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iT TAKES TWO: Martin Fostering Growth of Youthful Crew Member

Emily Schwanke

CONCORD, NC (Oct. 23, 2025) — Every form of motorsports needs plentiful youth involvement and knowledgeable, experienced teachers to ensure a positive outlook for the future.

At 43 years old, American Sprint Car Series champion Jason Martin is among the most experienced drivers on the national circuit, and this year has welcomed a new addition to his operation in 20-year-old Chase Richards.

Together, they’ve wrenched the Bybee Electric, Don Ott-powered Schnee/Eagle Chassis No. 36 to three Feature wins with the national Series in 2025 and are headed toward a top-five finish in the points championship for the fourth consecutive year.

“The motivation and the youthfulness is great,” Martin said. “We don’t get many opportunities for young kids to inject themselves into the sport the way that Chase and a lot of these crew guys on the national tour. They don’t come by very often, or they do and don’t stick around long. So, it’s good to have youth in the sport.

“I really enjoy sharing knowledge with these younger kids and trying to help them learn and understand the basics and beyond. Whenever it gets really complicated, different things about the suspension and the shocks and wings and how they work. Tire prep and different things about the tires that we learned.”

Martin hired the local Sprint Car driver from Burlington, IA, to join his Lincoln, NE-based team in May to serve as his lone full-time crew member. In only six months, Richards said he’s come a long way, and Martin echoes his progress.

“Jason has taught me a lot more than I can even process,” Richards said. “He’s definitely taught me the ins-and-outs of Sprint Car racing. I feel like he and I get along and work together really well.”

“It’s been a huge thing for Chase to come along, and he’s learned a lot,” Martin said. “He’s grown immensely since he came to help me in May as a kid that didn’t know really the direction he wanted to go, and now he’s already wanting to focus on being more in a crew chief role and making decisions on the race car and learning from mistakes.”

The two were brought together from a connection Martin had with Chase’s father, Cory, who was a local racer around Iowa. Martin recalls building shocks for Cory's cars that Chase and his brother McCain raced, and their racing relationship eventually led to the opportunity for Chase to work with Martin as he chased the national Series schedule.

“Chase was kinda like myself when I was 17-18-19 years old,” Martin said. “I wanted to just get out and learn and travel the world a little bit. He came on board and has been a huge asset to the team. He’s young, energetic and willing to learn and go the extra mile to do things. He and I get along pretty well and communicate.

“That’s the biggest thing — we spend a lot of time together, so you can’t have people that you don’t really get along with or don’t communicate well.”

Richards’ drive to race and compete started at the prime age of four years old, getting his start in motocross, which he stuck with until a major injury sidelined him during the 2020 season. After taking a year off, he decided to get back on the dirt, first debuting in an Outlaw Kart and later upgrading to a Sprint Car, which he’s raced around Iowa/Illinois for the past four years.

After so much time experiencing the thrill of competition for himself, what sparked Richards’ interest in a crew member position?

“To learn,” he said. “Learn as much as I can about Sprint Car racing so that maybe, one day, if was to go out on my own and do it, I would have the knowledge to do it the right way and be more successful.”

Looking back, Richards said he’s learned several things from Martin’s vault of knowledge and experience in his first season on the road.

“I think the most important thing I’ve learned is diversity,” Richards said. “Night-to-night, how different things can be, and how different not just racers, but in life in general, how things can change from a really low point to a really high point.”

Martin said he benefits plenty from Richards’ presence — not only from his support role, but from his perspective as a fellow Sprint Car driver as well.

“It’s obviously a bonus whenever you can talk about the way the car enters the corner or how the car exits the corner,” Martin said. “He’s been in the seat and he feels that; he understands. He may not have ever realized it, just because he’s so inexperienced as a driver as well, but now he’s starting to see what he felt from the other side of the fence.”

“Watching Jason, I can kinda tell from a driver’s standpoint, ‘He did this and this is why,’ and I can base that off of being in the seat,” Richards said. “He did this because the car did this, and I feel like a lot of other crew guys can’t really distinguish that because they haven’t been in the seat.”

Ask him and he’ll not be shy about it — Richards has a newfound niche wrenching on Sprint Cars. He’s not yet ready to give up on his own career in the seat, but he and Martin both have a positive outlook for their future with the American Sprint Car Series.

“Chase has been a great addition to the team, and hopefully, we can continue to race two or three more years,” Martin said. “That would be a great thing if we could continue to build on this experience together.”

The American Sprint Car Series brings the 2025 season to a close Friday–Saturday, Nov. 14–15, at Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, OK, in the annual running of Fuzzy’s Fall Fling.

Tickets for both nights of the event will be sold at the track on race day. If you can’t be there, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

XTREME DIRT ROADS: NC Natives Cline, Wise, Mitchell Prep Xtreme World Championship Home Defense at Millbridge

CONCORD, NC (October 17, 2025) - When the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota visits Millbridge Speedway in November to close out the season, three North Carolina natives will be set to defend their home turf.

Mooresville, NC’s Trevor Cline and Ethan Mitchell, along with Huntersville, NC’s Hayden Wise, will each chase victory in the Justin Arion Hauling Xtreme Outlaw World Championship presented by Glenn Styres Racing with an Xtreme season of experience under each of their belts.

Wise, the 14-year-old Series rookie, spent the majority of her 2025 campaign focused on learning the new surroundings and understanding the Ninety-Four Racing machine that she piloted with former USAC champion Jay Drake on the wrenches.

“It’s been great so far getting comfortable with the car this year,” Wise said. “I really can’t thank Jay (Drake) enough. He’s been setting up the car really good for me, and all the support from my dad and pop each night. It’s been a big thing for that, and I’m just happy with where I’ve come from so far, and learning about the car has made it be really fun.”

