The ARTGO Challenge Series was a
late model
A late model car is a car which has been recently designed or manufactured, often the latest model. (An early model car or classic car is a car old enough to be of historical interest; there is no usual intermediate term.)
The precise definition ...
short track racing series that ran in the
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
from 1975 until 1998. Many race car drivers have used the ARTGO series as a stepping stone to get into
ASA,
ARCA, and
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...
.
Art Frigo created the series with the help of Bob Roper and John McKarns. He came up with the name by taking his first full name and the last two letters of his last name, coming up with the name ARTGO. The first race was held on September 7, 1975, at the Grundy County Speedway in
Morris, Illinois
Morris is a city in and the county seat of Grundy County, Illinois, United States and part of the southwest Chicago metropolitan area. The population was estimated at 15,053 in 2019.
Description
Morris is the Grundy County seat and has a larg ...
. The inaugural Wayne Carter Classic was won by Tom Reffner.
Frigo sold the series to John & Sue McKarns in 1979. In 1998 the McKarns licensed the name to NASCAR and NASCAR took full control of the series. The series went through different name changes with different title sponsors, including the RE/MAX Challenge Series, International Truck & Engine Midwest Series, and finally the AutoZone Elite Division, Midwest Series.
Under the NASCAR era, the series had identical rules to three other NASCAR regional series (Northwest, Southeast and Southwest). In 2006, after dwindling car counts and lack of races on the schedule NASCAR finally shut down the AutoZone Elite Division.
To replace the NASCAR Midwest Series, the
ARCA Midwest Tour
The ASA Midwest Tour (until 2022: ARCA Midwest Tour) is a pavement Super Late Model auto racing series based in the Midwestern United States with its headquarters in Oregon, Wisconsin. It was a developmental series of the Automobile Racing Club ...
(ASA Midwest Tour 2007–2012) was created in 2007 by Racing Speed Associates, LLC as a new touring series that was similar in format to the former ARTGO Challenge Series. The ARTGO series had drivers like
Paul Menard
John Paul Christian Menard (born August 21, 1980) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver who last competed part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 66 Toyota Tundra for ThorSport Racing.
M ...
,
Matt Kenseth
Matthew Roy Kenseth (born March 10, 1972) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He drives the No. 8 car in the Superstar Racing Experience. (SRX)
Kenseth started racing on several short tracks in Wisconsin and won track cha ...
(2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion),
Butch Miller,
Dick Trickle
Richard Leroy Trickle (October 27, 1941 – May 16, 2013) was an American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All ...
,
Joe Shear,
Jim Sauter
Jim Sauter (June 1, 1943 – October 31, 2014) was an American stock car racing driver from Necedah, Wisconsin. He formerly raced in all three of NASCAR's national series, and is best known for having been a test driver for the International Ra ...
, Eddie Hoffman, Steve Carlson,
Kevin Cywinski
Kevin Cywinski (born March 16, 1965) is a former NASCAR driver. He competed in the Craftsman Truck Series full-time in 1998 and 1999, as well as some races in the Busch Series. After leaving NASCAR, he went back down to the short-track ranks. He w ...
, Jim Weber,
Justin Diercks
Justin Diercks (born April 4, 1980) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He previously drove the No. 70 car for ML Motorsports. He made his Busch Series debut in 2006 in the Circuit City 250 at Richmond International Raceway. He ...
,
Tim Schendel
Tim Schendel (born May 10, 1979) is an American professional stock car racing driver. A past winner of the Toyota All-Star Showdown and champion of the NASCAR Midwest Tour, he has also competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the ASA Midwes ...
,
Jason Schuler
Jason Patrick Schuler (born February 24, 1972) is an American former stock car racing driver. He competed in the NASCAR Busch Series from 2000 to 2004. He is currently building cars for JJ Fabrication, Inc. (formerly Pathfinder Chassis), the comp ...
and Jeff Frederickson.
Past ASA/ARCA Midwest Tour Champions
*2017
Ty Majeski
Tyler B. Majeski (born August 18, 1994) is an American professional stock car racing driver who mainly competes in late model racing. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 66 Ford F-150 for ThorSport R ...
*2016
Ty Majeski
Tyler B. Majeski (born August 18, 1994) is an American professional stock car racing driver who mainly competes in late model racing. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 66 Ford F-150 for ThorSport R ...
*2015
Ty Majeski
Tyler B. Majeski (born August 18, 1994) is an American professional stock car racing driver who mainly competes in late model racing. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 66 Ford F-150 for ThorSport R ...
*2014
Ty Majeski
Tyler B. Majeski (born August 18, 1994) is an American professional stock car racing driver who mainly competes in late model racing. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 66 Ford F-150 for ThorSport R ...
*2013
Dan Fredrickson
*2012
Jonathan Eilen
*2011
Andrew Morrissey
The Rev. Andrew Morrissey, C.S.C. (November 16, 1860 – May 27, 1921) was an Irish-American priest and President of the University of Notre Dame from 1893 to 1905, after having served previously as director of studies. He was born in 1860 ...
