Cheryl Lettow and Madison International Speedway owner Gregg McKarns have announced that Round 3 of the Super Late Model Triple Crown Challenge on Friday, August 21st will be the Howie Lettow Memorial 50.
“We are very honored to be able to host this event at Madison for the final round of the Triple Crown Challenge,” said McKarns.
Howie Lettow passed away in 2010 at the age of 62 after battling cancer. He was a highly respected crew chief who led eight different drivers to rookie of the year honors in the American Speed Association. Best known of that group is six-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. Other drivers included Scott Hansen, Ken Lund, David Stremme, Ted Musgrave, Steve Holzhausen, Steve Carlson, and Ricky Johnson. Lettow won an ASA championship in 1996 as crew chief for Tony Raines.
He also won three straight championships from 2005-2007 in the ASA Late Model Challenge Series with Stephen Leicht, Kelly Bires, and Travis Dassow behind the wheel.
Madison will be a new look for the Howie Lettow Memorial. Previous winners of the race include Erik Jones (2014), Kyle Busch (2013), and Travis Sauter (2012), All three of those races were held at the Milwaukee Mile.
Ty Majeski of Seymour, Wisconsin, and Casey Johnson of Edgerton, Wisconsin, picked up the checkered flags in the first two rounds of the Triple Crown Challenge.
After two races Jeremy Miller of Rockford, Illinois, leads the point standings with 204 points followed by Paul Shafer Jr. of Portage, Indiana, with 195 and Jeff Storm of East Troy, Wisconsin, with 172. Rounding out the top five are Dave Feiler of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, with 165 and Dale Nottestad of Cambridge, Wisconsin, with 148. A total of thirty-one drivers have competed in the first two events.
Chris Wimmer was last year’s Triple Crown Challenge winner with Casey Johnson winning in 2013 and Nathan Haseleu in 2012.
Pit gates will open at 3:30 with practice at 5:00, qualifying at 6:20, and racing at 7:30. This race is part of Salute to Agriculture Night that will also include the American Ethanol Super Trucks, Pellitteri Waste Systems Bandits, and 6Shooters.