Cline, who ran his rookie season with the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets in 2024, filled his racing schedule with visits to new tracks in split time between the Bellwood Auto Body No. 55 Midget and Hyper Racing Micro Sprints.

“They’ve said we ran pretty well. I don’t think it’s been as good as I want it to be,” Cline said. “Obviously, you want to win them all, but it’s never gonna happen. But, it’s good. I’ve been able to travel more, so I haven’t been home as much. I’ve ran quite a bit of races, but I’ve been trying a bunch of things when we do travel out. It’s been consistent finishes, so it’s been a pretty good year."

Mitchell has evolved into a seasoned Midget veteran who knows the ups and downs that a year of national competition can bring. Through 10 Series starts this year, Mitchell owns a top five at Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway, along with three additional top 10s. The 23-year-old also won in a Micro Sprint with Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports (KKM) at Millbridge in August.

“You know, 2025 hasn’t been too spectacular,” Mitchell said. “It’s one of them tougher seasons that you go through as a race car driver, but we’re going to end it on a good note. I’m glad we’ve been able to visit a lot of tracks, but it’s not been easy for sure. There’s been nights where things start well, then it’s almost a wrong place, wrong time type of thing.

“But, it’s still been good to get a lot of laps, and going to Millbridge next is always a strong suit for me, seeing that’s where I started my career with Outlaw Karts, Micros, and Midgets here and there. We got the win in a Micro for KKM, and that was a lot of fun. Overall, it’s tough, but we keep trucking. We ain’t gonna give up, and we're going to keep fighting to see if we can make some headway and throw our hat in the ring for a win.”

If Cline is not racing elsewhere during the weekdays, he can be found at Millbridge racing between Winged and Non-Winged Micro Sprints. In that time, the 18-year-old has watched the 1/7-mile dirt track evolve into a hotbed for young racers to develop and compete against the best in their division each week.

“The more and more you travel, when you get home, it gets easier and easier,” Cline said. “It’s definitely helped. Even in years past, the more we’ve traveled, it just feels like another show, and it seems easier to me. Down (at Millbridge), the competition’s getting really hard. There used to be five or six good cars; now, there’s 15-20 good cars that it turns into the (Tulsa) Shootout a little bit.

“You got to have a lot of luck. Different racetracks have different dirt, especially out in the Midwest. You’re able to go home and almost not take a bunch of the information, but your driving style becomes easier and the way you drive. Going to Millbridge, since it’s not as sandy as the others, it’s pretty tough whenever a lot of guys show up.”

Though Wise has raced at Millbridge the least amount of times since stepping up from the Quarter Midget ranks, she’s spent time in a range of open-wheel dirt cars, including Midgets, 410 Sprint Cars, and Micro Sprints. After scoring her first Series podium at Clyde Martin, she went back the next week and became the first female to win a 600 Micro Feature at the track.

“Running the Sprint Car, and Midget, and Micros, I’m happy that I’m learning the different chassis and how to drive them,” Wise said. “Overall, I feel like it helps me in so many different ways because I know how to be and what to do in certain situations.

“I do a lot of studying before I come to some of these tracks. Just so that I know what to expect, which helps, and then going over my notes with my family and Jay helps a lot when we’re there. Like, running the Midget at Clyde (Martin Memorial Speedway) definitely helped me go ahead in the Micro and win because I knew what the track was going to be like. Those PA tracks have been really good to me.”

Mitchell knows “The Bridge” as well as the back of his hand with the amount of laps he’s logged. When the Midgets race a familiar track in a much cooler setting than in previous years, “Lil Bundy” said that World Championship competitors will be more reliant on pace than on being technical around the track.

“I think, being in November versus May, it’s gonna be quite a different track than what we’re used to seeing,” Mitchell said. “May, obviously, is a lot hotter than November, and I’ve ran enough to where I know how it changes through the year. It seems like towards the end of the year, it brings moisture throughout the surface, holds grip longer through the night, and produces faster-paced racing. Track records are always set or broken at the end of the year, no matter what class you’re in.

“It just seems that the track carries more speed at the end of the year than it does early on. So, I think knowing those little things about Millbridge, I think there’s going to be some advantages in knowing that type of stuff, plus all the laps I have are quite hefty, so it all should help me out as well.”

Cline began October with an added milestone to his career when he bested Series points leader Jacob Denney in the final laps at Jacksonville Speedway to earn an emotional first career Xtreme Outlaw Feature win. The win gave Cline added confidence entering the Xtreme World Championship as he seeks his first career Midget win around his home track.

“My Midget program, we’re getting there,” Cline said. “We’re not at the level we want to be yet, but we are a lot better from where we started. Millbridge is special, everybody I know is from there, and I’ve got more laps than anyone there almost, so I’m kind of the hometown kid. I’ve only ran a Midget there twice, and a million in the Micro, so hopefully we can take what we learned from (Jacksonville) and run well there.”

Wise said her confidence level has risen throughout the course of her rookie year, and there is no better place for her to win her first national Midget triumph amongst the hometown crowd.

“I mean, it’d be crazy, I’d be so excited,” Wise said. “I’ve spent time thinking about how much confidence I’ve gained over the last couple of races with Xtreme, how I’ve been getting comfortable in the car. I’ve had more confidence going into these races because I’ve been racing with the best guys, getting comfortable with racing against them, learning how they race, and I really think it’d be cool if that could come at Millbridge.”

Mitchell knows what it is like to be close to victory at home, as his only podium score with the Series came in the inaugural Series event’s finale in 2022.

Though he’s only finished in the top-10 once in every Xtreme Outlaw Feature at the track since then, his 8.5 average Feature start through the last three years suggests the No. 19M to be near the head of the field to start the November finale.

