By Matt Skipper
WEST MEMPHIS, AR (August 18, 2026) — The American Sprint Car Series is ready to crown new royalty in West Memphis.
Riverside International Speedway welcomes the 360 Sprint Cars for the final trip to the “Natural State” this season as part of the second annual King of the Ditch on Saturday, Aug. 22.
After a highly successful debut in the track’s 2025 finale last November, the event returns this season for the first time under the ASCS banner. Grandstand gates will open at 5 p.m. CT, with Hot Laps getting started at 6:30 p.m.
KING OF THE DITCH INFO
WATCH ON DIRTVISION
Here’s a look at the top storylines:
Riverside Royalty — Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, AR has been a staple of the ASCS schedule since its first visit on July 8, 1995, with four-time Series champion Terry Gray taking the win.
Since the first trip, Riverside has become one of the most-visited tracks on the schedule, with 37 events making the 1/4-mile bullring the fifth-most-visited facility in the history of the National Tour.
When the Series last visited “The Ditch” in 2024, home state native Derek Hagar swept both nights of racing. He also took the win in the inaugural King of the Ditch.
Texas Crown — With 13 races remaining on the ASCS schedule, Sam Hafertepe Jr. is poised to extend his all-time championships record with a seventh to his collection heading into Saturday night.
While the three nights at Knoxville Raceway rewarded show-up points, Hafertepe owns a 23-point lead over Matt Covington as he prepares to chase his first win at Riverside since 2014.
If he drives to victory, he’ll take the honor of owning the most wins on the season with four overall wins and an opportunity to extend the gap before a two-week visit to Montana for Frontier Speedweek.
The Next One — Kyler Johnson completed a 124-race-long wait to drive his No. 45X to ASCS National Tour Victory Lane with his first career score at Viking Speedway. That momentum propelled him to a first Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals Saturday finale start.
While Johnson satisfied a dream to begin August, other full-time drivers of ASCS seek to quench the taste of triumph within the final stretch of the season. Among the group are Ryder LaPlante, Austyn Gossel, Brogan Carder, and rookie Cole Schroeder.
The group of drivers has had success both in the Series and beyond. Gossel ran inside the podium at Dodge City and Viking, finishing second and third, respectively. LaPlante finished runner-up in the non-sanctioned 360 Sprint Car race at Marshalltown Speedway, and Schroeder won his first USCS Feature at Magnolia. Carder has finished in the top-10 in the past three Series Features.
Now or Never — Matt Covington and Seth Bergman have not allowed Hafertepe to run away with the points lead as Covington sits 23 points behind, and Bergman holds third with a 57-point distance.
While Covington’s streak of five consecutive podiums ended at Viking, he’s finished inside the podium in seven of the last nine points-paying Features — including a win at Batesville. The Glenpool, OK native will prepare to best his highest-career Riverside finish of fourth from 2024.
Bergman has shown similar speed to Covington with five podiums in a 10-race span, attaining three wins at Benton Speedway, 81 Speedway, and Texarkana 67 Speedway. Bergman is chasing his third win at “The Ditch” with previous scores in 2015 and 2012.
THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
WHEN AND WHERE
Saturday, Aug. 22, at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, AR
AROUND THE CORNER
Friday, Aug. 28-29, at Big Sky Speedway in Shepherd, MT
Saturday, Aug. 30, at Sheridan Speedway in Sheridan, WY
CURRENT TOP-10 STANDINGS
Sam Hafertepe Jr. (1970pts)
Matt Covington (-23)
Seth Bergman (-57)
Kyler Johnson (-241)
Ryder LaPlante (-390)
Whit Gastineau (-399)
Austyn Gossel (-414)
Brogan Carder (-438)
Terry Easum (-464)
Cole Schroeder (-465)