Hafertepe masters Mason City Motor Speedway

July 29, 2018 | by Bryan Hulbert

Drawing the No. 72 pill to start the night didn’t stop Sam Hafertepe Jr. at Mason City Motor Speedway as the Heidbreder Foundation No. 15h captured his fifth win of the 2018 season with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by Sawblade.com.

“I felt like we were pretty good,” stated Hafertepe. “I just felt like if we hit our marks and run a straight line around here, we could get in done and we did.”

All in preparation for the Knoxville Nationals, the team has been doing several different things to the car with positive results.

“This was all test stuff that we’ve been trying for the past three to four weeks to get ready for Knoxville. We ran a different wing, different engine, just a lot of different things going on right now, so it feels really good to get the win and hopefully we can bring this momentum into Knoxville. I’ve never won at Knoxville and I feel like I’m due.”

Drawing the pole for the 25-lap affair, the start would have to repeat as contact through the first two turns sent the Sawblade.com No. 28 spinning heavy damage to the front axle.

Underway and outrunning Chris Martin into the first turn, Hafertepe was set on cruise as Martin held second over Skylar Gee. With multiple lines to choose from, the leaders raced top to bottom past the race’s halfway point with Hafertepe gapping the field by a half-straight-away.

Moving through some light slower traffic, the change in pace allowed Martin to begin reeling in the leader. Inching closer to Hafertepe, the dynamic of Martin's Global Ag No. 44 began to change. Losing the time he’d made up, Martin was suddenly under fire from Gee. Racing back and forth for the runner-up spot for a couple of laps, the Strongs Crane Service No. 99 took over the position on lap 16.

Racing to hold onto the third spot, Martin saw his night end abruptly as the car lurched violently into the wall through the fourth turn. Caused by a cut tire, he was okay.

Restarting with one lapped car between himself and second-running Gee, the final eight laps again saw Hafertepe race away from the field and winning by 2.999 seconds. Challenged by Wayne Johnson in the final laps, Gee held on for silver with Johnson in the show position after starting seventh. Blake Hahn crossed fourth with Matt Covington rounding out the top-5.

Getting out on top of a four-car race on the lap-17 restart, Seth Bergman held onto sixth with Tasker Phillips in seventh. Moving up eight spots, Johnny Herrera was eighth with Harli White and Travis Rilat to make up the top-10.

For more information on the American Sprint Car Series, log onto www.ascsracing.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@LucasOilASCS).

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by Casey's General Stores
Mason City Motor Speedway, Mason City, Iowa
Sunday, July 29, 2018

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver and hometown.

LUCAS OIL ASCS SPRINT CARS

Heat #1:
1. (1) 2C Wayne Johnson, Oklahoma City, Okla.
2. (2) 44 Chris Martin, Ankeny, Iowa
3. (4) 52 Blake Hahn, Sapulpa, Okla.
4. (6) 95 Matt Covington, Glenpool, Okla.
5. (9) 28 Scott Bogucki, McLaren Vale, Sask., Canada
6. (3) 7 John Carney II, El Paso, Texas
7. (5) 1 Travis Rilat, Forney, Texas
8. (7) 45X Johnny Herrera, Albuquerque, N.M.
9. (8) 17 Mitchell Faccinto, Hanford, Calif.

Heat #2:
1. (2) 99 Skylar Gee, Leduc, Alb., Canada
2. (1) 77X Alex Hill, Six Nations, Ont., Canada
3. (3) 23 Seth Bergman, Snohomish, Wash.
4. (9) 15H Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas
5. (4) 17W Harli White, Lindsay, Okla.
6. (5) 7W Tasker Phillips, Plesantville, Iowa
7. (7) 5J Jamie Ball, Knoxville, Iowa
8. (8) 32 Elliot Amdahl, Flandreau, S.D.
9. (6) 98 Chris Masters, Napa, Calif.

Feature:
1. (1) 15H Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas
2. (4) 99 Skylar Gee, Leduc, Alb., Canada
3. (7) 2C Wayne Johnson, Oklahoma City, Okla.
4. (5) 52 Blake Hahn, Sapulpa, Okla.
5. (6) 95 Matt Covington, Glenpool, Okla.
6. (9) 23 Seth Bergman, Snohomish, Wash.
7. (11) 7W Tasker Phillips, Plesantville, Iowa
8. (16) 45X Johnny Herrera, Albuquerque, N.M.
9. (10) 17W Harli White, Lindsay, Okla.
10. (14) 1 Travis Rilat, Forney, Texas
11. (13) 5J Jamie Ball, Knoxville, Iowa
12. (18) 98 Chris Masters, Napa, Calif.
13. (3) 77X Alex Hill, Six Nations, Ont., Canada
14. (2) 44 Chris Martin, Ankeny, Iowa
15. (12) 7 John Carney II, El Paso, Texas
16. (17) 17 Mitchell Faccinto, Hanford, Calif.
17. (8) 28 Scott Bogucki, McLaren Vale, Sask., Canada
18. (15) 32 Elliot Amdahl, Flandreau, S.D.