“As greedy as we are, we want to win now,” Mitchell said. “Just getting that feeling to win in general would be super good for me, and really boost my confidence level to where it would change the game for me. They always say, ‘The first one is the hardest to get. Then, after that, it becomes a lot easier.’ I think that would hold true to me for sure because we’ve been close.”

You can see Cline, Wise, and Mitchell battle at Millbridge Speedway to cap off the 2025 Xtreme Outlaw Midget season in the Justin Arion Hauling Xtreme Outlaw World Championship presented by Glenn Styres Racing on Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 3-4. Tickets will be available at the gate. Hot Laps are scheduled to start at 6 p.m. both nights.

MILLBRIDGE INFO

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online or by downloading the DIRTVision App.

McClelland Celebrating 30 Years of Racing in 2025: ‘Desire to Win is 100 Percent Still There’

Five-time Sooner Region champion takes on national ASCS stars this weekend in Tulsa

Team Green

TULSA, OK (Oct. 16, 2025) — This weekend, the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) goes head-to-head with its most historic and longest-running regional division, the ASCS Sooner Region. Leading the Oklahoma-based pack is its all-time winningest driver and champion, Sean McClelland.

McClelland, 50, of Tulsa, OK, is a five-time Sooner Region champion, celebrating 30 years in the driver’s seat in 2025. From his humble beginning, jumping straight into a two-barrel 360 Sprint Car in 1996, McClelland has not been shy about recognizing the help he’s had on the road to becoming one of Oklahoma’s most respected 360 racers.

Down the side of his black/orange No. 1 reads ‘All American Forklift’ — the name of the business owned by his car owner, Robert McLain. He and McClelland have been in partnership on the track since the 2023 season, when McClelland last went to Victory Lane against the national Series at Creek County Speedway.

“I’ve got good people that support me and have supported me over my career,” McClelland said. “It’s been good. I’ve had a lot of good car owners over the years who have helped me, and it’s really important to have good financial support behind you.”

2025 commemorates 20 years since his first Sooner Region Feature win and first Sooner Region championship earned in 2005 on the strength of five wins and 18 top-10s in 20 races. The names, faces, and cars have changed plenty since then, but one thing remains constant in McClelland’s racing career — the will to compete at his potential.

“I’m a very competitive person. I don’t like to lose at anything that I do, and I think that’s what drives me,” McClelland said. “Turning 51 next week, I still want to go out and compete and be the best I can. Of course, we want to win.

“We’re not disappointed if we run second, we’re not disappointed if we run fifth. The car owner is not, but I am. I want to win every night. So, the competitive spirit, the burn, the urge and desire to win is 100 percent still there.”

McClelland and his local roots play a part in representing the best of the Sooner Region, which has operated under the American Sprint Car Series banner since its establishment in 2001. Since his debut with the region in 2002, McClelland has collected 24 Feature wins, beating the best from around the area, including several national ASCS champions.

“Back then, it really was the most competitive region that ASCS had,” McClelland said. “Any time the national guys would come and run against the Sooner Region guys, they knew they were in for a fight because it was so competitive. There’s been a lot of great race car drivers come through the Sooner Region ranks. It’s always been the toughest.

“I don’t think it’s fell off. The Sooner Region is just as tough now as it ever has been. There’s a lot of great racers around Oklahoma, Arkansas, the Missouri area, and Kansas. It’s always been competitive.”

McClelland has been competitive against the national Series in 2025, most notably garnering a third-place finish to Seth Bergman and winner Sam Hafertepe Jr. at Salina Highbanks Speedway in April. Since then, he’s been to Victory Lane in Sooner Region action at Creek County in September, and currently leads the region’s points standings, trying for a sixth championship.

He's not beaten the national stars since Creek County in 2023, but is confident another big win is right around the corner.

“We’re putting ourselves in the right spot to have a chance to win, we’ve just kinda fell short come Feature time a couple times where we thought we had a real shot at winning,” McClelland said. “We just fell short on setup, or maybe driver error, or something like that. It’s not the equipment that we’re falling short on — it’s usually driver related, or setup related. But we’ve been competitive with the national guys everywhere we’ve showed up this year.”

McClelland and the rest of the Sooner Region regulars will need to be at their best when the national ASCS stars come to Tulsa Speedway for the inaugural Double Down in T-Town this Friday–Saturday, Oct. 17–18. The brand-new event combines the area’s best in 360 Sprint Car racing with the regulars of the Mid-West Drag Racing Series, who will race during the dirt track program at the adjacent drag strip.

For $25 per carload, fans can attend and walk between the two facilities to check out what both motorsports disciplines have to offer.

“I think it’s awesome,” McClelland said. “I think we should have a good crowd. Some dirt people may go over and check out the drag racing side of it, if they’re racing a little bit before or after us. I think that’s good for the sport of drag racing, and vice versa. I think some of the drag people may come over and check us out — people that may have never went to a dirt race or something.

“I think they’re going to have a good crowd because they’re advertising it really well here in Tulsa. I think it’ll be a good event. The more people we race in front of, the more we get juiced up to go out there and put on a show.”

General admission tickets for both days of the Double Down in T-Town are free for all ages; fans will be charged by the carload at $25 per vehicle of any size upon arrival. If you can’t make it out to watch in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Tulsa Speedway Hosts Inaugural Double Down in T-Town

Emily Schwanke

TULSA, OK (Oct. 14, 2025) — The home stretch of the 34th American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) season continues this weekend in its home state of Oklahoma, featuring back-to-back nights of racing at Tulsa Speedway.

The inaugural Double Down in T-Town hits the 1/4-mile dirt oval this Friday–Saturday, Oct. 17–18, racing alongside the Mid-West Drag Racing Association at the adjacent Tulsa Raceway Park dragstrip. Attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the special admission deal and enjoy the area’s newest motorsports extravaganza.

