KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The high speed and summer heat for the American Sprint Car Series continues in Kansas this weekend with visits to Lakeside Speedway and 81 Speedway.
After two nights at the historic Belleville High Banks last week, the high speeds continue with a visit to Lakeside on Friday. The three-eighths-mile oval, located in Kansas City, has hosted 11 national ASCS events in the past, including at least one race each year since 2021.
The following night, the series heads Southwest to Park City, Kan., — 15 minutes north of Wichita — for a visit to 81 Speedway.
The fast, sweeping three-eighths-mile oval has hosted the national series six previous times, dating back to its debut in 2001.
KING OF KANSAS
After scoring back-to-back wins at Belleville High Banks last weekend, Sam Hafertepe Jr. and the Hill’s Racing Team are up to five Series victories through the first 11 races of the season and lead the chase for the championship by 126 points.
Hafertepe, the five-time series champion from Sunnyvale, Texas, has now won three of the four series events contested in Kansas so far this season and — judging by his historical records — will be a strong contender for the win at both tracks in the Sunflower State this weekend as the defending winner of both races.
The Texan’s historical records have shown his talents on both three-eighths-mile ovals, especially at Lakeside, where he owns three national series victories (most of any driver) and five top-five finishes in 11 career starts. At 81, he owns three top-five finishes in eight career starts, including the win he scored there last summer.
Last July, Hafertepe dominated the Lakeside/81 weekend trip, leading all 60 feature laps combined between the two tracks to bank his second and third of 12 series wins he had in 2024.
HOME AGAIN
Jason Martin will get another weekend racing in his home state of Kansas after back-to-back podium finishes in Belleville.
Martin, the 2023 Series champion from Liberal, Kan., led 11 laps of Thursday’s feature before Hafertepe retook the lead in lapped traffic in the closing laps, leaving him with a runner-up finish. He appeared to be on track for another runner-up in the finale on Friday until traffic appeared again in the final laps, allowing young Iowa racer Cameron Martin to slip by to take second, while Martin settled for third.
Historically, Martin has not made as many starts at Lakeside compared to other Kansas venues. He’s posted three top fives in seven recorded starts with a best finish of third, which came with ASCS in 2022.
At 81, he’s had far more success, making five trips to victory lane in his career with three different organizations — two with ASCS (both in 2023, making him the Series’ only repeat winner), two with the National Championship Racing Association in 2010 and 2011, and once in 2018 with the United Rebel Sprint Series.
NEW CONTENDER
Bryant Wiedeman’s second weekend out with the American Sprint Car Series at Belleville showed he and the Ochs Racing team’s potential to compete with the best in 360 sprint car racing.
Wiedeman, 19, of Colby, Kan., crossed the finish line fifth on Thursday night’s preliminary program before backing it up with a fourth-place finish in the finale on Friday — a large jump in performance from his previous two starts with the Series this season, which produced results of 16th and 11th at Salt City Speedway and Dodge City Raceway Park in May.
The former full-time micro dprint and national Midget racer has no recorded starts at Lakeside but has one appearance at 81, which came with a second-place finish against the ASCS Sooner Region last August.
BACK IN THE MIX
Matt Covington is back in ASCS championship contention and has another two opportunities to capitalize in the points standings this weekend.
Covington, of Glenpool, Okla., posted finishes of fourth and fifth at Belleville, leaving him ranked third in the championship points standings, 133 points behind leader Hafertepe.
This weekend, he’ll head to two tracks where he’s seen victory lane with ASCS before as he continues the hunt for his first national 360 sprint car championship.
In 10 career ASCS starts at Lakeside, Covington has four top fives and nine top-10s with one win, which came in August 2023. He has 14 recorded starts at 81, including eight top-five results and one win in July 2022. Last July, Covington recorded finishes of sixth at Lakeside and second at 81.
MAYOR OF WICHITA
Few drivers know the secrets to speed at 81 Speedway like Jeremy Campbell.
The 41-year-old from Wichita, Kan., has more starts and wins recorded at 81 than at any other track he’s raced. In over 60 main event starts with various sanctioning bodies and car types, he’s won 11 times — eight with NCRA, two with the ASCS Sooner Region, and once with the USAC Southwest Sprint Car Series.
The 2021 Sooner Region champion’s last win at the facility came last August with the Sooner Region when he bested Wiedeman and Fred Mattox in the main event.
Results of 19th and 13th last weekend in Belleville will have Campbell looking for a rebound run in front of his hometown crowd.
