SAPULPA, Oklahoma — October 17, 2026. Sam Hafertepe Jr. entered the American Sprint Car Series season finale with a championship to defend and left Creek County Speedway with both the Fuzzy’s Fall Fling trophy and a record seventh ASCS National Tour crown.
The decisive move came on the final lap of the 40-lap feature. Garrett Benson had been one of the principal contenders, trading the lead with Alex Sewell as Hafertepe and title rival Matt Covington worked through traffic. Hafertepe passed Sewell for second with two laps remaining, then swept around Benson on the final circuit and completed the winning move in Turns 3 and 4.
A title decided on the racetrack
Hafertepe’s win was his seventh of the 2026 season and 95th career ASCS National Tour victory. More importantly, it secured his seventh national championship, with an official final margin of 41 points over Covington. The milestone extends his record for national titles in the series.
Benson finished second, Sewell third, Covington fourth and Steven Shebester fifth. For Hafertepe, the ending delivered something more memorable than merely protecting a points lead: a final-lap pass to win the last race of the year.
Pitmark Racing Co. congratulates Hafertepe and his team on a historic season.
Source: American Sprint Car Series media release, October 18, 2026, by Matt Skipper. Full ASCS report. Lead image is a previously published Creek County event image, not the winning pass.
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