WORTHINGTON, MN (July 28, 2026) — The “Land of 1,000 Lakes” is back.
The American Sprint Car Series will visit Minnesota for the first time since 2017 with two debuting tracks comprising the inaugural Rock On Trucks Gopher State 360 Sprint Car Challenge.
Beginning on Thursday, July 30, the National Tour will visit Worthington Speedway for a $4,000-to-win chase around a 1/4-mile bullring. Then, on Saturday, Aug. 1, the Series will travel 180 miles north to Alexandria, MN, to battle around the 1/2-mile Viking Speedway.
There will also be a $5,000 points fund for the top three points finishers between the two events, with the champion earning $2,500, second-place receiving $1,500, and third picking up $1,000. Tickets for both days will be available at the track on race day.
WORTHINGTON INFO
VIKING INFO
WATCH ON DIRTVISION
Here’s a look at the top storylines:
Minnesota Might – The American Sprint Car Series returns to Minnesota with two brand-new facilities for the best 360 Sprint Car drivers to face.
Worthington Speedway will be the first of the two debuting tracks with the Series on Thursday night. The track has welcomed 360 Sprint Cars in the past, including the Sprint Car Bandits, though it will be the first time it has hosted a national campaign at the Minnesota 1/4-mile. The only full-time ASCS competitor to garner laps was sophomore Brogan Carder with three visits between 2025-26.
Viking Speedway will raise the stakes on Saturday with higher speeds and the reward of being the first Gopher State Challenge champion after 30 laps around the 1/2-mile. While the track has hosted 305 Sprint Cars beforehand, the ASCS visit will be the first time a 360 c.i. engine will hit the surface.
Texas Heat – Sam Hafertepe Jr. has put his veteran skills to work to help him command the ASCS National Tour standings entering the second half of the 2026 season.
In the Steve King Memorial at Dodge City Raceway Park, Hafertepe used lapped traffic to his advantage to pass Austyn Gossel with 10 laps remaining for his third win of the season and his fourth consecutive at the Kansas track.
The visits to Worthington and Viking will be the first time Hafertepe has laid eyes on both tracks. In Minnesota ASCS competition, the six-time Series champion was the last winner of a National Tour race in the state with a score at Jackson Motorplex in 2017.
Awakened – Austyn Gossel created a headwind of momentum with the Series at Dodge City after scoring a Heat win, an Honest Abe Roofing Dash win, and leading the first 20 laps before finishing runner-up to Hafertepe.
Though he was short of his first Series win, the Fort Collins, CO native jumped from 10th to seventh in the points standings with the career-defining performance.
Gossel is preparing for two new tracks between Worthington and Viking as he sits atop a two-point gap over Brogan Carder for seventh while tracking down sixth-place Ryder LaPlante, who sits 29 points ahead of the No. 16G pilot.
No Quit – While Hafertepe is atop the standings to chase the honor of being the only seven-time Series champion, Matt Covington and Seth Bergman have disallowed the No. 15H from creating a large lead.
Since the Sonoran Clash, Covington has not finished outside of the top-10. Inside the streak, the Glenpool, OK native has earned a podium finish in seven of the last eight races. The consistent visits to the podium have him 20 points away from the Series lead to start the second half.
Bergman is tied with Hafertepe in 2026 wins, but he’s had to pass more cars to achieve the results. The Snohomish, WA native is 74 points away from the Series lead as his quest for a second Series championship takes him to first-time challenges in Minnesota.
THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
WHEN AND WHERE
Thursday, July 30, at Worthington Speedway in Worthington, MN
Saturday, August 1, at Viking Speedway in Alexandria, MN
AROUND THE CORNER
Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 6-8, at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, IA
CURRENT TOP-10 STANDINGS
Sam Hafertepe Jr. (1845pts)
Matt Covington (-20)
Seth Bergman (-74)
Kyler Johnson (-266)
Whit Gastineau (-274)
Ryder LaPlante (-361)
Austyn Gossel (-424)
Brogan Carder (-426)
Cole Schroeder (-448)
Terry Easum (-458)