(Photo by Fletcher Motorsports)
Inside Line Promotions – SUNNYVALE, Texas (Nov. 25, 2014) – Speed was not an issue for Sam Hafertepe Jr. in 2014.
“I feel like we had one of the fastest if not the fastest car at most races throughout the year,” he said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t always get the results to back that up. If we had there’d be a lot more wins in the stats and a championship trophy.”
Hafertepe Jr. returned to the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour and he was a contender for the championship until the season finale. However, too many DNFs derailed the title bid as Hafertepe Jr. placed fifth in the championship standings with the premier 360ci sprint car series.
“We led the series in wins and ranked fourth in top fives and top 10s, but we also probably led the series in DNFs,” he said. “Sometimes racing luck is on your side and other times it is hard to find. We had a couple of mechanical failures and were caught up in several crashes. It’s hard to end the season on top when you have several races you didn’t finish, but it was still a strong season.”
Hafertepe Jr. scored a series-best four feature victories, including triumphs at Lawton Speedway in Lawton, Okla.; at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Okla.; at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark.; and at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas.
He was also victorious with the ASCS Sooner and Lone Star Regions at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, and with the ASCS Gulf South Region at Heart O’Texas Speedway in Waco, Texas.
Outside of the six wins, Hafertepe Jr.’s season was highlighted by a strong run during the Arnold Motor Supply 360 Knoxville Nationals and the FVP Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, in early August.
He charged to a career-best runner-up result during the 360 Knoxville Nationals. Five days later Hafertepe Jr. nearly captured a preliminary night victory during the Knoxville Nationals. He placed second, which gave him enough points to lock into his third career Knoxville Nationals feature.
“The Knoxville Nationals is the biggest event in sprint car racing every year and the first objective is to make the main event,” he said. “There are dozens of great drivers who don’t each year so it was a big feat to be so strong on our preliminary night and earn a spot in the big show.”
Including the victories and strong performances during the Knoxville Nationals, Hafertepe Jr. finished the season with 24 top fives and 37 top 10s.
“I want to thank all of the sponsors and supporters of this race team as well as everyone who has helped crew,” he said. “We had a solid season and I’m aiming to picking up more wins in 2015. I’m looking to add some sponsors to our team next year so that we can continue to move forward.”
Hafertepe Jr. is slated to kick off next year at the inaugural Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown at Cocopah Speedway in Somerton, Ariz., Jan. 2-3, Jan. 6 and Jan. 9-10.
SEASON STATS –
68 races, 6 wins, 24 top fives, 37 top 10s, 45 top 15s, 56 top 20s
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.Sam15.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamHafertepeJr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sam-Hafertepe-Jr-and-The-Plumbfast-Racing-Team/116304711773031?ref=br_tf
VIDEO –
Here is a link to highlights of Hafertepe Jr. winning the ASCS Gulf South Region race at Heart O’Texas Speedway on June 6: http://youtu.be/QWG0RyKXyX8
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Kiebler & Sons Lawn and Landscaping
Kiebler & Sons Lawn and Landscaping is a residential landscaping business based in New Oxford, Pa.
“They are really good friends of ours who have been around for quite a while,” Hafertepe Jr. said. “We’ve always really appreciated their support.”
Hafertepe Jr. would also like to thank LoneStar Speedway, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Wells Racing Engines, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Smiley’s Racing Products, Fisher Racing Engines, J&J Auto Racing, Pro Shocks by OC Shocks, Fire-Down Graphics, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Vortex Wings, Kear’s Speed Shop, Pancho’s Racing Products, GPC, Joe Gibbs Racing Oils, Zemco Headers and Simpson Racing Products for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program and to join Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or InsideLinePromotions@gmail.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Nov 25, 2014
- Article Date: 11/25/2014 by Inside Line Promotions