by Inside Line Promotions | Photo by DB3 Imaging
SUNNYVALE, Texas (Nov. 20, 2013) – Sam Hafertepe Jr. gave his 2013 season a passing grade.
“I would have given ourselves a B minus,” he said. “During Pennsylvania Speedweek we ran real good and were consistent every night. Other than that we had a lot of ups and downs. My biggest thing that I want to accomplish is to be consistent every night. When you are consistent every night you can knock off a lot of good finishes and build on those good finishes.”
Hafertepe Jr. scored his first career victory in Pennsylvania during the famed Speedweek when he led all 30 laps at Big Diamond Speedway in Pottsville on June 30. That propelled him to a fourth-place finish in the PA Speedweek standings.
“Probably our best win of the year was Big Diamond Speedway during PA Speedweek,” he said. “We pretty much dominated the feature. We didn’t have the best of years, but it was a real big race for us to win. We were pretty excited about it.”
It marked one of four feature victories this season for Hafertepe Jr., who also picked up a triumph at Kennedale Speedway Park in Kennedale, Texas, on Feb. 22, at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, on Aug. 24 and at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash., on Aug. 29.
“It’s a really big deal to win races,” he said. “It’s a lot tougher than what people think. You’ve got to try hard to get wins at any level and you’ve got to be appreciative whenever you get them.”
Hafertepe Jr., who added 11 top fives and 28 top-10 finishes, said his team’s lack of consistency is the biggest focal point during this offseason.
“The main thing that kept us more inconsistent was we were all over the map,” he said. “We tried different types of cars. We couldn’t get on a good, positive feel that I like. Last year was the first time I got back in my car full time. We got away from some things that we used to do and it really hurt us.
“Going into 2014 we want to get a good, consistent guy to help us and we’re using the same cars. Everything is going to be exactly the same, one type of car. We got into a rhythm toward the end of the year and we felt like we were making steady gains.”
Hafertepe Jr. will compete in the 28th annual Chili Bowl Nationals at the Tulsa Expo Raceway in Tulsa, Okla., Jan 14-18 before likely kicking off his sprint car season in Florida next February.
He said the team will mostly compete in 410ci shows and mix big 360ci events into his schedule. Hafertepe Jr. also anticipates the team will tackle the All Star Circuit of Champions Speedweek in Ohio as well as the PA Speedweek next summer.
“We will try to race against the best competition and get as many races in during short periods of time as possible,” he said. “That is what makes it the best financially for me to be able to pursue this dream, along with all of my great sponsors. I definitely want to thank them for the support this season and I look forward to bigger and better things next year.”
SEASON STATS –
72 races, 4 wins, 11 top fives, 28 top 10s, 38 top 15s, 43 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Jan. 14-18 at the Tulsa Expo Raceway in Tulsa, Okla., for the 28th annual Chili Bowl Nationals
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