Bryan Hulbert
SAPULPA, Okla. (October 12, 2019) Leading start to finish for his ninth victory of the season with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network, Sam Hafertepe, Jr. made it back-to-back wins in the John Christner Trucking Fall Fling presented by James Hodge Ford at Creek County Speedway.
Sam’s 46th career National Tour victory, the Sunnyvale, Texas driver is now tied with Tim Crawley for fourth in overall wins.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been out of the front straightaway, I don’t even remember what it feels like,” chuckled Sam who reclaimed the National Tour point’s lead by 14 markers.
Taking lessons from the COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tire, Hafertepe was able to put his J&J Chassis anywhere he needed too throughout the 30-lap SawBlade.com A-Feature.
“This was an awesome Racecar. I don’t think there was a better car here all night. We didn’t touch it, we just left it alone, and we definitely got the balance back in this thing. It’s back to a dominate Racecar and going to Devil’s Bowl next week, that’s one of my favorite tracks in the world. I can’t wait for that.”
Taking the lead from the right of the front row, Hafertepe was trailed by Tucker Doughty for the opening lap before Matt Covington shot in second. Opening his lead to nearly two seconds, Hafertepe’s advantage dropped quickly as the leaders hit traffic on Lap 7.
Caution working Lap 9 for debris, Covington looked for a way around Hafertepe but with no success. Opening his advantage again, lapped traffic was of little issue for the Heidbreder Foundation No. 15h.
Under caution working Lap 28, slower cars in the mix shook things up behind Hafertepe as Roger Crockett moved by the No. 95 for second. With clean air to his advantage, Sam Hafertepe, Jr. raced to the finish with a 2.224-second advantage over Crockett’s Route 66 Chevrolet No. 11. Battling a shower of power steering fluid over the final few laps that kept the No. 95 off the cushion, Matt Covington managed to hold on for his seventh podium finish of the season. Tyler Thomas in fourth was followed to the finish by Jordon Mallett.
A comeback night for Howard Moore, who had power steering issues early in the evening, the A.G. Rains owned No. 3 crossed sixth with Seth Bergman hard charging from 18th to seventh after racing ninth to second in the BMRS B-Feature. Blake Hahn picked up three spots to eighth with Robbie Price in ninth. After nearly going upside down on Lap 18, El Paso’s John Carney II rebounded to a tenth-place finish.
A field of 34 was on hand for the John Christner Trucking Fall Fling presented by James Hodge Ford. Four SCE Gaskets Heat Races went to Matt Covington, Tyler Thomas, Sam Hafertepe, Jr., and Jordon Mallett. BRMS B-Feature was topped by Sean McClelland. One provisional was taken by Alex Hill.
The Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network returns to competition on Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19 at the famed Devi’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas. Tickets are on sale now at http://www.devilsbowl.com.
For other news, notes, and information on the American Sprint Car Series, from the National Tour to any of the nine Regional Tours that make up ASCS Nation in 2019, log onto http://www.ascsracing.com, follow on Facebook, on Instagram, and Twitter (@LucasOilASCS).
Race Results:
Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV
ASCS Sooner Region
Creek County Speedway (Sapulpa, Okla.)