For $25 per carload on each night, fans will be able to walk freely between the dirt track and the dragstrip to take in both types of racing.

Friday features a $4,000-to-win ASCS program, which will be joined by the local Dwarf Car, USRA B-Modified, and USRA Tuner divisions. Saturday’s finale puts $6,000 on the line for the winner of the Sprint Car main event, racing adjacent to the local Factory Stock and USRA Modified classes. Both Sprint Car programs are co-sanctioned by the ASCS Sooner Region.

General admission tickets for both days are free for all ages; fans will be charged by the carload at $25 per vehicle of any size upon arrival. If you can’t make it out to watch in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

Here are the drivers to watch and storylines to follow this weekend:

TOUGH IN TULSA — Sam Hafertepe Jr. was victorious in last year’s national ASCS visit to Tulsa, twice, after winning the opening night of the Dirt Down in T-Town in June and the added program as part of the rainout makeup date in November.

The five-time Series champion from Sunnyvale, TX, has only three recorded appearances at Tulsa, all of which came in last year’s event. In addition to both victories he claimed, Hafertepe finished fourth in the second main event contested following the rainout makeup on Nov. 14.

The current Series points leader maintains a 146-point lead over Matt Covington, coming into the weekend on the heels of a third and fourth-place finish in the two-day event at Salt City Speedway in Kansas last weekend.

SO CLOSE — Matt Covington has come close to breaking through at Tulsa before and has a great chance to do so this weekend.

The 35-year-old from Glenpool, OK, bagged two podiums in the three national Series starts he made there in 2024, running third to Rookie of the Year Hank Davis and eventual champion Hafertepe in June before going runner-up to Seth Bergman in the double-Feature program at the track in November.

Currently, Covington sits second in the national Series points standings, coming off a weekend of third and fourth-place finishes at Salt City.

BIG YELLOW CONTENDER — Blake Hahn has won before at Tulsa Speedway and could potentially be a contender for another win this weekend.

The two-time Series champion from Sapulpa, OK, topped the field in his debut at the track in 2021, driving from 16th on the starting grid to win the ASCS Sprint Week event. Last year, Hahn ran second to Hafertepe in a Dirt Down in T-Town makeup Feature event on Nov. 14.

Last weekend, Hahn bagged a runner-up finish on Friday and a sixth-place result on Saturday, holding his third-place spot in the points standings.

MAYOR OF HUTCHINSON — Following a sweep of the weekend in Kansas, Whit Gastineau is heading down the road from his home in Moore, OK, to Tulsa to take on the national 360 Sprint Car stars once more this weekend.

The 41-year-old regional standout scored his first two American Sprint Car Series Feature wins in style last Friday and Saturday night, leading flag-to-flag for the win on Friday before passing Brady Baker at the halfway mark and holding on to make it two-in-a-row on Saturday. His win Friday night made him the 176th different winner in Series history.

Gastineau does not have any ASCS starts at Tulsa, but made one appearance in an Oil Capital Racing Series 305 Sprint Car event in 2022.

TULSA TIME — Tulsa native Sean McClelland will also represent the Oklahoma locals this weekend against the national stars of the American Sprint Car Series.

The 50-year-old, five-time ASCS Sooner Region champion is the current regional points leader by 48 points over New Mexico racer Caleb Saiz with three top-fives in six races. So far this season, McClelland has one podium against the national Series regulars — a third-place finish at Salina Highbanks Speedway in April — and finished 14th in the main event at Eagle Raceway in September in a field of nearly 60 cars at the Nebraska oval.

McClelland has won at Tulsa before, topping an Oil Capital Racing Series event at the track last July, and has also been strong at the track in 2025, recording two podium finishes in local 305 Sprint Car action.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE

• Friday–Saturday, Oct. 17–18 at Tulsa Speedway in Tulsa, OK

TRACK FACTS

• Semi-banked, 1/4-mile oval
• Track Record — 12.766 set by Seth Bergman on Nov. 14, 2024

ON THE INTERNET
X — @ASCSRacing
Instagram — @ascs_racing
Facebook — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
YouTube — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
DIRTVision — DIRTVision.com (Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (30/34 Races)

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3455pts)
Matt Covington 3309pts (–146)
Blake Hahn 3262pts (–193)
Jason Martin 3208pts (–247)
Kyler Johsnon 2902pts (–553)
Garrett Benson 2901pts (–552)
Zach Blurton 2822pts (–633)
Brady Baker 2771pts (–684)
Austyn Gossel 2708pts (–747)
Landon Britt 2618pts (–837)

FEATURE WINNERS (12 Drivers):

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (10 wins)
Justin Peck, Matt Covington, Jason Martin (3 wins)
Rico Abreu, Ryan Timms, Blake Hahn, Whit Gastineau (2 wins)
Zach Blurton, Austin McCarl, Seth Bergman, Cameron Martin (1 win)

FEATURE LAPS LED (19 Drivers)

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (226 laps)
Matt Covington (109 laps)
Jason Martin (78 laps)
Justin Peck, Ryan Timms (65 laps)
Rico Abreu, Cameron Martin (34 laps)
Blake Hahn (33 laps)
Whit Gastineau (31 laps)
Zach Blurton (25 laps)
Kyler Johnson (21 laps)
Chase Randall (16 laps)
Brian Brown (15 laps)
Seth Bergman (14 laps)
Austyn Gossel, Jake Bubak (13 laps)
Brady Baker (9 laps)
Austin McCarl (4 laps)
Kyle Larson (2 laps)

QUICK TIME AWARDS (16 Drivers)

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (8 awards)
Matt Covington (4 awards)
Seth Bergman, Blake Hahn, Tony Rost (2 awards)
Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Kyler Johnson, Roger Crockett, Jason Martin, Carson McCarl, Ryan Timms, Ryder Laplante, Kelly Miller, Whit Gastineau, Garrett Benson (1 award)

