Hafertepe Wins Creek County Finale on Last Lap and Takes Seventh ASCS Title

Published October 18, 2026

Illustrative archive of a Cobb Racing winged sprint car, November 21, 2013. This is not Hafertepe’s car, Creek County or the October 2026 race. Photo: Floridaracingnews / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; resized for display.

Sam Hafertepe Jr. finished his title defense with a final-lap victory at Creek County Speedway on October 17. The American Sprint Car Series’ official recap, published October 18, confirms his seventh National Tour championship and a 41-point final advantage over Matt Covington.

Eighth to first in the 40-lap finale

Hafertepe started eighth in the 40-lap Fuzzy’s Fall Fling. Garrett Benson held the lead approaching the finish, with Alex Sewell also ahead of the eventual champion.

The No. 15H passed Sewell for second with two laps left. On the last lap, Hafertepe drew outside Benson exiting Turn 2 and completed the winning move through Turns 3 and 4. Benson and Sewell completed the podium, followed by Covington and Steven Shebester.

ASCS records it as Hafertepe’s seventh win of the season and 95th series victory. Those totals describe race wins, while the seven championships measure completed title campaigns—two separate milestones.

A title run with a longer history

The organizer’s driver biography documents five consecutive national championships from 2016 through 2020 and a sixth in 2025, when he moved ahead of Jason Johnson on the all-time title list. The new crown extends that record rather than merely matching it.

The finale recap lists February 4–6, 2027 at Volusia Speedway Park as the next season’s opening ASCS dates. That is the organizer’s announced schedule, subject to subsequent changes.

For a separate championship story from the weekend, read our report on Jesse Love’s Phoenix win and points lead.