The Super Late Models are back in action on Wisconsin’s Fastest Half-Mile as part of the annual Howie Lettow Classic this Friday night.
The race will be the Championship Round of the Super Late Model Triple Crown Challenge. This is the second year the event will be held here after the first three events took place at the Milwaukee Mile. Last year’s race was rained out.
All Super Late Model teams are invited to this race honoring one of the great names in short track racing who passed away in 2010 at the age of 62 following a battle with cancer.
Lettow 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 Pat Schauer, 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.
There is quite an impressive list of past winners of this event. Ty Majeski of Seymour, Wisconsin, won the 2015 race while Erik Jones (2014), Kyle Busch (2013), and Travis Sauter (2012) also took home checkered flags. The first three events were held at the Milwaukee Mile.
The Lettow Classic is the third round of the Super Late Model Triple Crown Challenge at Madison. Dan Fredrickson and Rich Bickle Jr. won the first two races held in June and July. Overall point standings are maintained with qualifying, heat race, and feature points all calculating into the total. Fredrickson is the current point leader with 237 points followed in the top five by Bickle Jr. (208), Bobby Wilberg (181), John Beale (175), and Paul Shafer Jr. (166).
Past champions of the Triple Crown Challenge at Madison are Casey Johnson (2016), Jeremy Miller (2015), Chris Wimmer (2014), Johnson (2013), and Nathan Haseleu (2012) also winners.
Three additional divisions will be on-track too.
The Midwest Trucks will be making their fourth appearance of the season at Madison with Kevin Knuese, Nick Egan and Chester Ace taking home victories. The trucks have competed in nearly 80 feature events at Madison since 1997.
For the first time ever, the Northern Illinois Vintage Stock Cars will also be in action on ‘Wisconsin’s Fastest Half-Mile’.
The Central States Region Super Cups will also be in action with Jamie Domski the winner earlier this year.
Adult tickets are $18.00 / Seniors and Whelen Heroes $16.00 / Students 12-17 $10.00 / Children 6-11 $5.00 / Kids 5 and under free. A “Family” ticket is just $40.00 and includes two adults and up to four students / children which can be a savings of up to $36.00.
Pit gates will open at 3:30 with practice at 5:00, grandstands open at 6:00, qualifying at 6:15, and racing at 7:30.