Dan Fredrickson and Jerry Wood crowned Champions
By Kari Shear-Carlson
Saturday, Feb 1, 2014-The ARCA Midwest Tour presented by SCAG Power Equipment and Lester Buildings, as well as the SCAG Midwest Truck Tour each crowned a 2013 Champion this past Saturday night at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI. Dan Fredrickson and Jerry Wood were honored as the series’ champions.
Dan Fredrickson took home $6000 in cash, $1000 from Crane Ignitions, four Bassett Wheels, a complete set of rotors from AP Brakes and a full set of pads from Ferodo.
This was Jerry Wood’s third championship in the Midwest Truck Tour. He has been a pioneer of the Truck Tour, and as a mentor and strong supporter of the division he continues to be the backbone in helping the division grow.
In addition to the two champions, several others were recognized for their achievements and contributions to the ARCA Midwest Tour and Midwest Truck Tour.
James Swan earned the ARCAMT Rookie of the Year honors after a hard-fought battle for the title. Swan received a free engine lease from McGunegill Engine Performance, a $5000 transmission from Roltek Transmissions, a free chassis and $2500 in tech support from Pathfinder Chassis, and a complete Five Star Body.
Finishing third in points, Natalie Decker was crowned Rookie of the Year in the Midwest Truck Tour.
Dan Fredrickson seemed to clean house on Saturday night. In addition to his championship prizes he also received a complete Appleton Rack and Pinion for leading the most laps during the season. All drivers who earned fast time throughout the season were put into a drawing for a $500 certificate from Five Star. Once again Dan Fredrickson came away with the prize. Fredrickson wasn’t done yet as he also received the Hard Charger award with prizes including a race ready 4412 carburetor from VDL Fuel Systems and a set of Hedman Hedders.
Each year Mike “Lumpy” Lemke awards a driver who is always prepared for tech and is easy to work with throughout the season. This year’s tech award went to Andrew Morrissey. Andrew received a new Drive Shaft from Quarter Master.
Scott Lofquist, who was unable to attend, received a very special award given by Tim Olson, President, and Steve Einhaus, Vice President of the ARCAMT. Deciding on the Official of the Year is always a difficult decision and this year’s award was well-deserved. Scott was recognized for his continued dedication to the series. Scott designs and maintains the website, creation of banners, ads, programs and the like; all of those things that make the ARCAMT look as professional as it does.
David Fredrickson received a headset from Racing Electronics for the Spotter of the Year Award. Fredrickson also received a new 211 Miller Welder as the Crew Chief of the Year. David could always be seen with a smile on his face and understands the sport as both a driver and a crew chief.
The newly announced “Seal the Deal” Award was awarded to Nathan Haseleu. This award is for a driver who races hard, clean, respects his competitors, and continually supports the Midwest Tour in a positive manner. Fel Pro Product Manager, Ron Rotunno was on hand to present the $2000 certificate from Federal Mogul Corporation to be used for any of their products.
Jeff Storm received a certificate from Lane Automotive and five Hypercoil springs for the Dedication Award given him. “Stormy” is notably one of the most dedicated drivers in the series. Not only does he never give up but he’s one of the first to offer ways to help make the series better and an all around great guy.
One award that presents a challenge to select each and every year is the Car Owner of the Year Award. This award was given to a car owner who not only supports his own teams and respects the officials, but has also provided teams with the tools needed to have some of the best looking cars on the track. His support continually goes above and beyond any expectations. Joe Hunter, owner of Nathan Haseleu’s and Jeremy Miller’s RaceTeamGear.com and The Swiss Colony teams received a plaque and a certificate from Quarter Master.
One of the most prestigious awards received in the ARCA Midwest Tour is the Larry Detjens Sportsmanship award. This award is given to a driver who demonstrates sportsmanship amongst his peers, fans, and officials throughout the year. This year’s winner was James Swan. Swan is a true example of sportsmanship and has always been respected in the racing community. He received a picture designed by Scott Lofquist of SpeedXDesign and $1000 from Comp Cams.
Natalie Decker received the Sportsmanship Award in the Midwest Truck Tour for her upbeat personality and one who quickly earned the respect of each and every driver. Natalie received a set of Bassett Wheels.
Ken Schmelzer was recognized as the Crew Chief of the Year in the Midwest Truck Tour for his dedication and support of Jerry Wood over the years.
B&B Engines was recognized as the engine builder of the year receiving $1000 from Crane Ignitions.
Each driver attending Saturday night’s festivities went into a drawing for a SCAG Freedom Z mower valued at $7000. The winner of the mower was Chris Wimmer.
The banquet was followed up by comedic entertainment provided by Todd Andrews.
The next event for the ARCA Midwest Tour is the 7-Up 150, a combined event with the ARCA CRA Super Series, on April 11th and 12th in Toledo, OH.
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.comor 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.
