𝗠𝗶𝗱𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻

It’s a history that goes back all the way to 1997. And when the Midwest Truck Series rolls out onto Wisconsin’s Fastest Half-Mile this Friday night the story will continue.

Madison International Speedway owners Jerry and Kevin Fillner brought the idea of weekly truck racing to Madison back in 1997.

“It will definitely build,” said Jerry Fillner in a 1997 interview in the Wisconsin State Journal as he indicated he expected the series to grow as the season progressed. Based on the popularity of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series which was in its third year and a growing market in truck sales at local auto dealerships. In the same article he said, “Trucks are hot. Ask any new vehicle dealer what he’s selling the most of, he’s selling more pickups than anything.”

Truck racing at Madison actually began late in the 1996 season when an exhibition race was held with five trucks in action. A similar exhibition was also held at Oktoberfest in West Salem later that fall which was won by John Rucker.

The 1997 season at Madison found the Midwest Trucks running as a weekly division running as a support division for the annual Twin 75’s season opener on April 20th. Nine trucks were on hand as Ryan Hanson of Beloit set fast time with a lap of 18.685 with the heat race win going to Rick Nelson. However, Mother Nature took control that day and rain washed out the rest of the racing program.

The trucks returned to Madison on Friday, April 25th for their first night of weekly racing which saw Hanson once again set fast time while Dave Grueneberg picked up the win. Hanson finished second followed by Nelson, Cottam, and Harris.

The next day they headed north to the Dells where Dan Harris picked up the win.

The trucks raced weekly at Madison that first season and when it was all said and done Grueneberg would become the first track champion. Over the years at Madison, eleven drivers have claimed track championships with Grueneberg (1997, 2001) and Dan Harris (1998, 2000) the only two-time champions. Other winners include Charlie Cottam (1999), Todd Norder (2002), Josh Weir (2003), Scott Bleecker (2004), Dann Barber (2005), Jerry Wood (2013), and Blake Brown (2014). Both Wood and Brown continue to compete in the traveling Midwest Truck circuit.

Over 200 truck events have been held at Madison since the debut in 1997. Eleven seasons the trucks were part of the weekly racing program and lately under the current Midwest Truck Series banner. Three other series (Mid Am Trucks, USST Trucks, and American Ethanol Trucks) have also had events at Madison.

Charlie Cottam has the most wins in truck history at Madison with 35 and is one of only four drivers with double digit wins. John Wood (18), Dan Harris (17), and Dave Grueneberg (12) are the others. Adam Shackelford (9), Chester Ace (9), Bill Berg (??, Josh Weir (??, John Grueneberg (6), and Blake Brown (5) make up the top ten. A total of fifty-four different drivers have picked up feature wins when racing their trucks at Madison.

One thing is for certain when you come to Madison…the truck racing is highly competitive and exciting. As a long-time fan who claims to have seen nearly every truck race at Madison over the years said, “I’ve never seen a bad race.”

That’s a lot to be said considering there have been more than 200 races.

Fans can purchase tickets to this Friday's Howie Lettow Memorial online at https://misracing.com/

- Madison Int. Speedway PR Release