HEAT RACE WINNERS (45 Drivers)

Matt Covington (14 wins)
Sam Hafertepe Jr. (13 wins)
Jason Martin (8 wins)
Garrett Benson (7 wins)
Blake Hahn (6 wins)
Seth Bergman (5 wins)
Justin Peck, Austyn Gossel, Chris Martin, Cameron Martin (3 wins)
Scotty Thiel, Whit Gastineau, Hank Davis, Sean McClelland, Harli White, Jake Bubak, Kyler Johnson, Ryder McCutcheon (2 wins)
Cole Macedo, Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Caleb Saiz, Bradley Fezard, Bryan Gossel, Jordon Mallett, Bryant Wiedeman, Sterling Cling, Tucker Boutlon, Landon Britt, Dustin Selvage, Jamie Ball, Matt Juhl, Tony Rost, Jack Dover, Cam Sorrels, Tyler Lee, Chase Dietz, Trever Kirkland, Elijah Gile, Ryan Timms, Brekton Crouch, Roger Crockett, Clint Garner, Brady Baker, Zach Blurton (1 win)

DASH APPEARANCES (55 Drivers)

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (23 appearances)
Matt Covington (19 appearances)
Blake Hahn (13 appearances)
Garrett Benson (10 appearances)
Kyler Johnson, Jason Martin (9 appearances)
Seth Bergman (8 appearances)
Austyn Gossel, Whit Gastineau (5 appearances)
Jake Bubak, Cameron Martin, Brady Baker (4 appearances)
Justin Peck, Chris Martin, Austin McCarl, Zach Blurton (3 appearances)
Emerson Axsom, Scotty Thiel, Danny Dietrich, Cole Macedo, Brady Bacon, Daison Pursley, Jordon Mallett, Sean McClelland, Bryant Wiedeman, Ryan Timms, Hank Davis, Roger Crockett, Ryder McCutcheon (2 appearances)
Jordan Thomas, Scotty Thiel, Brian Brown, Caleb Saiz, Chance Morton, Bradley Fezard, Bryan Gossel, Joey Danley, Alex Sewell, Steven Shebester, Harli White, Tucker Boulton, Landon Britt, Sterling Cling, Scotty Milan, Trever Kirkland, Elijah Gile, Garen Linder, Ryder Laplante, Ian Myers, Kelly Miller, Tony Rost, Brekton Crouch, JJ Hickle, Riley Goodno, Carson McCarl, Clint Garner (1 appearance)

SMITH TITANIUM LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (19 Drivers)

Blake Hahn, Emerson Axsom, Tyler Clem, Kyle Clark, Bryant Wiedeman, Jason Martin, Harli White, Connor Lee, Giovanni Scelzi, Tanner Holmes, Daison Pursley, Adam Trimble, Landon Britt, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Zach Blurton, Lane Taylor, Jack Wagner, Sean McClelland, Tony Rost (1 win)

HARD CHARGER AWARDS (22 Drivers)

Brady Baker (6 awards)
Ryder Laplante, Kelly Miller, Landon Britt, Zach Blurton (2 awards)
Austin McCarl, Emerson Axsom, Blake Hahn, Jordon Mallett, Jason Martin, Brad Bowden, Stu Snyder, Tanner Holmes, Tasker Phillips, Giovanni Scelzi, Brogan Carder, Kory Wermling, Matt Covington, Seth Bergman, Kyler Johnson, Cole Vanderheiden, Cody Gardner (1 award)

PODIUM FINISHES (28 Drivers)

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (17 podiums)
Jason Martin, Blake Hahn (10 podiums)
Matt Covington (8 podiums)
Seth Bergman, Garrett Benson, Kyler Johnson (4 podiums)
Justin Peck, Ryan Timms, Cameron Martin (3 podiums)
Brian Brown, Rico Abreu, Parker Price-Miller, Kyle Larson, Austin McCarl, Austyn Gossel, Whit Gastineau, Brady Baker (2 podiums)
Emerson Axsom, Cole Macedo, Sean McClelland, Zach Blurton, Joey Danley, James McFadden, Jake Bubak, Bryant Wiedeman, Trever Kirkland, Hank Davis, JJ Hickle (1 podium)

2025 SCHEDULE + WINNERS

Race Number. Day, Date / Track / City, State / Winner (Total Wins)

Thu, Jan. 30 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (1)
Fri, Jan. 31 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (2)
Sat, Feb. 1 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (3)
Sat, April 12 / Salina Highbanks Speedway / Salina, OK / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (1)
Sat, May 10 / Paducah International Raceway / Paducah, KY / Matt Covington (1)
Fri, May 30 / Salt City Speedway / Hutchinson, KS / Zach Blurton (1)
Sat, May 31 / Dodge City Raceway Park / Dodge City, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2)
Sat, June 7 / Texarkana 67 Speedway / Texarkana, AR / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3)
Sat, June 21 / Batesville Motor Speedway / Locust Grove, AR / Blake Hahn (1)
Thu, July 3 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (4)
Fri, July 4 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (5)
Fri, July 18 / Creek County Speedway / Sapulpa, OK / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (6)
Fri, July 25 / Windy Hollow Speedway / Owensboro, KY / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (7)
Sat, July 26 / Benton Speedway / Benton, MO / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (8)
Thu, July 31 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Austin McCarl (1)
Fri, Aug. 1 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Rico Abreu (1)
Sat, Aug. 2 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Rico Abreu (2)
Fri, Aug. 15 / WaKeeney Speedway / WaKeeney, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (9)
Sat, Aug. 16 / El Paso County Raceway / Calhan, CO / Jason Martin (1)
Fri, Aug. 22 / Big Sky Speedway / Billings, MT / Ryan Timms (1)
Sat, Aug. 23 / Big Sky Speedway / Billings, MT / Ryan Timms (2)
Fri, Aug. 29 / Electric City Speedway / Great Falls, MT / Jason Martin (2)
Sat, Aug. 30 / Electric City Speedway / Great Falls, MT / Seth Bergman (1)
Fri, Sept. 5 / Lakeside Speedway / Kansas City, KS / Matt Covington (2)
Fri, Sept. 5 / Lakeside Speedway / Kansas City, KS / Blake Hahn (2)
Sat, Sept. 6 / 81 Speedway / Park City, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (10)
Sun, Sept. 7 / Eagle Raceway / Eagle, NE / Cameron Martin (1)
Fri, Sept. 19 / Paducah International Raceway / Paducah, KY / Jason Martin (3)
Sat, Sept. 20 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway / Pevely, MO / Matt Covington (3)
Fri, Oct. 10 / Salt City Speedway / Hutchinson, KS / Whit Gastineau (1)
Sat, Oct. 11 / Salt City Speedway / Hutchinson, KS / Whit Gastineau (2)

