Tour, you also have the opportunity to learn from some of them before the event. There will be a SCCA™ Starting Line school being offered on Friday. If you are a driver that would like to get some personal instruction to help improve your skills, the SCCA™ Starting Line school is a great way to do so. They offer great packages for new drivers that include a helmet, SCCA™ membership, entry into the Match Tour & a region event. If you’re already a current SCCA™ member they will apply the membership as a renewal. Check the website for more details.
4. Free Beer. It’s Brew City, what can we say! Just like in past years, there will be free beer for adult consumption at the trophy presentation (i.e. after driving is complete for the day); non-alcoholic beverages will be provided as well. Nothing tops off a day of competition better than a couple beers with your fellow cone dodgers to celebrate their accomplishments.
If you don’t think the trophy presentation will provide your fix of beer, one of the oldest operating breweries in North American (Miller Brewing Company) is basically a He-man stone’s throw from the event site. They offer free brewery tours and you get three free beers at the end. If Miller Brewing doesn’t have your preferred glass of pilsner, there are several craft breweries and distilleries close to the site which offer tours for less than $10, and there is sure to be some sampling along the way!
You can head to the Milwaukee Brewery Tour website (http://milwaukeebrewerytours.com/) for more information on tours in the area, just remember, you’ll want a clear head for the competition the next days, so enjoy responsibly.
If you’re looking for some great restaurants that brew their own goodness, you guessed it, Milwaukee delivers! Be sure to check out Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewer, Water Street Brewery, Milwaukee Ale House, or Horny Goat Hidaway. Last, but not least, Café Benalux in the history third ward, it features a 40-page beer menu along with a diverse food menu that is tasty and unique.
5. Brew City Shootout Brackets! At the 2013 Milwaukee Match Tour a group of distinguished gentleman sat at the foot of the course and claimed to know who the best in the land was. Everyone’s picks were recorded, and the Brew City Brackets were born. Due to its high level of success, the common folk of Milwaukee Region will be once again organize this game of infinite solo driver picking knowledge.
OK, let’s be honest, you don’t need to have infinite solo knowledge, you just need to have an opinion on who you think is going to win. Whether you just got knocked out of a Shootout, just advanced in a Shootout, or weren’t fortunate enough to make a Shootout, you are going to want to pull out your folding chair, find a place to watch the battles go down, and root for your picks like they are your first born. All drivers are welcome to submit a bracket with their driver choices, logic need not be used or implied, and smack talk is encouraged. The entrant with the best bracket will be take home the top prize, it might be currency, or it might just be a piece of cheese!
All said and done, great friends and great racing set in the heart of a city that is full of lots of culture, entertainment, food, and breweries. So whether you’re coming in from north of the border, from the Midwest, or from east (the I-294 bypass around Chicago has made the drive much better) you are going to be heading home wishing the weekend lasted longer!
