The American Sprint Car Series is back in the state where it all started.
The top drivers of 360 Sprint Car racing travel to Arkansas, which first welcomed the Series in 1993, for a Saturday night duel at Locust Grove’s Batesville Motor Speedway on June 13. The high-banked 3/8-mile will see drivers contest for a $4,000 payday.
Grandstand gates open at 5 p.m. CT, and Hot Laps will commence at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be available to purchase at the track on Saturday.
Here are the top storylines to look for:
Back Home Again – “The Natural State” was the first state to welcome the American Sprint Car Series with its introductory race at I-30 Speedway in 1993.
Batesville hosted the Series for the first time in 1996, with Mike Ward winning the first two races. The track hosted the National Tour from 1999 to 2004, and there was a 17-year wait before it returned to the annual schedule in 2021.
Ward, Gary Wright, and Tim Crawley own the most Series wins at the track with three apiece. Last year, two-time Series champion Blake Hahn drove to Victory Lane at the 3/8-mile for the first time.
Needing A Spark – As the American Sprint Car Series reaches the second quarter of the 2026 season, Sam Hafertepe Jr. needs a pitch of momentum to contain his points lead at Batesville.
Hafertepe has held the point lead for most of the season, but his last few starts have caused him to lose a little grip. At Benton, he was leading until contact with a lapped car forced him to settle for ninth. Then, at Creek County, he suffered an engine issue halfway through the Feature while running in third place.
While he recovered at 81 Speedway with a runner-up finish to keep the lead (22 points over Matt Covington), he’s looking for luck to turn his direction at Batesville. The six-time Series champion has finished second and fifth, respectively, in his last two track appearances.
Striking Distance – Matt Covington has been one of the most consistent drivers in the last eight races, earning an average finish of 4.8. He was the first full-time driver to win this year and has scored eight top 10 finishes in a row, including three top fives in the last three races.
Those results have helped him close in on Hafertepe’s points lead, currently 22 points back.
That streak could continue this weekend as the Glenpool, OK native has never finished worse than ninth in four starts at Batesville. He earned top five in his 2021 debut at the track and a podium in 2024.
Grind Never Stops – Seth Bergman’s recent strong runs, including a win last weekend, have him back in the fight for his second Series title – sitting 23 points back from the lead.
The 2024 Series champion has proven to be the hottest driver on the circuit by maintaining a streak of five consecutive top fives, including wins at Benton Speedway and 81 Speedway.
While the Snohomish, WA driver finished 18th in his 2025 visit, he owns the track record (12.429 sec.) and finished in the top five at the Arkansas facility during his championship season. Winning on Saturday will make him the first three-time winner in the 2026 campaign.
Every Point Matters – After 11 races, ASCS enters Batesville with points battles throughout the top 10 in points.
The top three are separated by 23 points. Behind them, fourth-place Kyler Johnson and fifth-place Whit Gastineau sit three points apart. Sixth through eighth sees Brogan Carder, Ryder Laplante, and Austyn Gossel separated by 28 points. Then, six markers split Terry Easum and Cole Schroeder to determine ninth and 10th.
Eight drivers are still hunting for their first win this season, and among them (Johnson, Carder, Laplante, Gossel, and Schroeder) are looking for their first overall Series win.
THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
WHEN AND WHERE
Saturday, June 13, at Batesville Motor Speedway in Batesville, AR
AROUND THE CORNER
Friday-Saturday, June 26-27, at Belleville High Banks in Belleville, KS
CURRENT TOP-10 STANDINGS
- Sam Hafertepe Jr. (1157pts)
- Matt Covington (-22)
- Seth Bergman (-23)
- Kyler Johnson (-163)
- Whit Gastineau (-166)
- Brogan Carder (-260)
- Ryder Laplante(-268)
- Austyn Gossel(-288)
- Terry Easum (-305)
- Cole Schroeder (-311)
FEATURE WINNERS (8 Drivers)
2 wins – Seth Bergman, Justin Peck, Tyler Courtney
1 win – Blake Hahn, Chris Martin, Brady Bacon, Levi Hillier, Matt Covington
FEATURE LAPS LED (16 Drivers)
52 laps – Justin Peck
30 laps – Levi Hillier, Blake Hahn
23 laps – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
22 laps – Chris Martin
21 laps – Austin McCarl
20 laps – Seth Bergman
19 laps – Matt Covington
18 laps – Brady Bacon
16 laps – Cameron Martin
13 laps – Brian Brown
10 laps – Kyler Johnson
9 laps – Whit Gastineau
7 laps – Cole Macedo
6 laps – Tyler Courtney
3 laps – Sean McClelland
QUICK TIME AWARDS (5 Drivers)
5 awards – Sam Hafertepe Jr
1 award – Seth Bergman, Howard Moore, Chris Martin, Levi Hillier, Kyler Johnson
HEAT RACE WINNERS (23 Drivers)
4 wins – Matt Covington
3 wins – Sam Hafertepe Jr, Whit Gastineau
2 wins – Seth Bergman, Chris Martin, Justin Peck
1 win – Jordan Mallett, Sean McClelland, Garrett Benson, Cam Martin, Brady Bacon, Tyler Clem, Emerson Axsom, Brian Brown, Cole Macedo, Garen Linder, Colby Copeland, Nick Parker, Hank Davis, Ryder Laplante, JJ Hickle, Kyler Johnson, Alex Hill, Jeremy Campbell, Blake Hahn, Kade Morton, Alex Sewell
DASH STARTS (34 Drivers)
9 starts – Sam Hafertepe Jr
7 starts – Matt Covington
5 starts – Kyler Johnson, Whit Gastineau
4 starts – Levi Hillier, Seth Bergman
3 starts – Chris Martin, Tyler Courtney, Brian Brown, Justin Peck
2 starts – Camerson Martin, Emerson
1 start – Jordan Mallett, Howard Moore, Paul Solomon, Garrett Benson, Brock Zearfoss, Cole Macedo, Tyler Clem, Hank Davis, Ryder Laplante, Nick Parker, Colby Copeland, Garen Linder, JJ
SMITH TITANIUM LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (7 Drivers)
2 wins – Braxton Weger
1 win – DJ Christie, Matt Covington, Tyler Clem, Whit Gastineau, Sterling Cling, Gage Montgomery
HARD CHARGER AWARDS (11 Drivers)
1 award – Seth Bergman, Ryder Laplante, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, Sam Hafertepe Jr., DJ Netto, Whit Gastineau, Brogan Carder, Joe B. Miller, Bradley Fezard, Hayden Mabe
PODIUM FINISHES (18 Drivers)
5 podiums – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
4 podiums – Matt Covington
3 podiums – Justin Peck, Seth Bergman
2 podiums – Tyler Courtney, Brady Bacon, Austin McCarl, Levi Hillier
1 podium – Cole Macedo, Emerson Axsom, Brock Zearfoss, Kyler Johnson, JJ Hickle, Jordan Mallett, Chris Martin, Blake Hahn, Alex Sewell, Whit Gastineau
2026 AMERICAN SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE + WINNERS
Date / Track / City, State / Winner (Total Wins)
- Thu, Jan. 29 / Volusia Speedway Park /Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney
- Fri, Jan. 30 / Volusia Speedway Park /Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney (2)
- Mon, Feb. 2 / Volusia Speedway Park /Barberville, FL / Brady Bacon
- Sat, Feb. 21 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Justin Peck
- Sun, Feb. 21 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Matt Covington
- Sat, Feb. 28 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Justin Peck (2)
- Sun, Mar. 1 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Levi Hillier
- Sat, Apr. 11 / Salina Highbanks Speedway / Salina, OK / Chris Martin
- Fri, May 8 / Benton Speedway / Benton, MO / Seth Bergman
- Fri, June 5 / Creek County Speedway / Sapulpa, OK / Blake Hahn
- Sat, June 6 / 81 Speedway / Park City, KS / Seth Bergman (2)
This article was republished with permission from the American Sprint Car Series. The original article can be found here: https://ascsracing.com/news/top-five-storylines-covington-bergman-continue-hunt-for-hafertepes-top-spot-at-batesville/
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