By T.J. Buffenbarger
BARBERVILLE, FL (February 2, 2026) – Brady Bacon took an adventurous route to victory during the final night of ASCS National Tour action during the 2026 DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park.
Bacon at one point appeared his race might end after contact with Sam Hafertepe Jr. racing for second position down the front straightaway, only to drive back up to second position before the field reached the end of the backstretch, then drove by Brian Brown for the lead. Bacon then held off a gaggle of cars racing for second through fifth positions over the final five laps for his first victory of the 2026 season and the $12,000 winners check.
For Bacon, the contact with Hafertepe down the frontstretch was a bit too close for comfort.
“I got a little too exciting down the front stretch here, Sam squeezed to the outside of me. I think it was going to be there, and we both got sideways. That was pretty close to crashing for both of us. So thankfully, we both made it out no damage.
Hafertepe and Brown started on the front row for the 30-lap finale with Brown taking the lead on the opening lap while Hafertepe and Bacon followed.
By lap 10 Brown, Hafertepe, and Bacon were nearly three wide for the lead with Bacon having the spot momentarily but did not make it back to the start finish line before Brown took the lead back.
One late later disaster nearly struck Bacon and Hafertepe as they made contact going down the frontstretch in heavy traffic. Both drivers somehow kept their cars going with Bacon even getting back up to the second position down the backstretch. One lap later Brock Zearfoss brought out another caution when he slowed on the race track.
Amazingly on lap 13 Bacon was able to get by Brown for the lead.
Just before halfway multiple caution flags slowed the proceedings with Matt Covington and Tyler Clem bringing out the first yellow flag of the event. Immediately after the restart Hank Davis slowed with mechanical issues with his car.
Bacon maintained the top spot while the battle behind him for second had anywhere between three and five cars engaged in fighting for the position with different drivers joining the fight in the closing stages.
Emerson Axsom was able to secure the second spot with five laps to go, but could not catch Bacon. Axsom, Austin McCarl, Tyler Courtney, and Brown rounded out the top five.
After the main event, Bacon was quick to credit his race car for being able to work traffic at the end of the feature to build up a comfortable 1.149 second advantage at the finish.
“We just got our car rolling, and the track was changing so fast, it had so much character,” said Bacon after the main event. “You get tight in spots and loos in spots, but it was a lot of fun in traffic. It was a little nerve wracking in traffic there at the end. The tracks been three different ways and put on great racing all three times.”
After the feature Axsom was able to recount the crazy racing for second on back through slower traffic and felt his race car had improved since Thursday and Friday’s programs.
“It was definitely crazy through lap traffic there, just struggling a little bit with the car,” said Axsom. “It’s my me and my Dad and I’s first couple nights working together. I feel like we’ve gotten better. The first night we really struggled, Friday we were okay, and then felt like tonight we had a shot to win. I felt like kind of car went away there at the end and struggled to get down the back straightaway, but I definitely think we made gains and keep getting better here.”
McCarl felt his car was better on the longer runs like were seen during the first half of the main event.
“I could go anywhere. I just wanted traffic and to get everybody to move around,” said Axsom. “I wish so bad that thing would have went 30 laps non-stop, because I really think we had the car to beat. I could do anything I wanted.”
Courtney’s fourth place finish capped off a great return to active competition after sitting out since last July following a serious accident at Eldora Speedway. While Courtney was happy to immediately get a pair of wins his first weekend back in the car, he felt not doing the same on Monday was a missed opportunity.
“I wish I felt better, to be honest with you,” said Courtney. “We just kind of got caught behind the eight ball. The tracks been so slick the first few nights, and just the way our car and everything handles is really good in the slick. When it’s like that, we’re just behind a little bit, but we’re working at getting better, and we’re better tonight by the end of the race.”
ASCS National Tour
DIRTcar Nationals
Volusia Speedway Park
Barberville, Florida
Monday, February 2, 2026
Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 44-Chris Martin[1]
2. 5K-Danny Sams III[3]
3. 3-Cole Schroeder[5]
4. 16G-Austyn Gossel[7]
5. 0-Glenn Styres[6]
6. 11H-Rodney Huband[8]
7. 6S-Tyler Clem[2]
8. 45-Nick Sheridan[4]
Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 2C-Cole Macedo[1]
2. 45X-Kyler Johnson[4]
3. 17GP-Hank Davis[2]
4. 88R-Ryder Laplante[3]
5. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[6]
6. 10SR-Paulie Colagiovanni[8]
7. 5-Ryder McCutcheon[5]
8. 88C-Brogan Carder[7]
Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 95-Matt Covington[2]
2. 28F-Davie Franek[1]
3. 5C-DJ Christie[4]
4. 23-Seth Bergman[3]
5. 88-Terry Easum[6]
6. 13M-Brett Moffitt[7]
7. 15-Ryan Turner[5]
Dash (5 Laps)
1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[4]
2. 21-Brian Brown[1]
3. 20-Brady Bacon[2]
4. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[3]
5. 88W-Austin McCarl[6]
6. 2-Whit Gastineau[8]
7. 27-Emerson Axsom[7]
8. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[5]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps)
1. 6S-Tyler Clem[1]
2. 5-Ryder McCutcheon[2]
3. 10SR-Paulie Colagiovanni[8]
4. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[4]
5. 0-Glenn Styres[3]
6. 88C-Brogan Carder[11]
7. 88-Terry Easum[5]
8. 15-Ryan Turner[9]
9. 13M-Brett Moffitt[6]
DNS: 11H-Rodney Huband
DNS: 45-Nick Sheridan
Feature (30 Laps)
1. 20-Brady Bacon[3]
2. 27-Emerson Axsom[7]
3. 88W-Austin McCarl[5]
4. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[4]
5. 21-Brian Brown[2]
6. 2C-Cole Macedo[10]
7. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[1]
8. 88R-Ryder Laplante[18]
9. 5K-Danny Sams III[13]
10. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[8]
11. 5C-DJ Christie[16]
12. 2-Whit Gastineau[6]
13. 16G-Austyn Gossel[20]
14. 44-Chris Martin[9]
15. 95-Matt Covington[11]
16. 28F-Davie Franek[12]
17. 3-Cole Schroeder[17]
18. 45X-Kyler Johnson[14]
19. 10SR-Paulie Colagiovanni[23]
20. 5-Ryder McCutcheon[22]
21. 23-Seth Bergman[19]
22. 88-Terry Easum[25]
23. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[24]
24. 17GP-Hank Davis[15]
25. 6S-Tyler Clem[21]
26. 88C-Brogan Carder[26]