STUART, Iowa — Chris Martin is on a roll. He backed up his win with the ASCS National Series in Salina, Oklahoma with a triumph over a stout 41-car field Sunday night at Stuart Speedway.
The event was sanctioned by both the Malvern Bank ASCS Midwest and Mohrfeld Solar Sprint Invaders Series.
The win, board the Chris Martin Racing No. 44 was worth $4,000, after the Ankeny, Iowa, driver invested $100 pre-race in the “Top Dog Challenge” raising his winning earnings $2,000. Twenty drivers spent $100 for a chance at the bonus.
Colton Fisher was working on a sweep of the night after winning his heat and the dash. 2025 Malvern Bank 360 Series champion, Chase Brown, challenged the leader on lap six of the 25-lapper, but Fisher pulled away, entering lapped traffic on the eighth circuit. After completing the ninth lap, however, Fisher slowed to a stop in turn one.
Brown assumed the lead ahead of Martin, Austin McCarl, Seth Bergman and Garrett Benson. Tasker Phillips entered the top five on the restart. Brown shot out to a lead with Martin in tow. The leader entered lapped traffic with ten to go. Martin was working well and used a slider in turn two with six laps to go to snare the lead.
Two laps later, McCarl passed Brown for the second spot. Martin pulled away from there as the two-time Sprint Invaders champion earned his tenth career win with the series, tying him with Josh Schneiderman for sixth on the all-time wins list.
McCarl was second, ahead of Brown, Bergman and hard-charger Cam Martin.
This marked the first action for the ASCS-Midwest regional series since 2014. The series ran from 2005 to 2014. Alley won championships with the series in both 2005 and 2014. After a tangle in his heat, he won the C, but failed to transfer through the B in his return to the 360 sprint car ranks.
“Honestly, all in all, this one may have been tougher than the last one,” said Martin, referring to his win with the ASCS National Series a week ago. “Talk about polar opposites from last week to this. We came here the first time (in 2023) and I was able to win. It’s cool. It’s so close to home. Danny (Lasoski) back there calls it our little family reunion. We get to come and hang out with our friends and family. The track turned out awesome. Thanks to everyone for sticking out the cold. I’m so sick of this cold!”
“It was a really short race there for this place,” said Austin McCarl. “I just wish we had a little more time, and a few more laps. The track was really good for most of the way, and then it returned how it was before. All in all, it was a good run for us and we’ll take it.”
“It feels good to run third,” said Brown. “The guys that beat us are really good competitors that have really good race teams. It’s nothing to hang our head about. We’ll tidy up some things, some moves early on in the race. Developing as a race car driver, I’m going to keep learning how to get these races put away. That’s just a part of the learning process. I’m very thankful for the team that I’ve got. It’s a great start to 2026, and we’ll keep chipping away.”
The finish:
Feature (25 laps): 1. 44, Chris Martin, Ankeny, IA (4) 2. 88w, Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA (3) 3. 55, Chase Brown, Yutan, NE (2) 4. 23, Seth Bergman, Snohomish, WA (5) 5. 4, Cam Martin, Ankeny, IA (15) 6. 1TAZ, Tasker Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (7) 7. 2B, Garrett Benson, Concordia, MO (6) 8. 36, Jason Martin, Lincoln, NE (9) 9. 14, Joey Danley, Martell, NE (16) 10. 57, Cam Sorrels, Hallsville, MO (10) 11. 50, Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA (13) 12. 11T, Trey Meredith, Dade City, FL (4) 13. 7, Tyler Lee, Cedar Rapids, IA (18) 14. 23s, Stu Snyder, Waverly, NE (11) 15. 31, McCain Richards, Burlington, IA (12) 16. 2, Chase Porter, St. Joseph, MO (20) 17. 91, Sam Henderson, Sioux Falls, SD (14) 18. 11x, Colton Fisher, Danville, IA (1) 19. 49, Josh Schneiderman, West Burlington, IA (17) 20. 40, Cody Wehrle, Burlington, IA (19)
