From Bryan Hulbert
Salina, OK — (August 16, 2014) — The eleventh time the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV American Real graced the clay of the Salina Highbanks Speedway saw Sam Hafertepe, Jr. becoming the track’s seventh different winner; topping the field for the second time in 2014 in the inaugural Oklahoma Open-Wheel Thunder Nationals.
His fourth career victory with the Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV American Real, the Sunnyvale, Texas driver held off the hard charging No. 45x of Johnny Herrera on the closing lap; using a slower car as a pick exiting the final turn.
Asked about that final turn and whether or not he could hear Herrera closing, Hafertepe replied, “That’s why I dropped down there because I knew if I used that lapped car to block, we would probably win the race. You just have to drive smart sometimes.”
“To be honest, we weren’t set up for that track at all,” commented Hafertepe when questioned about how technical the track was. “We were awesome in one and two and we were taking advantage of it down there. I knew the guys were searching around because I could see the middle getting a little dark so I knew them guys were running down there so when we came to lapped cars, I could roll through there pretty nice but I wasn’t going to move until I saw a nose and really, we were just making something up in three and four. I didn’t have a very good car down there at all.”
After having to roll back the start for spun cars and false starts, the field finally fired with Mike Goodman jumping to the lead over Tony Bruce, Jr. Slowing for the spun No. 65L of Nicolas Lucito with a single lap completed, the focus of the restart was the race for second with Jason Johnson taking the runner up spot on Lap 3.
Caution again on Lap 4 for a tangle between Mickey Walker and Blake Hahn, a single lap passed before the caution waved again.
Setting up for the restart on Lap 5, the field dove into turn one with Jason Johnson taking a huge run to the bottom line. Drifting up the track in a bid for the lead, the Right Rear of Johnson’s No. 41 found the Left Front of Mike Goodman’s No. 11am as Goodman tried to hold the lead.
The contact sent Goodman skyward into the catch fence, and severely damaged the No. 41 in the process. Goodman was shaken, but unharmed in the incident. Johnson would not return after begin docked a lap by ASCS officials for his crew entered the track under a closed red and working on the car outside the work area.
Finding Goodman and Johnson out of competition, the lead fell into the hands of Sam Hafertepe, Jr.
With Dustin Morgan and Tony Bruce, Jr. in tow, the Lone Star Speedway No. 15h opened his advantage quickly. Finding slower traffic on Lap 12, the gap would begin to shrink as Morgan now found himself under fire from Aaron Reutzel who made the pass for second, only to see the caution put the field back a lap on the sixteenth round. Reutzel’s night ended two laps later with mechanical problems.
Coming from ninth, Johnny Herrera now occupied the third spot. Setting sights on Dustin Morgan for second, Herrera raced by on Lap 23.
“I wasn’t really good at the start of the race, but I just kept staying with it,” said Herrera. “We’ve been fighting engine issues all night just trying to get up and run hard, but we kept going at it and kept the car free and you know, as the track freed up, we got better so thank God for the track getting free but I love this place. It’s a fun place every time we come here. We should have won a race here already, and got close again tonight.”
Dustin Morgan raced to his third podium finish of the season with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour.
“Everything’s really just going our way right now. Jimmy, Darren, Dad, the Mulkeys’…everyone who works their butt off at the shop, to give me a racecar like this. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be standing here.”
Talking about his race with Herrera for second, Morgan commented, “I kind of crowded Johnny a couple times, but Johnny’s fast. It’s fun racing with him and I just tried to stay in front of him. He just had a better car, but thirds alright.”
Brad Loyet race to fourth from thirteenth with Tony Bruce, Jr. slipping back to fifth at the checkered flag.
Jeff Swindell climbed from tenth to sixth with Matt Covington holding at seventh. Fourteenth starting Seth Bergman was eighth with Danny Jennings ninth. Blake Hahn worked back to complete the top-ten.
A field of 21 drivers saw three Heat Races going to Mike Goodman, Sam Hafertepe, Jr., and Jason Johnson.
The Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV American Real competes next at the Riverside International Speedway on Thursday, August 21 in the Mid South Showdown presented by TBJ Promotions. Discounted tickets are on sale at http://www.tbjpromotions.com.
For continued updates on the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV American Real, log onto http://www.ascsracing.com.
Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV American RealOklahoma Open Wheel Thunder Nationals
Salina Highbanks Speedway – Salina, Okla.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Car Count: 21
Speedmart Heat Races: All driver transfer into the A-Feature.
