WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Lakeside, 81 Speedway Host ASCS in Kansas Doubleheader

The high speed and summer heat for the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) continues in Kansas Friday–Saturday, July 11–12, at Lakeside Speedway and 81 Speedway.

After two nights at the historic Belleville High Banks last week, the high speeds continue with a visit to Lakeside on Friday. The 4/10-mile oval, located in Kansas City, KS, has hosted 11 national ASCS events in the past, including at least one race each year since 2021. The local USRA B-Modified and Street Stock classes will also be in attendance to support the program.

The following night, the Series heads Southwest to Park City, KS — 15 minutes north of Wichita — for a visit to 81 Speedway. The fast, sweeping 3/8-mile oval has hosted the national Series six previous times, dating back to its debut in 2001. The local Stock Car, Super Stock, and Tuner classes will race adjacent to the Sprint Car program.

Tickets for both events will be sold at the track on race day. If you can’t be there to watch in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

Here are the drivers to watch and storylines to follow this weekend:

KING OF KANSAS — After scoring back-to-back wins at Belleville High Banks last weekend, Sam Hafertepe Jr. and the Hill’s Racing Team are up to five Series victories through the first 11 races of the season and lead the chase for the championship by 126 points.

Hafertepe, the five-time Series champion from Sunnyvale, TX, has now won three of the four Series events contested in Kansas so far this season and — judging by his historical records — will be a strong contender for the win at both tracks in the Sunflower State this weekend as the defending winner of both races.

The Texan’s historical records have shown his talents on both 3/8-mile ovals, especially at Lakeside, where he owns three national Series victories (most of any driver) and five top-five finishes in 11 career starts. At 81, he owns three top-five finishes in eight career starts, including the win he scored there last summer.

Last July, Hafertepe dominated the Lakeside/81 weekend trip, leading all 60 Feature laps combined between the two tracks to bank his fifth and sixth of 12 total Series wins he had in 2024.

HOME AGAIN — Jason Martin will get another weekend racing in his home state of Kansas after back-to-back podium finishes in Belleville.

Martin, the 2023 Series champion from Liberal, KS, led 11 laps of Thursday’s Feature before Hafertepe retook the lead in lapped traffic in the closing laps, leaving him with a runner-up finish. He appeared to be on track for another runner-up in the finale on Friday until traffic appeared again in the final laps, allowing young Iowa racer Cameron Martin to slip by to take second, while Martin settled for third.

Historically, Martin has not made as many starts at Lakeside compared to other Kansas venues. He’s posted three top fives in seven recorded starts with a best finish of third, which came with ASCS in 2022. At 81, he’s had far more success, making five trips to Victory Lane in his career with three different organizations — two with ASCS (both in 2023, making him the Series’ only repeat winner), two with the National Championship Racing Association (NCRA) in 2010 and 2011, and once in 2018 with the United Rebel Sprint Series.

A NEW CONTENDER — Bryant Wiedeman’s second weekend out with the American Sprint Car Series at Belleville showed he and the Ochs Racing team’s potential to compete with the best in 360 Sprint Car racing.

Wiedeman, 19, of Colby, KS, crossed the finish line fifth on Thursday night’s preliminary program before backing it up with a fourth-place finish in the finale on Friday — a large jump in performance from his previous two starts with the Series this season, which produced results of 16th and 11th at Salt City Speedway and Dodge City Raceway Park in May.

The former full-time Micro Sprint and national Midget racer has no recorded starts at Lakeside but has one appearance at 81, which came with a second-place finish against the ASCS Sooner Region last August.

BACK IN THE MIX — Matt Covington is back in ASCS championship contention and has another two opportunities to capitalize in the points standings this weekend.

Covington, of Glenpool, OK, posted finishes of fourth and fifth at Belleville, leaving him ranked third in the championship points standings, 133 points behind leader Hafertepe. This weekend, he’ll head to two tracks where he’s seen Victory Lane with ASCS before as he continues the hunt for his first national 360 Sprint Car championship.

In 10 career ASCS starts at Lakeside, Covington has four top-fives and nine top-10s with one win, which came in August 2023. He has 14 recorded starts at 81, including eight top-five results and one win in July 2022. Last July, Covington recorded finishes of sixth at Lakeside and second at 81.

MAYOR OF WICHITA — Few drivers know the secrets to speed at 81 Speedway like Jeremy Campbell.

The 41-year-old from Wichita, KS, has more starts and wins recorded at 81 than at any other track he’s raced. In over 60 main event starts with various sanctioning bodies and car types, he’s won 11 times — eight with NCRA, two with the ASCS Sooner Region, and once with the USAC Southwest Sprint Car Series.