Landon Britt on Fourth ASCS Campaign: ‘We Have Learned The Most This Year’

Emily Schwanke

CONCORD, NC (Oct. 9, 2025) — Learning is a lifelong process. Landon Britt has made his 2025 American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) campaign all about learning as he continues to develop his racing career at the national level.

The 27-year-old from Memphis, TN, is in his fourth consecutive season following the national 360 Sprint Car circuit. In seasons past, he’s appeared numerous times in the top-five and top-10 columns, garnered his first career Series victory at Arrowhead Speedway in 2023, and posted three-straight seventh-place finishes in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 championship points standings.

But 2025 has not produced those same results. Six top-10 finishes in 22 main event starts and a best finish of sixth has slotted him 10th in the championship standings with six races left. However, those numbers don’t accurately tell the story of his season.

“Even though this year, stats-wise, it doesn’t seem like we’ve learned very much, I would say that we have learned the most this year out of any previous year,” Britt said. “From the beginning, until this point now, I would say it’s been a huge jump.”

Since the dawning of his Sprint Car career in the late 2010s, the former rugby player has traveled from events with only the knowledge and resources of himself and his father, Jeff Britt.

No hired specialist for car setup. No full-time crew members. They are the co-captains of their operation, learning more about the car with every lap and acquiring Sprint Car wisdom the hard way — by grinding it out.

“I would say, knowledge-wise, I think we have progressed,” Britt said. “Sometimes we may have learned something didn’t work, but it’s learning why it didn’t work. I feel like, this year, we’ve come across more of those questions on why it didn’t work, versus, ‘Why did that work?’”

Through four years of racing across the country, Britt has remained one of the most positive and sportsmanlike drivers in the pits. It’s not uncommon for young drivers to grow frustrated in the process of sharpening their skills behind the wheel, but Britt has kept a few things in the back of his conscience that keeps him level-headed and pushing toward becoming a nightly contender at any track in the country.

“A big part of it is love for the sport,” Britt said. “It’s also realizing that you’re running against generational drivers and a lot more knowledge.

“I’m running against people with two, three, four or five times the years of experience than me.”

For his resiliency, Britt was rewarded with a Feature win in ASCS Hurricane Area Super Sprints competition at his home track of Riverside International Speedway in July. That night, he beat some of the region’s top racers, including Cody Gardner and Dale Howard — a positive sign for his program’s base setup.

“We kinda went in there and just kept it real basic,” Britt said. “It wasn’t one of those nights where we were throwing the kitchen sink at it. We kinda rolled out, and the car just felt comfortable. We really kept the changes on the car basic.”

Coming from West Tennessee, the Britt family also takes on the challenge of traveling longer distances to some races than most other teams. Their trip to WaKeeney Speedway, El Paso County Raceway, and the two Montana ovals of Big Sky Speedway and Electric City Speedway for national ASCS events in August amounted to nearly 2,000 miles, one way, from their home in Memphis.

“Trying to manage it, for us, it can be difficult, especially on these longer hauls,” Britt said. “We do have the business, and you’re always trying to keep the guys going. Or, if an emergency comes up, trying to figure out a way that it can be handled and you’re not there to attend to it as well.”

Like several of the national Series regulars, Britt has a weekly commitment to make, which presents another hurdle for their racing efforts. The family business — Jeff’s Heating & Cooling — was founded approximately 15 years ago, which the Britts operate during the week, helping to fund the race team on the weekends.

“Most of the time, I’m looking at jobs, (Jeff) and I will sit down and quote jobs together, or run a service call, or if I need to go do an install one day,” Britt said. “Whatever makes the schedule run the smoothest that day is what I try to do.”

This Friday–Saturday, Oct. 10–11, Britt and the American Sprint Car Series field heads to Salt City Speedway in Hutchinson, KS, for a two-day showdown on the historic half-mile oval.

Tickets for both nights of racing are on sale now; click here to purchase. If you can’t be there to watch in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Salt City Doubleheader Begins ASCS Home Stretch

Tyler Carr

HUTCHINSON, KS (Oct. 7, 2025) — Six races remain in the chase for the Emmett Hahn Trophy, and the stars of the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) are ready to begin the home stretch of the season with back-to-back races this weekend at Salt City Speedway.

The near-flat, half-mile oval on the historic Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson has been hosting motorsports events as far back as the 1930s and this weekend hosts the national 360 Sprint Car tour for the second time in track history. The first came this past May, when Zach Blurton led flag-to-flag in the main event and captured his second career national Series victory.

Drivers will compete for a share of the $4,000-to-win purse on Friday before chasing a $6,000 grand prize on Saturday. Both nights of racing will be supported by the local Stock Car division.