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 11AM-Mike Goodman[2]; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel[5]; 3. 18-Tony Bruce Jr[6]; 4. 1-Sean McClelland[4]; 5. 9$-Kyle Clark[3]; 6. 14K-Kyle Bellm[1]; 7. (DNF) 5-Ty Williams[7]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[3]; 2. 17-Blake Hahn[1]; 3. 1J-Danny Jennings[2]; 4. 95-Matt Covington[7]; 5. 23-Seth Bergman[4]; 6. 2-Mickey Walker[5]; 7. (DNF) 3H-Brandon Hanks[6]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson[4]; 2. 93-Dustin Morgan[1]; 3. 94-Jeff Swindell[3]; 4. 45X-Johnny Herrera[6]; 5. 05-Brad Loyet[5]; 6. 8-Alex Sewell[2]; 7. 65L-Nicholas Lucito[7]
Protect the Harvest A-Feature
A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[6]; 2. 45X-Johnny Herrera[9]; 3. 93-Dustin Morgan[3]; 4. 05-Brad Loyet[13]; 5. 18-Tony Bruce Jr[1]; 6. 94-Jeff Swindell[10]; 7. 95-Matt Covington[7]; 8. 23-Seth Bergman[14]; 9. 1J-Danny Jennings[11]; 10. 17-Blake Hahn[8]; 11. 3H-Brandon Hanks[19]; 12. 2-Mickey Walker[17]; 13. 9$-Kyle Clark[16]; 14. 5-Ty Williams[15]; 15. 8-Alex Sewell[18]; 16. (DNF) 87-Aaron Reutzel[5]; 17. (DNF) 1-Sean McClelland[12]; 18. (DNF) 14K-Kyle Bellm[20]; 19. (DNF) 11AM-Mike Goodman[2]; 20. (DNF) 41-Jason Johnson[4]; 21. (DNF) 65L-Nicholas Lucito[21]
Lap Leader(s): Mike Goodman 1-5; Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 6-30
KSE Hard Charger: Brad Loyet +9
FSR High Point: Jason Johnson
Hawk Performance Fastest Lap: Sam Hafertepe, Jr. – 13.982 seconds
CSI Rebound: Brandon Hanks
Provisional(s): N/A
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2014 A-Feature Winner(s): Brad Loyet – 3, Aaron Reutzel -2, Rico Abreu – 2, Tony Bruce, Jr. – 2, Christopher Bell – 2, Jeff Swindell – 2, Brian Brown – 2, Patrick Stasa – 1, Sam Hafertepe, Jr. – 2, Derek Hagar – 1, Seth Bergman – 1, Sammy Swindell – 1, Davey Heskin – 1
2014 Lucas Oil ASCS Driver Standings (Top 10): 1. Brad Loyet 2,506; 2. Jason Johnson 2,407; 3. Jeff Swindell 2,630 4. Johnny Herrera 2,630; 5. Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 2,344; 6. Aaron Reutzel 2,309; 7. Seth Bergman 2,249; 8. Matt Covington 2,194; 9.Tony Bruce, Jr. 2,184; 10. Blake Hahn 2,171;
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The 2014 season marks the twenty-third year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing for the American Sprint Car Series, which brings the best of Sprint Car racing to dozens of different tracks throughout the nation. Anchored by the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series, ASCS also consists of ten different Regions throughout the nation.
Lucas Oil Products is the title sponsor of the American Sprint Car Series. More information can be found on Lucas Oil Products at www.lucasoil.com. MAVTV is the presenting sponsor of the American Sprint Car Series. Log onto www.mavtv.com for information regarding availability and listings in your area.
Associate sponsors for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV include: Hoosier Racing Tire and Brodix.
Team Lucas Sponsors for the American Sprint Car Series consist of Protect the Harvest, iON Camera, Smokey Mountain Moonshine, C&R Radiator, Hawk Performance Products, Geico, E3 Spark Plugs, and General Tire.
Product and Contingency Sponsorship provided by: K&N Filters, KSE Racing Products, SpeedMart, Competition Suspension, Engler Machine and Tool, FSR Radiator and Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Driverwebsites.com, Weld Wheels, Saldana Racing Products, Maxwell Industries, Print Place, Simpson, The Joie of Seating, Wesmar Racing Engines, Hinchman Indy Racewear, Rod End Supply, Smiley’s Racing Products, Speedway Motors, and Hilborn Injection Systems.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com as well as Twitter (@LucasOilASCS) and Facebook. News and information can also be sent to you with the ASCS E-News by texting ASCS to 22828 with any mobile device.