John Christner Trucking Fall Fling presented by James Hodge Ford
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Car Count: 34
SCE Gaskets Heat Races (Top 16 in Passing Points advance to the A-Feature)
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 95-Matt Covington, [1]; 2. 11-Roger Crockett, [3]; 3. 52-Blake Hahn, [4]; 4. 17W-Harli White, [6]; 5. 17B-Ryan Bickett, [2]; 6. 26M-Fred Mattox, [8]; 7. 14K-Kyle Bellm, [5]; 8. 11H-Emilio Hoover, [7]; 9. 65L-Nicholas Lucito, [9]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 91T-Tyler Thomas, [1]; 2. 9$-Kyle Clark, [2]; 3. 90-Lance Norick, [3]; 4. J2-John Carney II, [6]; 5. 2-Brad Bowden, [4]; 6. 77X-Alex Hill, [5]; 7. 23-Seth Bergman, [7]; 8. 94L-Layne Himebaugh, [9]; 9. 44-Jared Sewell, [8]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, [2]; 2. 28-Scott Bogucki, [3]; 3. 21P-Robbie Price, [6]; 4. 7F-Noah Harris, [4]; 5. 11X-Avery Goodman, [7]; 6. 24-Garet Williamson, [1]; 7. 47X-Dylan Westbrook, [5]; 8. 79-Tim Kent, [8]
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 14-Jordon Mallett, [2]; 2. 2X-Tucker Doughty, [4]; 3. 3-Howard Moore, [5]; 4. 8-Alex Sewell, [6]; 5. 22-Sean McClelland, [7]; 6. 85-Forrest Sutherland, [8]; 7. 75E-Broc Elliott, [1]; 8. 15D-Andrew Deal, [3]
BMRS B-Feature (Top 6 advance to the A-Feature)
B Feature (12 Laps): 1. 22-Sean McClelland, [1]; 2. 23-Seth Bergman, [9]; 3. 2-Brad Bowden, [5]; 4. 26M-Fred Mattox, [3]; 5. 7F-Noah Harris, [2]; 6. 24-Garet Williamson, [10]; 7. 85-Forrest Sutherland, [4]; 8. 77X-Alex Hill, [7]; 9. 14K-Kyle Bellm, [8]; 10. 47X-Dylan Westbrook, [11]; 11. 79-Tim Kent, [12]; 12. 94L-Layne Himebaugh, [15]; 13. 17B-Ryan Bickett, [6]; 14. 44-Jared Sewell, [18]; 15. 75E-Broc Elliott, [13]; 16. (DNF) 65L-Nicholas Lucito, [16]; 17. (DNF) 11H-Emilio Hoover, [14]; 18. (DNF) 15D-Andrew Deal, [17]
Sawblade.com A-Feature
A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, [2]; 2. 11-Roger Crockett, [7]; 3. 95-Matt Covington, [6]; 4. 91T-Tyler Thomas, [5]; 5. 14-Jordon Mallett, [3]; 6. 3-Howard Moore, [9]; 7. 23-Seth Bergman, [18]; 8. 52-Blake Hahn, [11]; 9. 21P-Robbie Price, [4]; 10. J2-John Carney II, [13]; 11. 8-Alex Sewell, [14]; 12. 28-Scott Bogucki, [8]; 13. 22-Sean McClelland, [17]; 14. 17W-Harli White, [12]; 15. 2-Brad Bowden, [19]; 16. 24-Garet Williamson, [22]; 17. 90-Lance Norick, [15]; 18. 26M-Fred Mattox, [20]; 19. 7F-Noah Harris, [21]; 20. (DNF) 11X-Avery Goodman, [16]; 21. (DNF) 2X-Tucker Doughty, [1]; 22. (DNF) 9$-Kyle Clark, [10]; 23. (DNF) 77X-Alex Hill, [23]
Lap Leader(s): Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 1-30
Hard Charger: Seth Bergman +11
High Point Driver: Sam Hafertepe, Jr,
Provisional(s): Alex Hills (Points)
2019 National Tour Driver Standings (Top 15): 1. Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 3,920; 2. Blake Hahn 3,906; 3. Roger Crockett 3,646; 4. Matt Covington 3,633; 5. Scott Bogucki 3,554; 6. John Carney II 3,524; 7. Robbie Price 3,301; 8. Harli White 3,284; 9. Jordon Mallett 3,228; 10. Tucker Doughty 2,941; 11. Alex Hill 2,900; 12. Seth Bergman 1,606; 13. Jamie Ball 1,163; 14. Dylan Westbrook 1,082; 15. Paul Nienhiser 892;