By Jordan DeLucia
CONCORD, NC (Feb. 19, 2026) — Seth Bergman returns to the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) this year, searching to reclaim his former place atop the 360 Sprint Car world.
Bergman, 38, of Snohomish, WA, accomplished one of his biggest career goals in 2024, clinching the national Series championship after spending nearly all of the 2010s on the road chasing the points title. Last year, early-season struggles bit he and his Oklahoma-based team, leading to a schedule change in the middle of the season.
But 2025 is in the past, and Bergman is making no excuses in 2026 as he climbs back aboard the Oklahoma Chiller, Rider Racing Engines-powered Triple-X Chassis No. 23 for all 35 races on the 2026 national ASCS schedule.
“I’m feeling focused on the goal of winning another championship,” Bergman said. “That’s what we’re working at, that’s what we want, and that’s where our sights are set.”
At this point last year, Bergman was assembling two brand-new cars and filling a new transporter with new equipment to take on the road during his 2025 ASCS campaign. He started out strong, posting three-straight runner-up finishes between two ASCS Sooner Region races in March and the national Series event at Salina Highbanks Speedway in April.
But soon, results began to slip, and Bergman decided to take a different path to regroup and return to ASCS competition later in the summer.
“We planned on doing it last year, but our team has grown so much with help, different crew guys, equipment, engines, transporters… everything,” he said. “I didn’t get off to quite as smooth of a start as we thought we would, and we faced a lot of challenges early last year.
“Whether it was with engines or cars, you name it, it seemed like we were trying to solve a lot of problems at once, and that kinda led to the decision to take a step back and figure out how to work through some of the problems and come back a better race team. And that’s what we did.”
Bergman then returned to the national ASCS roster in August and punched through at Electric City Speedway for his first win of the year. It’s moments like those that show him he’s still capable, both on and off the track.
“Ultimately, just making the right decisions here at the shop before we go, and then, when we get to the track, just making the right decisions there, too, and giving ourselves a car that’s capable of winning,” Bergman said. “That’s the goal every night — give ourselves a chance to win.
“For me, on the driver’s side, it’s about consistency. Finishing races, trying to win races, all of that goes into trying to win a championship.”
Bergman resumes competition in the next American Sprint Car Series events — Feb. 21–22, Feb. 28–March 1 — at Central Arizona Raceway in the inaugural Sonoran Clash. Tickets for both weekends of the event will be sold at the track on race day.
Where can you watch every American Sprint Car Series event? Live on DIRTVision.