*2010
Steve Carlson
Steven Edward Carlson (born August 26, 1955) is an American former NHL professional ice hockey forward and a former minor league hockey coach.
Biography
Carlson was born in Virginia, Minnesota. He appeared in the movie ''Slap Shot'' as one of ...
*2009 Steve Carlson
*2008
Dan Fredrickson
*2007
Nathan Haseleu
Nathan Haseleu (born November 24, 1977; pronounced HAWS-lie) is a racecar driver from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. His career peaked in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with four Top 10 finishes for Roush Racing. Haseleu has also competed in the ...
Past NASCAR/Midwest Champions
*2006
Tim Schendel
Tim Schendel (born May 10, 1979) is an American professional stock car racing driver. A past winner of the Toyota All-Star Showdown and champion of the NASCAR Midwest Tour, he has also competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the ASA Midwes ...
*2005
Justin Diercks
Justin Diercks (born April 4, 1980) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He previously drove the No. 70 car for ML Motorsports. He made his Busch Series debut in 2006 in the Circuit City 250 at Richmond International Raceway. He ...
*2004
Justin Diercks
Justin Diercks (born April 4, 1980) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He previously drove the No. 70 car for ML Motorsports. He made his Busch Series debut in 2006 in the Circuit City 250 at Richmond International Raceway. He ...
*2003
Steve Carlson
Steven Edward Carlson (born August 26, 1955) is an American former NHL professional ice hockey forward and a former minor league hockey coach.
Biography
Carlson was born in Virginia, Minnesota. He appeared in the movie ''Slap Shot'' as one of ...
*2002 Steve Carlson
*2001 Steve Carlson
*2000 Steve Carlson
*1999
Brian Hoppe
Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world.
It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word mea ...
*1998 Steve Carlson
Past ARTGO Champions
*1997
Eddie Hoffman
Eddie or Eddy may refer to:
Science and technology
* Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle
*Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Lin ...
*1996
Steve Carlson
Steven Edward Carlson (born August 26, 1955) is an American former NHL professional ice hockey forward and a former minor league hockey coach.
Biography
Carlson was born in Virginia, Minnesota. He appeared in the movie ''Slap Shot'' as one of ...
*1995
Kevin Cywinski
Kevin Cywinski (born March 16, 1965) is a former NASCAR driver. He competed in the Craftsman Truck Series full-time in 1998 and 1999, as well as some races in the Busch Series. After leaving NASCAR, he went back down to the short-track ranks. He w ...
*1994 Steve Carlson
*1993
Jim Weber
Jim or JIM may refer to:
* Jim (given name), a given name
* Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James
* Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy
* OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism
* ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring
* ''Jim' ...
*1992 Jim Weber
*1991 Steve Carlson
*1990 Steve Carlson
*1989
Joe Shear
*1988
Butch Miller
*1987
Dick Trickle
Richard Leroy Trickle (October 27, 1941 – May 16, 2013) was an American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All ...
*1986
Joe Shear
*1985
Dick Trickle
Richard Leroy Trickle (October 27, 1941 – May 16, 2013) was an American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All ...
*1984
Dick Trickle
Richard Leroy Trickle (October 27, 1941 – May 16, 2013) was an American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All ...
*1983
Dick Trickle
Richard Leroy Trickle (October 27, 1941 – May 16, 2013) was an American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All ...
*1982
Jim Sauter
Jim Sauter (June 1, 1943 – October 31, 2014) was an American stock car racing driver from Necedah, Wisconsin. He formerly raced in all three of NASCAR's national series, and is best known for having been a test driver for the International Ra ...
*1981 Jim Sauter
*1980
Dick Trickle
Richard Leroy Trickle (October 27, 1941 – May 16, 2013) was an American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All ...
*1979
Dick Trickle
Richard Leroy Trickle (October 27, 1941 – May 16, 2013) was an American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All ...
*1978
Tom Reffner
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in '' Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
*1977
Dick Trickle
Richard Leroy Trickle (October 27, 1941 – May 16, 2013) was an American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All ...
*1976
Dave Watson
David Watson (born 20 November 1961) is an English football manager and former professional footballer.
As a player, he was a defender from 1980 to 2001. He played his entire career for Norwich City and Everton. With the Toffees he played in ...
*1975 Tom Reffner
External links
NASCAR Touring SeriesPhil Pash's World of WheelsARTGO Challenge Series (1975-1997) archiveat The Third Turn
NASCAR Midwest Series (1998–2006) archiveat The Third Turn
NASCAR Midwest Series (1998–2006) archiveat Racing-Reference
Stock car racing series in the United States
NASCAR series
Sports in the Midwestern United States
Recurring events established in 1975
Organizations disestablished in 2006
{{NASCAR-stub