Click for the Howie Lettow Memorial 150 Entry Form
ARCA Midwest Tour Officials Raise Purse, Open Provisionals & More
From the first time the ARCA Midwest Tour cars laid rubber down at the historic Milwaukee Mile for the inaugural Howie Lettow Memorial 150 in 2012, event organizers, racers and fans alike knew a new short track racing tradition had begun. The 2012 edition featured NASCAR stars, short track standouts and a racing-hungry crowd that witnessed the birth of something special at the hallowed mile in Wisconsin.
But the Second-Annual Swiss Colony Howie Lettow Memorial 150 presented by RaceTeamGear.com, a part of ARCAFEST at Milwaukee this July 8-9, has seen the excitement level raised to a whole new level.
Series officials announced today an increased winner’s purse, enhanced provisional starting position opportunities and more racer and fan-friendly enhancements to this year’s event.
Racers from throughout the country will battle on one of the most historic short tracks for $10,000 in the second-annual Howie Lettow Memorial 150 as part of ARCAFEST in Milwaukee. Already, 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth has signed on to compete in the Howie Lettow Memorial 150 with even NASCAR stars to be added to the lineup soon.
Add those racers to an impressive list of Late Model standouts from coast-to-coast, including 2012 winner Travis Sauter, that can enter now with the release of the 2013 Howie Lettow Memorial 150 entry form and the second-annual event at Milwaukee is shaping up to be even bigger than its outstanding debut last season.
“I think we were all pleasantly surprised with the results of last year’s event at the Mile,” said ARCA Midwest Tour Vice President Steve Einhaus. “Our intentions were to build an event that could be the spectacle of racing in the upper Midwest and we are pretty confident that we are on the right track. We really had to find a starting point last year and now we feel we can take it to the next level by stepping it up to $10,000 to win.”
With interest in the race coming from drivers not just in the ARCA Midwest Tour, but also drivers from various Super Late Model tours throughout the country, officials will award provisional starting positions to non-qualifying drivers from numerous series and major short track events. The highest-finishing driver from the 2012 Snowball Derby that does not transfer to the Howie Lettow Memorial 150 through qualifying procedures will be awarded a provisional starting position. Also, provisional spots will be awarded to the highest non-qualifying driver from the Southern Super Series and the ARCA/CRA Super Series as of the ARCAFEST/Lettow Memorial event. A final provisional starting position will be granted to the non-qualifying driver with the earliest post-marked entry date.
“We were very impressed with the support we received from other parts of the country at last year’s event and I look forward to even more this year,” added Einhaus. “We don’t get to see a lot of the guys (and gals) very often and I was very thankful that they came up to race. That is why we decided to add some special provisionals for ARCA/CRA, Snowball Derby, the new Southern Super Series and a important one by post mark entry date. The earlier drivers enter, the better their chances for a provisional.
“We have a high amount of respect for the promoters in all of those areas and they have some of the best racers. The added provisionals can put those that are eligible at ease about traveling up to Milwaukee.”
To help the racers making the trip to Milwaukee a bit easier on the pocketbook, ARCAMT Officials are also keeping this year’s Lettow 150 a six-tire race. Also, ARCA Midwest Tour rules for the event, which can be found at www.arcamidwesttour.com, have been opened up to the Progressive Racing Engines sealed engine that is popular in Super Late Model Series throughout the Southeast.
“We have tried to look at this event very closely on the technical side of things and now that we are so very close to everyone across the country, it will make things so much easier for the travelers,” said ARCAMT President Tim Olson. “We have had a large amount of requests from the southern drivers to consider the Progressive motor as an option so we have made a provision for them after doing some testing on the package. I think now we can be safe to say, we are opening our arms to everyone that wants to experience this event.”
Additional procedural changes for racers include a change to the tire selection process for the Lettow 150 and an earlier, optional parking opportunity. Tire selection will be based on the top 15 in ARCA Midwest Tour first, followed by post mark entry date. The earlier you enter, the higher up on the list for tire selections and provisional. Teams will be able to park their rigs Sunday evening July 7 if they so choose. All the transporters must be parked Monday morning, July 8.
For fans, classic rockers 38 Special will perform on Monday, July 8th following the on-track activity at the Milwaukee Mile. Reserved camping spots can be arranged through Steve Einhaus of the ARCA Midwest Tour by emailing steve@arcamidwesttour.com.
Series officials have also arranged for a free shuttle to take teams back and forth to the Sheraton Hotel in Brookfield, Wisconsin, the official hotel of ARCAFEST, Sunday night and then each morning and evening.
Be sure to follow the ARCA Midwest Tour on Facebook (midwesttour) and Twitter (@midwesttour).
To learn more about the Automobile Racing Club of America Midwest Tour, log on to arcamidwesttour.com. For questions call the ARCA Midwest Tour office at (262) 729-4111 or Tim Olson at (612) 327-5831 or Steve Einhaus (630) 212-6022 at or e-mail Tim Olson at tim@arcamidwesttour.com or Steve Einhaus at steve@arcamidwesttour.com.
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.
