ARTGO

The ARTGO Challenge Series was a United States midwest short track racing series that ran from 1975 until 2006. Many race car drivers have used the ARTGO series as a stepping stone to get into ASA, ARCA, and NASCAR. A guy by the name of 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 September 7, 1975 which was held at the Grundy County Speedway in Morris, Illinois. The event was won by Tom Reffner. Art Frigo sold the whole series to John and Sue McKarns in 1979. In 1998 John McKarns licensed the name to NASCAR and NASCAR took full control over 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 Auto Zone Midwest Tour. Under the NASCAR era the series had identical rules to three other NASCAR regional series through the Midwest. NASCAR called it the Auto Zone Elite Division. In 2006, after dwindling car counts and lack of races on the schedule NASCAR finally shut down the NASCAR Midwest Tour as well as other three Elite divisions series.

Past ASA Midwest Tour Champions

*2007 Nathan Haseleu

Past NASCAR/Midwest Champions

*2006 Tim Schendel
*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
*1996 Steve Carlson
*1995 Kevin Cywinski
*1994 Steve Carlson
*1993 Jim Weber
*1992 Jim Weber
*1991 Steve Carlson
*1990 Steve Carlson
*1989 Joe Shear
*1988 Butch Miller
*1987 Dick Trickle
*1986 Joe Shear
*1985 Dick Trickle
*1984 Dick Trickle
*1983 Dick Trickle
*1982 Jim Sauter
*1981 Jim Sauter
*1980 Dick Trickle
*1979 Dick Trickle
*1978 Tom Reffner
*1977 Dick Trickle
*1976 Dave Watson
*1975 Tom Reffner

Future ARTGO History Website

Currently in development is a brand new ARTGO history website. The website is being built by Matt Record. Record made the original ARTGO history website which made its debut on the internet on April 5, 2002. The website also covered the racing action of the NASCAR RE/MAX Challenge Series for 2002 and 2003 season. After the 2003 season the website sat dormant with no updates. This time with the help of John McKarns, Record has plans to create a new website for the ARTGO Challenge Series history. Record hopes to have the website up by September of 2008. Record is saying that there is going to be a lot more stuff on the website than the last one. There is going to be a lot more stats, photos, stories as well as other stuff covering the history of the ARTGO Challenge Series. This is what Record has to say about the new website.

"Back in 2002 I released a website on the history of the ARTGO Challenge Series. The website got a lot of attention from race fans from all around the country. The thing is besides covering the RE/MAX Challenge Series I really didn't put anything new on the website about the history of the series. The website didn't have a lot of photos or stories. There was also a lot of spelling errors in the stats which I nevered fixed. This time around with the help of John McKarns I hope to make a better website. I also want to get the fans and race car drivers involved in this website. I really want this website to be top notch. My goal is to have the website done before Oktoberfest in October."

External links

* [http://premium.nascar.com/TOURING/rmx/ NASCAR Touring Series]
* [http://philpash.com/?p=wheels&a=inc&page=w123005 Phil Pash's World of Wheels]
* [http://www.jcs-group.com/trickle/bio/dr.html ARTGO Past Champions (Dick Trickle Tribute Site)]