| Category | Stock car racing |
|---|---|
| Country |  United States |
| Inaugural season | 2007 |
| Drivers' champion | Casey Johnson (3rd title) |
| Official website | starsnationaltour |
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.[1] It was a developmental series of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), and currently of the American Speed Association, along with the CRA Super Series.[1]
History
The series can trace its roots back to the ARTGO series which was formed in 1975. NASCAR sanctioned the tour from 1998 until 2006. During that time, it was known as the RE/MAX Challenge Series, International Truck & Engine Midwest Series and finally the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Midwest Series. NASCAR discontinued the series in 2006 as car counts dwindled.[1]
Tim Olson and Stephen Einhaus formed Cars and Stars Promotions in 2006 to begin a separate series that replaced the defunct ARTGO/NASCAR series. It was sanctioned by the American Speed Association (ASA) and was known as the ASA Midwest Tour. ARCA took over sanctioning the series in 2013 when it began to be known as the ARCA Midwest Tour.[1] Tim Olson, President of the ARCA Midwest Tour, announced that he has sold the ownership of the ARCA Midwest Tour to former Big 8 series director and Rockford Speedway general manager Gregg McKarns.[2] The purchase of ARCA by NASCAR on April 27, 2018[3][4] indirectly reunited the series with the series' former sanctioning body. Bob Sargent's Track Enterprises announced to purchase the ARCA Midwest Tour from McKarns at the end of 2022, and rebranded it the ASA Midwest Tour.
Drivers
The series has its "Touring Stars" program, which recognizes the top drivers committed to racing the whole schedule. The "Touring Stars" are featured throughout the year on posters and event fliers promoting the series, as well as are eligible for pay bonuses at each race.
There have also been many NASCAR stars that have made appearances in the ASA Midwest Tour, such as Aric Almirola, David Ragan, David Stremme, Rusty Wallace, Tony Stewart, Kelly Bires, Kevin Harvick, Landon Cassill, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Green, Ron Hornaday Jr., Kyle Busch, Travis Kvapil, Todd Kluever, Johnny Sauter, Erik Darnell, Scott Wimmer, Ken Schrader, Tim Sauter, Jay Sauter, Dick Trickle, Natalie Decker, Rich Bickle and William Byron.
Seasons
2023 season
| Rnd | Date | Race Name | Track | Location | Fast Qualifier | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 23 | Miracle On the High Banks 75 | Slinger Speedway | Slinger, Wisconsin | Ryan Farrell | RJ Braun |
| 2 | May 7 | Joe Shear Classic 200 | Madison International Speedway | Oregon, Wisconsin | Paul Shafer Jr. | Ty Majeski |
| 3 | May 27 | Salute the Troops 100 | Jefferson Speedway | Cambridge, Wisconsin | Gabe Sommers | Dalton Zehr |
| 4 | June 18 | Father’s Day 100 | Milwaukee Mile | West Allis, Wisconsin | Ty Majeski | Ty Majeski |
| 5 | July 8 | Wayne Carter Classic 100 | Grundy County Speedway | Morris, Illinois | James Lynch | Paul Shafer Jr. |
| 6 | July 22 | Larry Detjens Memorial 125 | State Park Speedway | Wausau, Wisconsin | Gabe Sommers | Brock Heinrich |
| 7 | August 1 | Gandrud Auto Group 250 | Wisconsin International Raceway | Kaukauna, Wisconsin | Luke Fenhaus | Ty Majeski |
| 8 | August 19 | Hawkeye 100 | Hawkeye Downs Speedway | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Gabe Sommers | Gabe Sommers |
| 9 | August 25 | Howie Lettow Classic 100 | Madison International Speedway | Oregon, Wisconsin | Derek Kraus | Austin Nason |