The 2021 Sooner Region champion’s last win at the facility came last August with the Sooner Region when he bested Wiedeman and Fred Mattox in the main event. Results of 19th and 13th last weekend in Belleville will have Campbell looking for a rebound run in front of his hometown crowd.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE 

WHEN AND WHERE 

• Friday, July 11 at Lakeside Speedway in Lakeside, KS
• Saturday, July 12 at 81 Speedway in Park City, KS

TRACK FACTS

• Lakeside — semi-banked, 4/10-mile oval
• 81 — semi-banked, 3/8-mile oval
• Lakeside Track Record — 14.560 seconds set by Jake Bubak on Sept. 8, 2022
• 81 Track Record — 13.330 seconds set by Sammy Swindell on March 26, 2015

ON THE INTERNET
X — @ASCSRacing
Instagram — @ascs_racing
Facebook — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
YouTube — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
DIRTVision — DIRTVision.com (Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (11/34 Races)

1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (1152pts)
2. Blake Hahn 1026pts (–126)
3. Matt Covington 1019pts (–133)
4. Jason Martin 976pts (–176)
5. Brady Baker 891pts (–261)
6. Kyler Johnson 871pts (–281)
7. Zach Blurton 870pts (–282)
8. Austyn Gossel 848pts (–304)
9. Garrett Benson 843pts (–309)
10. Landon Britt 834pts (–318) 

FEATURE WINNERS (5 Drivers):

1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (5 wins)
2. Justin Peck (3 wins)
3. Matt Covington, Zach Blurton, Blake Hahn (1 win)

FEATURE LAPS LED (8 Drivers)

1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (95 laps)
2. Justin Peck (65 laps)
3. Matt Covington (48 laps)
4. Zach Blurton (25 laps)
5. Brian Brown (15 laps)
6. Blake Hahn, Austyn Gossel (13 laps)
7. Jason Martin (11 laps)

QUICK TIME AWARDS (8 Drivers)

1. Matt Covington, Seth Bergman (2 awards)
2. Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Kyler Johnson, Roger Crockett, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Jason Martin (1 award)

HEAT RACE WINNERS (23 Drivers)

1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (7 wins)
2. Matt Covington (5 wins)
3. Justin Peck, Blake Hahn (3 wins)
4. Scotty Thiel, Whit Gastineau, Seth Bergman, Jason Martin, Garrett Benson (2 wins)
5. Hank Davis, Chris Martin, Cole Macedo, Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Sean McClelland, Caleb Saiz, Bradley Fezard, Bryan Gossel, Jake Bubak, Jordon Mallett, Austyn Gossel, Cameron Martin, Bryant Wiedeman (1 win)

DASH APPEARANCES (35 Drivers)

1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (9 appearances)
2. Matt Covington (7 appearances)
3. Blake Hahn (6 appearances)
4. Seth Bergman (4 appearances)
5. Justin Peck, Kyler Johnson, Whit Gastineau, Jason Martin, Garrett Benson (3 appearances)
6. Austin McCarl, Emerson Axsom, Scotty Thiel, Danny Dietrich, Cole Macedo, Brady Bacon, Daison Pursley, Jordon Mallett, Austyn Gossel, (2 appearances)
7. Hank Davis, Jordan Thomas, Scotty Thiel, Chris Martin, Brian Brown, Sean McClelland, Caleb Saiz, Chance Morton, Bradley Fezard, Zach Blurton, Bryan Gossel, Jake Bubak, Roger Crockett, Brady Baker, Bryant Wiedeman, Joey Danley, Cameron Martin (1 appearance)

SMITH TITANIUM LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (7 Drivers)

1. Blake Hahn, Emerson Axsom, Tyler Clem, Kyle Clark, Bryant Wiedeman, Jason Martin, Harli White (1 win)

HARD CHARGER AWARDS (9 Drivers)

1. Brady Baker (3 awards)
2. Austin McCarl, Emerson Axsom, Blake Hahn, Landon Britt, Jordon Mallett, Jason Martin, Brad Bowden, Stu Snyder (1 award)

PODIUM FINISHES (17 Drivers)

1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (8 podiums)
2. Jason Martin (4 podiums)
3. Justin Peck, Blake Hahn (3 podiums)
4. Brian Brown, Matt Covington (2 podiums)
5. Emerson Axsom, Cole Macedo, Austin McCarl, Seth Bergman, Sean McClelland, Zach Blurton, Austyn Gossel, Kyler Johnson, Brady Baker, Cameron Martin, Joey Danley (1 podium)

2025 SCHEDULE + WINNERS

Race Number. Day, Date / Track / City, State / Winner (Total Wins)

1. Thu, Jan. 30 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (1)
2. Fri, Jan. 31 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (2)
3. Sat, Feb. 1 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (3)
4. Sat, April 12 / Salina Highbanks Speedway / Salina, OK / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (1)
5. Sat, May 10 / Paducah International Raceway / Paducah, KY / Matt Covington (1)
6. Fri, May 30 / Salt City Speedway / Hutchinson, KS / Zach Blurton (1)
7. Sat, May 31 / Dodge City Raceway Park / Dodge City, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2)
8. Sat, June 7 / Texarkana 67 Speedway / Texarkana, AR / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3)
9. Sat, Jun 21 / Batesville Motor Speedway / Locust Grove, AR / Blake Hahn (1)
10. Thu, July 3 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (4)
11. Fri, July 4 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (5)