The ARTGO Challenge Series was a late model short track racing series that ran in the Midwestern United States from 1975 until 1998. Many race car drivers have used the ARTGO series as a stepping stone to get into

ASA ASA as an abbreviation or initialism may refer to: Biology and medicine * Accessible surface area of a biomolecule, accessible to a solvent * Acetylsalicylic acid, aspirin * Advanced surface ablation, refractive eye surgery * Anterior spinal ar ...

, ARCA, and NASCAR. 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. 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 (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. Men ...

, Matt Kenseth (2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion), Butch Miller, Dick Trickle,

Joe Shear Joe Shear, Sr. (May 8, 1943 – March 6, 1998) was an American stock car racing driver from Clinton, Wisconsin. He won an estimated 350 races in his career, including four of his last five races. Fred Nielsen, Shear's car owner from 1975 to ...

, Jim Sauter, Eddie Hoffman, Steve Carlson, Kevin Cywinski, Jim Weber, Justin Diercks,

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 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 Rac ...

*2016

*2015

*2014

*2013

Dan Fredrickson Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoir ...

*2012

Jonathan Eilen Jonathan may refer to: *Jonathan (name), a masculine given name Media * ''Jonathan'' (1970 film), a German film directed by Hans W. Geißendörfer * ''Jonathan'' (2016 film), a German film directed by Piotr J. Lewandowski * ''Jonathan'' (2018 ...

*2011 Andrew Morrissey *2010 Steve Carlson *2009 Steve Carlson *2008

*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

*2005 Justin Diercks *2004 Justin Diercks *2003 Steve Carlson *2002 Steve Carlson *2001 Steve Carlson *2000 Steve Carlson *1999 Brian Hoppe *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 Linu ...

*1996 Steve Carlson *1995 Kevin Cywinski *1994 Steve Carlson *1993 Jim Weber *1992 Jim Weber *1991 Steve Carlson *1990 Steve Carlson *1989

*1988 Butch Miller *1987 Dick Trickle *1986

*1985 Dick Trickle *1984 Dick Trickle *1983 Dick Trickle *1982 Jim Sauter *1981 Jim Sauter *1980 Dick Trickle *1979 Dick Trickle *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 *1976 Dave Watson *1975 Tom Reffner

External links

NASCAR Touring SeriesPhil Pash's World of WheelsARTGO Challenge Series (1975-1997) archive
at The Third Turn
NASCAR Midwest Series (1998–2006) archive
at The Third Turn
NASCAR Midwest Series (1998–2006) archive
at 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