Hafertepe Joins Forces With Hill’s Racing Team

Hafertepe Joins Forces With Hill’s Racing Team

Story By: Bryan Hulbert/ASCS

Photo By: Dan DeMarco/RacersGuide.com

SUNNYDALE, Texas — Sam Hafertepe Jr. put himself in the record books in 2017 in winning his second consecutive Lucas Oil ASCS National Series title.

The Texas native tied Gary Wright’s series record with 15 victories, but he’ll be joining a new team for 2018, as he’ll partner with the Canadian-based Hill’s Racing Team.

The team is owned by Ontario native Miles Hill, and while it’s been around for years, it ran its first ASCS season last year with 18-year-old driver Alex Hill. Part of Hafertepe’s mission will be to mentor the young driver.

“It’s really exciting to be a part of this new team,” Hafertepe said. “I’m looking forward to having a two-car team where we can bounce things off each other and I can help Alex along in her development as a driver. I’m excited about taking her under my wing and helping her out.”

The team is busy preparing for the upcoming season.

“Our focus will obviously remain on the ASCS championship,” Hafertepe said. “We’ll have some new equipment too. We’ll be utilizing Cool Chassis, and Fisher Racing Engines will be back on board as well.”

Sam is very appreciative of car owner Keith Dobbs, who he partnered with to win $60,000 ASCS championships in both 2016 and 2017.

“Keith and I have had a lot of success together, and I can’t thank him enough for what he did for me the last couple of years winning those championships,” he said. “Keith is stepping back a little, but he’ll still be a part of our team next year.”

Hafertepe drove for Hill’s racing on a few occasions in 2017. The team partnered to win a preliminary at the Canadian Nationals at Ohsweken Speedway, finished second at the Short Track Nationals in Little Rock, Ark., and made both finales at the World Finals with the World of Outlaws in Charlotte.

Daryl Turford serves as the team’s crew chief. “Daryl and I have been friends for a long time,” says Sam. “We’ve worked together both on a full-time and part-time basis for years. So that familiarity going in will be huge for our team. I couldn’t be more excited for 2018.”