By Matt Skipper
MOBERLY, MO (September 9, 2026) — The quest for the 2026 American Sprint Car Series championship is nearing its close with two of the final five races ahead.
The final weekend of ASCS National Tour racing in September begins with a trip toward Central Missouri for a Saturday night battle at Moberly Motorsports Park on Sept. 12. On Sunday, the Series will travel westbound to Lincoln, NE, for the Stewart Alley Memorial at Eagle Raceway. Eagle will offer the night’s winner a $10,022 payday and $1,000-to-start.
The National Tour will also be joined by the Malvern Bank ASCS Midwest Region presented by Hoosier through the two nights, with the weekend marking the start of the final five events in 2026 for both tours.
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WATCH ON DIRTVISION
Here’s a look at the top storylines:
Cool Under Pressure – Sam Hafertepe Jr. had the weekend he needed to win a seventh Series championship with a memorable Frontier Speedweek.
On Friday at Gallatin Speedway, Hafertepe worked from a sixth-place start through 24 laps to pass Seth Bergman in the final set of turns around the cushion for a 0.198-second margin of victory. Electric City Speedway on Saturday was a smoother ride for Hafertepe as he led 30 laps for his 94th career National Tour win.
Commanding the standings by 22 points over Matt Covington, Hafertepe returns to Moberly for the first time since 2017, when he finished second to Brian Brown. The Sunnyvale, TX native has finished on the podium at Eagle in the last two Series visits, but has yet to win at the Nebraska track.
Not Out – Matt Covington has kept his championship hopes alive throughout Frontier Speedweek despite Hafertepe scoring three wins in the five-race stretch.
The Glenpool, OK native kept his No. 95 Reece Construction Sprint Car within the top five in every Feature, including two podiums from Sheridan Speedway and Electric City. Covington also started on the front row in three Frontier Speedweek races.
The ASCS veteran faces the final five challenges ahead to earn his first career Emmett Hahn Trophy in 2026. He finished seventh in his only Series start at Moberly in 2017 and boasts two Series podiums at Eagle from 2015 and 2019. In the 2025 “Cornhusker State” visit, Covington finished seventh.
Four-Way Fight – Frontier Speedweek added new points battles within the top 10 as multiple drivers try to finish the year with career-high markings.
Montana rookie Cole Schroeder kept the positive momentum rolling in the final Montana weekend with a top-five at Gallatin and a top-10 finish at Electric City to pass Austyn Gossel for sixth in the Series points standings by a one-point margin.
Sophomore driver Brogan Carder brought steam from a career-high top five at Sheridan to finish eighth at Gallatin for his sixth top-10 of the season. The Sioux Falls, SD native is in the meat of the points battle, sitting eighth in the standings, 22 points back from Gossel and 25 ahead of Terry Easum.
Midwestern Might – The ASCS Midwest Region has seen a close fight for championship honors in its revival season, with two drivers hoping to make 2026 the year of a first title.
Bates City, MO’s Jack Thomas leads the way with title opponent Joey Danley sitting 24 points behind. Thomas will make his first start at Moberly this weekend in a 360 Sprint Car, after owning a top-five finish at Eagle in May.
Danley made his first start at Moberly in 2025, finishing in second place to Dustin Selvage. The Lincoln, NE native has a wealth of knowledge around Eagle with three track wins. His most recent triumph came on Saturday night with his first Racesaver Nationals victory.
THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
WHEN AND WHERE
Saturday, Sept. 12, at Moberly Motorsports Park in Moberly, MO
Sunday, Sept. 13, at Eagle Raceway in Eagle, NE
AROUND THE CORNER
Saturday, Oct. 10, at RPM Speedway in Crandall, TX
CURRENT TOP-10 STANDINGS
Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2638 pts)
Matt Covington (-22)
Seth Bergman (-82)
Kyler Johnson (-264)
Ryder LaPlante (-435)
Cole Schroeder (-548)
Austyn Gossel (-549)
Brogan Carder (-571)
Terry Easum (-596)
Whit Gastineau (-1067)