Bryan Hulbert – LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (October 7, 2020) From a destroyed car on Friday night to Victory Lane on Saturday, the 33rd COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires will be one that Sam Hafertepe, Jr. will never forget as the Texas native finally captured one of 360cid Sprint Car racing’s crown jewels.
“I fell like we should have already won this race several times, so to finally win, it is awesome,” stated Hafertepe. “I would have rather had a dominating performance all weekend, but we were there when we needed to be.”
Tangled in a crash on Friday night that left his Hill’s Racing No. 15h beyond repair, the team pulled down the backup car for Saturday. This presented a challenge for the team as the car had never been run, so there was some uncertainty in how the car would perform.
That worry was laid to rest during Sam’s Heat Race as contact from Kyle Offill on the start sent Sam spinning. Having to restart at the tail of the field, Hafertepe ripped through the lineup for the Heat Race win.
That set the tone for the rest of the night as Sam fought back through the Qualifier and the Dash to earn the pole of the $10,041 to win A-Feature. Chasing Roger Crockett the first half of the race, Sam worked to the lead on Lap 15 and held off several charges for the No. 11 through slower traffic to secure his ninth win of the year.
“Traffic got interesting through the feature and gave us a couple of challenges, but we were able to hold off Roger. Using a car that we really were not sure what it was going to do, we were a little worried going in, but everything worked out.”
Taking this next weekend off, the team will be ready to tackle the Devil’s Bowl Winter Nationals on Friday, October 16 and Saturday, October 17, with hopes of locking up a fifth consecutive championship with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network.
“It’s the Devil’s Bowl, so you know I’m looking forward to next weekend. It’s my favorite track, so hopefully, we end this season out with a sweep.”
For continued updates on Sam Hafertepe, Jr., log onto http://www.sam15.com and make sure to find him on Twitter (@samhafertepejr). For news on Hill’s Racing Team, log onto https://www.facebook.com/hillsracing/ and on Twitter (@HillsRacingTeam).
2020 Season to Date:
Events: 56; Wins -9; Top 5 – 16; Top 10 – 27; Top 20 – 34;
Coming Up:
October 16-17 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, Texas) w/Lucas Oil ASCS National
Sam Hafertepe, Jr. Online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011628097506
Website: http://www.sam15.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/samhafertepejr
The Sponsors:
Hill’s Racing Team, Townline Variety, Heidbreder Foundation Service, Kiebler & Sons Lawn, and Landscaping, Fisher Racing Engines, Super Shox, J&J Chassis, Smiley’s Racing Products, Hoosier Tire, Huggins Cams, Champion Oil, The Sparks Family, Lonestar Speedway, Keizer Wheels, XYZ Machining, Simpson Racing Products, CP-Carrillo, KSE Power Steering, FK Rod Ends, BMRS, Allstar Performance, Saldana Racing Products, Vortex Wings, DMI, Wilwood Brakes, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Hwy. 79 Collision.