Tickets for both days of the event are on sale now; click here to purchase. If you can’t be there, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

Here are the drivers to watch and storylines to follow this weekend:

HUTCHINSON HERO — In front of friends, family and sponsors at Salt City, Kansas native Zach Blurton won the Series debut in May and has two chances to do it again this weekend.

Blurton, 31, of Quinter, KS, paced the field green-to-checkered in the 25-lap main event, besting Series champions Blake Hahn and Sam Hafertepe Jr. to bank his second career Series victory. The win marked his first Series victory since July 3, 2022, ending a near three-year, 151-week winless streak on the national circuit, and becoming the 102nd multi-time winner in Series history.

Historically, Blurton has performed well on the half-mile oval, collecting seven top-five finishes in nine career Feature starts between ASCS, the National Championship Racing Association (NCRA) and the track’s long-running Hutchinson Grand Nationals event in the 305 Sprint Car division.

Recently, Blurton has produced strong results, notching back-to-back top-10 finishes in the previous two national ASCS events before scoring a win and a fifth-place run with the ASCS Frontier Region two weeks ago at the Wyoming oval of Sheridan Speedway.

ALMOST THERE — After coming so close to his first career national Series victory at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park three weeks ago, Kyler Johnson is ready to try again this weekend in his home state.

Johnson, 22, of Quinter, KS, led 20 laps of the main event on the high-banked Missouri oval but lost the lead to eventual winner Matt Covington in lapped traffic late in the race. Still, he hung on for second place and his fourth top-10 finish in his last five Feature starts — the best stretch of his ASCS career.

He’ll take the momentum swing into his home state of Kansas this weekend and try again for his first national ASCS win at Salt City, where he finished fourth in May.

ROOKIE BREAKTHROUGH? — Seven of Garrett Benson’s last eight national Series Feature races have produced top-10 finishes, three of which were on the podium, marking his best stretch of the season.

The 15-year-old, leading Brodix Rookie of the Year contender from Concordia, MO, posted back-to-back third-place finishes in the last race weekend at Paducah International Raceway and I-55, showing the speed and skill necessary to contend for a Feature win on the national circuit.

His first win could potentially come this weekend at Salt City, where he bagged his first top-10 finish of the season in May when he finished sixth in a 32-car field.

CHASE FOR THE TROPHY — With six races left, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Matt Covington and Blake Hahn are currently the frontrunners contending for the Emmett Hahn Trophy, all separated by less than 200 points.

Hafertepe, the five-time Series champion and current points leader from Sunnyvale, TX, has been a dominant force throughout the season, collecting 10 Feature wins in 27 Feature starts, and currently leads the championship standings by 146 points over Covington. In May, he finished third at Salt City.

Covington, of Glenpool, OK, has six races left to try and make up the 146-point gap that lies ahead of him in pursuit of his first Series championship. This year, he’s collected three Feature wins, and will try for a fourth at Salt City, where he finished seventh in May.

Hahn, a two-time Series champion from Sapulpa, OK, sits 192 points behind Hafertepe in pursuit of his first championship since 2022, holding onto two Feature wins in 28 Feature starts. In the Series’ debut in May, he ran runner-up to Blurton.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE

• Friday–Saturday, Oct. 10–11 at Salt City Speedway in Hutchinson, KS

TRACK FACTS

• 1/2-mile clay oval

• Track Record — 18.486 seconds set by Matt Covington on 5/30/25

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (28/34 Races)

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3190pts)
Matt Covington 3044pts (–146)
Blake Hahn 2998pts (–192)
Jason Martin 2976pts (–214)
Kyler Johsnon 2694pts (–496)
Garrett Benson 2688pts (–502)
Zach Blurton 2578pts (–612)
Brady Baker 2513pts (–677)
Austyn Gossel 2470pts (–720)
Landon Britt 2401pts (–789)

FEATURE WINNERS (11 Drivers):

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (10 wins)
Justin Peck, Matt Covington, Jason Martin (3 wins)
Rico Abreu, Ryan Timms, Blake Hahn (2 wins)
Zach Blurton, Austin McCarl, Seth Bergman, Cameron Martin (1 win)

FEATURE LAPS LED (17 Drivers)

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (226 laps)
Matt Covington (109 laps)
Jason Martin (78 laps)
Justin Peck, Ryan Timms (65 laps)
Rico Abreu, Cameron Martin (34 laps)
Blake Hahn (33 laps)
Zach Blurton (25 laps)
Kyler Johnson (21 laps)
Chase Randall (16 laps)
Brian Brown (15 laps)
Seth Bergman (14 laps)
Austyn Gossel, Jake Bubak (13 laps)
Austin McCarl (4 laps)
Kyle Larson (2 laps)

QUICK TIME AWARDS (14 Drivers)

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (8 awards)
Matt Covington (4 awards)
Seth Bergman, Blake Hahn, Tony Rost (2 awards)
Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Kyler Johnson, Roger Crockett, Jason Martin, Carson McCarl, Ryan Timms, Ryder Laplante, Kelly Miller (1 award)

HEAT RACE WINNERS (44 Drivers)

Matt Covington, Sam Hafertepe Jr. (12 wins)
Jason Martin (8 wins)
Garrett Benson (6 wins)
Seth Bergman, Blake Hahn (5 wins)
Justin Peck, Austyn Gossel, Chris Martin, Cameron Martin (3 wins)
Scotty Thiel, Whit Gastineau, Hank Davis, Sean McClelland, Harli White, Jake Bubak, Kyler Johnson, Ryder McCutcheon (2 wins)
Cole Macedo, Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Caleb Saiz, Bradley Fezard, Bryan Gossel, Jordon Mallett, Bryant Wiedeman, Sterling Cling, Tucker Boutlon, Landon Britt, Dustin Selvage, Jamie Ball, Matt Juhl, Tony Rost, Jack Dover, Cam Sorrels, Tyler Lee, Chase Dietz, Trever Kirkland, Elijah Gile, Ryan Timms, Brekton Crouch, Roger Crockett, Clint Garner, Brady Baker (1 win)

