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 used the ARTGO series as a stepping stone to get into ASA, 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 ASA Midwest Tour 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, Matt Kenseth (2003 NASCAR Cup Series Champion), Butch Miller, Dick Trickle, Joe Shear, Jim Sauter, Eddie Hoffman, Steve Carlson, Kevin Cywinski, Jim Weber, Justin Diercks, Tim Schendel, Jason Schuler and Jeff Frederickson.
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...
winning many championships along the way. Trickle competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC. In more than an estimated 2,200...
of Champions, as well as winning two championships in the Midwest-based ARTGO Challenge Series. Sauter started racing in 1964 in a modified at Raceway...
year of the decade ended with five wins, including one in ASA and one in ARTGO. He started the eighties by winning 15 times including the Anderson 300...
events at the track. Shear finished second behind Dick Trickle with 58 ARTGO wins and he won the championship of the Midwestern touring series in 1986...
Slinger Super Speedway and Wisconsin International Raceway. He moved to the ARTGO, American Speed Association, and Hooters Late Model touring series before...
IndyCar Series. There have also been many races in regional series such as ARTGO. Famous racers who have won at the track include: Barney Oldfield, Ralph...
along with the CRA Super Series. The series can trace its roots back to the ARTGO series which was formed in 1975. NASCAR sanctioned the tour from 1998 until...
Xfinity), NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, American Speed Association and ARTGO. As a spotter, Fedewa previously worked for Stewart-Haas Racing as a spotter...
ever capture the title at the track at the age of 20. Kvapil moved to the ARTGO Series, a Midwest asphalt short-track motor-racing touring series. He finished...
driver. A native of Lake Forest, Illinois, Seligman raced in the ARCA, ARTGO and ASA series during the 1980s. Starting in 1989, Seligman moved to the...
Menards Series East & West Monaco Cocktails Gateway Classic 125 (2018–2019) ARTGO Challenge Series (1997) ASA National Tour (2000) ASA Late Model Series (2008–2009)...
(1965-03-16) March 16, 1965 (age 59) Mosinee, Wisconsin, U.S. Awards 1995 ARTGO champion 1997 American Speed Association champion 2003 American Speed Association...
season, campaigned his 1978 AMX in races that included winning the April 8 ARTGO opener in 1979 at Wisconsin's Madison Capital Raceway with temperatures...
IndyCar Series. There have also been many races in regional series such as ARTGO. (R) denotes rookie driver. The first and only practice session was held...
is used for stock car racing. The track has hosted races featuring the ARTGO Challenge Series, the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Midwest Series, the...
NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Alan Kulwicki on local racetracks on the ASA, ARTGO, and regional circuits, which led to the association of his car number 97...
Midwestern series such as the American Speed Association (ASA), ARCA, and ARTGO. USAC Stock Cars raced on dirt tracks, asphalt ovals and road courses. The...
IndyCar Series. There have also been many races in regional series such as ARTGO. (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series...
late model division at Madison International Speedway. He was named the ARTGO Series (now NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Midwest Series) rookie-of-the-year...
place at Capital. He raced the car at Slinger Super Speedway and selected ARTGO races. He won his first late model feature that season at Lake Geneva. In...
drivers from other states often participate. The event was sanctioned by ARTGO for several years, and it became part of the CRA Super Series tour in 2004...
numerous touring series, including annual Mid-American stockcars, and nine ARTGO Super Late Models / NASCAR Midwest Series races between 1998 and 2005. On...
Weekly Racing Series. Regional to nationally known touring series, such as ARTGO and Mid American Stock Car Series have held special events these at both...
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