| 10 | September 2 | Jim Sauter Classic 200 | Dells Raceway Park | Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin | Max Kahler | Ty Majeski |
| ≠ | September 23 | Thunderstruck 93 | Elko Speedway | Elko New Market, Minnesota | Race weekend cancelled due to rain | |
| 11 | October 8 | Oktoberfest 200 | La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway | West Salem, Wisconsin | Ty Fredrickson | Gabe Sommers |
Champions and Rookies of the Year
| Season | Champion | Rookie of the Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Nathan Haseleu | Jonathan Eilen |
| 2008 | Dan Fredrickson | Nick Murgic |
| 2009 | Steve Carlson | Jacob Goede |
| 2010 | Steve Carlson (2) | Ross Kenseth |
| 2011 | Andrew Morrissey | Skylar Holzhausen |
| 2012 | Jonathan Eilen | Matt Tifft |
| 2013 | Dan Fredrickson | James Swan |
| 2014 | Ty Majeski | Ty Majeski |
| 2015 | Ty Majeski (2) | Austin Nason[5] |
| 2016 | Ty Majeski (3) | Casey Johnson |
| 2017 | Ty Majeski (4) | Michael Ostdiek |
| 2018 | Dalton Zehr[6] | Billy Mohn |
| 2019 | Casey Johnson | Gabe Sommers |
| 2020 | Casey Johnson (2) | |
| 2021 | Ty Majeski (5) | Luke Fenhaus |
| 2022 | Casey Johnson (3) | Harley Jankowski |
| 2023 | Gabe Sommers | Bryan Syre-Keske |
Tracks
The series has raced at 23 different race tracks, mainly in the Upper Midwest:
| Track | Town | State | Races |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison International Speedway | Oregon | Wisconsin | 21 |
| La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway | West Salem | Wisconsin | 16 |
| Elko Speedway | Elko | Minnesota | 14 |
| Wisconsin International Raceway | Kaukauna | Wisconsin | 14 |
| Dells Raceway Park | Wisconsin Dells | Wisconsin | 14 |
| Grundy County Speedway | Morris | Illinois | 12 |
| State Park Speedway | Wausau | Wisconsin | 12 |
| Hawkeye Downs Speedway | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | 8 |
| Marshfield Superspeedway | Marshfield | Wisconsin | 8 |
| Norway Speedway | Norway | Michigan | 8 |
| Jefferson Speedway | Cambridge | Wisconsin | 7 |
| Milwaukee Mile | West Allis | Wisconsin | 7 |
| Rockford Speedway | Loves Park | Illinois | 6 |
| Illiana Motor Speedway | Schererville | Indiana | 5 |
| Raceway Park | Shakopee | Minnesota | 5 |
| Iowa Speedway | Newton | Iowa | 4 |
| Toledo Speedway | Toledo | Ohio | 2 |
| Gateway International Speedway | Madison | Illinois | 2 |
| Golden Sands Speedway | Plover | Wisconsin | 2 |
| Berlin Raceway | Marne | Michigan | 1 |
| I-94 Speedway | Sauk Centre | Minnesota | 1 |
| Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway | Nashville | Tennessee | 1 |
| Slinger Speedway | Slinger | Wisconsin | 1 |
References
- 1 2 3 4 Kallman, Dave (November 13, 2012). "Midwest Tour joins ARCA stock-car family for 2013". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
- ↑ "McKarns Takes Over ARCA Midwest Tour Ownership | Speed 51 | 100% Short Track Racing". speed51.com. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
- ↑ Dale, Holly (April 27, 2018). "NASCAR acquires ARCA, affirming commitment to next generation of racers". NASCAR. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
- ↑ "NASCAR Welcomes ARCA to the Family". Automobile Racing Club of America. April 27, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
- ↑ Kevin Ramsell & Stephanie Johnson. "Dan Fredrickson's Late Charge Makes him a Four-Time Oktoberfest Winner". LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
- ↑ "Zehr Clinches ARCA Midwest Title Over Upset Nason". Speed51.com. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
External links
- ARCA Midwest Tour
- ARCA Midwest Tour at The Third Turn