Bryan Hulbert – SAPULPA, Okla. (October 14, 2019) Returning to Victory Lane on Saturday with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network, Sam Hafertepe, Jr. landed his ninth win with the series and 11th overall on the 2019 season.
“Winning anytime is a good deal for sure, but we hadn’t been able to get the job done lately, so it felt good just to win a race. It felt like it had been forever since we did,” stated Hafertepe, who has retaken the points lead by 14-markers with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network.
A perfect night for Sam, a win in the third Heat Race from the right of the front row put Sam atop the Passing Points for the redraw. Pulling the second starting spot, the Heidbreder Foundation/J&J Chassis No. 15h took the lead from the start and never looked back.
“I knew we were going to have speed, and we just needed things to go our way, and everything went about as perfect as you could ask for on a race night and that was the biggest thing,” stated Sam.
Nine other wins in a Cool Chassis, his first of the season in March onboard a J&J Chassis, this weekend was the first trip to Victory Lane since swapping back to the J&J. Asked if there was much difference in how he approached the cars, Sam replied, “It’s all about knowing which wrench to turn on each car and I don’t think, like when we went to Little Rock, we had the car dialed in the way we wanted to have it so it took us a few nights to get where it needed to be, and this weekend we had a good feel of that and we hit right on it so I feel like everything is back in the right place.”
Looking next to the Devil’s Bowl Winter Nationals, Sam’s track record at the half-mile oval with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network includes five wins and 13 podium finishes, including a third in the series last visit during the 2019 ASCS Sizzlin’ Summer Speedweek.
One of Sam’s favorite tracks, the Sunnyvale, Texas driver is confident going into the weekend.
“I always love going to the Devil’s Bowl. It’s a challenge because there are some nights you get a little heavier track, but it seems no matter the condition, we’ve always managed to shine, that, and coming in with the J&J, our record there is much better than with the Cool so that makes me feel a lot better.”
Action at the Devil’s Bowl Winter Nationals takes place on Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19 with action both nights at 8:00 P.M. (CT). More information can be found online at http://www.devilsbowl.com.
For continued updates on Sam Hafertepe, Jr. log onto http://www.sam15.com and make sure to find him on Twitter (@samhafertepejr). For news on Hill's Racing Team, log onto https://www.facebook.com/hillsracing/ and on Twitter (@HillsRacingTeam).
2019 Season to Date:
Events: 50; Wins -11; Top 5 – 24; Top 10 – 32; Top 20 – 37;
Coming Up:
October 18 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, Texas) w/Lucas Oil ASCS
October 19 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, Texas) w/Lucas Oil ASCS
Sam Hafertepe, Jr. Online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011628097506
Website: http://www.sam15.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/samhafertepejr
The Sponsors:
Hill’s Racing Team, Townline Variety, Heidbreder Foundation Service, Kiebler & Sons Lawn and Landscaping, Fisher Racing Engines, Super Shox, J&J Chassis, Smiley’s Racing Products, Hoosier Tire, Huggins Cams, Champion Oil, The Sparks Family, Lonestar Speedway, Keizer Wheels, XYZ Machining, Simpson Racing Products, CP-Carrillo, KSE Power Steering, FK Rod Ends, BMRS, Allstar Performance, Saldana Racing Products, Vortex Wings, DMI, Wilwood Brakes, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Hwy. 79 Collision.