DASH APPEARANCES (55 Drivers)

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (21 appearances)
Matt Covington (17 appearances)
Blake Hahn (11 appearances)
Kyler Johnson, Jason Martin (9 appearances)
Garrett Benson, Seth Bergman (8 appearances)
Austyn Gossel (5 appearances)
Jake Bubak, Cameron Martin (4 appearances)
Justin Peck, Whit Gastineau, Chris Martin, Austin McCarl, Brady Baker (3 appearances)
Emerson Axsom, Scotty Thiel, Danny Dietrich, Cole Macedo, Brady Bacon, Daison Pursley, Jordon Mallett, Sean McClelland, Bryant Wiedeman, Zach Blurton, Ryan Timms, Hank Davis, Roger Crockett, Ryder McCutcheon (2 appearances)
Jordan Thomas, Scotty Thiel, Brian Brown, Caleb Saiz, Chance Morton, Bradley Fezard, Bryan Gossel, Joey Danley, Alex Sewell, Steven Shebester, Harli White, Tucker Boulton, Landon Britt, Sterling Cling, Scotty Milan, Trever Kirkland, Elijah Gile, Garen Linder, Ryder Laplante, Ian Myers, Kelly Miller, Tony Rost, Brekton Crouch, JJ Hickle, Riley Goodno, Carson McCarl, Clint Garner (1 appearance)

SMITH TITANIUM LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (19 Drivers)

Blake Hahn, Emerson Axsom, Tyler Clem, Kyle Clark, Bryant Wiedeman, Jason Martin, Harli White, Connor Lee, Giovanni Scelzi, Tanner Holmes, Daison Pursley, Adam Trimble, Landon Britt, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Zach Blurton, Lane Taylor, Jack Wagner, Sean McClelland, Tony Rost (1 win)

HARD CHARGER AWARDS (22 Drivers)

Brady Baker (6 awards)
Ryder Laplante, Kelly Miller (2 awards)
Austin McCarl, Emerson Axsom, Blake Hahn, Landon Britt, Jordon Mallett, Jason Martin, Brad Bowden, Stu Snyder, Tanner Holmes, Tasker Phillips, Giovanni Scelzi, Brogan Carder, Kory Wermling, Matt Covington, Seth Bergman, Kyler Johnson, Cole Vanderheiden, Cody Gardner, Zach Blurton (1 award)

PODIUM FINISHES (28 Drivers)

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (16 podiums)
Jason Martin (10 podiums)
Blake Hahn (9 podiums)
Matt Covington (7 podiums)
Seth Bergman, Garrett Benson, Kyler Johnson (4 podiums)
Justin Peck, Ryan Timms, Cameron Martin (3 podiums)
Brian Brown, Rico Abreu, Parker Price-Miller, Kyle Larson, Austin McCarl, Austyn Gossel (2 podiums)
Emerson Axsom, Cole Macedo, Sean McClelland, Zach Blurton, Brady Baker, Joey Danley, James McFadden, Jake Bubak, Bryant Wiedeman, Trever Kirkland, Hank Davis, JJ Hickle (1 podium)

2025 SCHEDULE + WINNERS

Race Number. Day, Date / Track / City, State / Winner (Total Wins)

Thu, Jan. 30 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (1)
Fri, Jan. 31 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (2)
Sat, Feb. 1 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (3)
Sat, April 12 / Salina Highbanks Speedway / Salina, OK / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (1)
Sat, May 10 / Paducah International Raceway / Paducah, KY / Matt Covington (1)
Fri, May 30 / Salt City Speedway / Hutchinson, KS / Zach Blurton (1)
Sat, May 31 / Dodge City Raceway Park / Dodge City, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2)
Sat, June 7 / Texarkana 67 Speedway / Texarkana, AR / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3)
Sat, June 21 / Batesville Motor Speedway / Locust Grove, AR / Blake Hahn (1)
Thu, July 3 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (4)
Fri, July 4 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (5)
Fri, July 18 / Creek County Speedway / Sapulpa, OK / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (6)
Fri, July 25 / Windy Hollow Speedway / Owensboro, KY / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (7)
Sat, July 26 / Benton Speedway / Benton, MO / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (8)
Thu, July 31 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Austin McCarl (1)
Fri, Aug. 1 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Rico Abreu (1)
Sat, Aug. 2 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Rico Abreu (2)
Fri, Aug. 15 / WaKeeney Speedway / WaKeeney, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (9)
Sat, Aug. 16 / El Paso County Raceway / Calhan, CO / Jason Martin (1)
Fri, Aug. 22 / Big Sky Speedway / Billings, MT / Ryan Timms (1)
Sat, Aug. 23 / Big Sky Speedway / Billings, MT / Ryan Timms (2)
Fri, Aug. 29 / Electric City Speedway / Great Falls, MT / Jason Martin (2)
Sat, Aug. 30 / Electric City Speedway / Great Falls, MT / Seth Bergman (1)
Fri, Sept. 5 / Lakeside Speedway / Kansas City, KS / Matt Covington (2)
Fri, Sept. 5 / Lakeside Speedway / Kansas City, KS / Blake Hahn (2)
Sat, Sept. 6 / 81 Speedway / Park City, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (10)
Sun, Sept. 7 / Eagle Raceway / Eagle, NE / Cameron Martin (1)
Fri, Sept. 19 / Paducah International Raceway / Paducah, KY / Jason Martin (3)
Sat, Sept. 20 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway / Pevely, MO / Matt Covington (3)