The Headline(s)
Sam Hafertepe Jr. used a controversial late-race block to preserve the 2022 Short Track Nationals win, taking the final checkered flag ever at the I-30 Speedway in Arkansas.
How it Happened
2022 Short Track Nationals (Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series)
Where: I-30 Speedway – Little Rock, Ark. (streamed via RaceOnTexas on Flo Racing)
Winner’s Purse: $15,041 (Saturday)
Friday night ended up being an apt preview of Saturday’s Short Track Nationals finale (Oct. 1) at I-30 Speedway, with the main event a duel between Aaron Reutzel and Sam Hafertepe Jr., the two winners of Friday’s prelim features. And the finish was close.
Reutzel, who led the opening 17 laps of Saturday’s 41-lap feature, got into trouble when he hooked the cushion in turn 4 on lap 18, opening the door for Hafertepe to blow past for the race lead. From there, Reutzel got two shots at Hafertepe that he couldn’t make work. Lap 32 saw Reutzel get alongside Hafertepe for the race lead, throwing a slide job through turn 2 that he couldn’t finish.
Then the race was decided on lap 35. Reutzel got a monster run on turn 4 exit, leaving Hafertepe with no choice but to throw a late block on Reutzel at the start/finish line that saw Hafertepe’s car kiss the frontstretch wall and Reutzel’s front wing dislodged.
🏁 @samhafertepejr etches his name in sprint car history by winning the final race ever at I-30 Speedway!
📺 https://t.co/S5lkWNEone pic.twitter.com/NVV54lYdiE
— FloRacing (@FloRacing) October 2, 2022
That aero disadvantage left Reutzel unable to challenge for the race win, and gave Hafertepe his second Short Track Nationals title in the last three seasons.
Race winner Hafertepe had some very harsh words for Reutzel in victory lane, calling out the Texan for dirty driving while asserting he knew he’d win the race because Reutzel would inevitably screw up.
— Work Area (@The_Work_Area) October 2, 2022
Saturday’s finale feature race was mercifully slowed by only two caution flags after preliminary action both nights of the Short Track Nationals were marred by more than a half-dozen red flags.
This weekend marked the end of 50 years of racing at I-30 Speedway, which has been sold and is slated for demolition.
Success Stories
Reutzel came up one spot short of the Short Track Nationals finale win, but he won pretty much everything else over the course of I-30’s final weekend, winning Thursday night’s sprint car…
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