WHAT TO WATCH FOR: ASCS Begins Frontier Speedweek with Big Sky, Sheridan Opener SHEPHERD, MT (August 25, 2026) — Montana and Wyoming are set to welcome the American Sprint Car Series for the first time in 2026.
The ASCS National Tour returns to the northwestern land with Big Sky Speedway’s Harvey Ostermiller Memorial for two nights on Friday-Saturday, Aug. 28-29. Then, it’s a trek to the “Cowboy State” for the first ASCS National Tour appearance at Sheridan Speedway on Sunday, Aug. 30.
The two tracks are part of a two-week Frontier Speedweek, with the following week of racing including trips to Gallatin Speedway on Sept. 4, then the finale at Electric City Speedway on Sept. 5-6.
Here’s a look at the top storylines:
Opening Leg – The first weekend of Frontier Speedweek will begin with the traditional two-night Harvey Ostermiller Memorial opener at Big Sky, then close the weekend with a Sunday debut at Sheridan.
Big Sky has hosted the Series nine times since 2013 and has been an annual stop for two days of racing since 2024. The track has seen former ASCS champions reign supreme, including Jason Johnson (2013), Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2019), Blake Hahn (2019), and Seth Bergman (2024). In last season’s visit, Ryan Timms became the first driver to sweep the weekend at Big Sky.
While Sheridan hasn’t hosted the National Tour yet, it has welcomed ASCS regional racing. When the Frontier Region visited in 2025 for a doubleheader weekend, Zach Blurton and Kelly Miller walked away with Feature wins.
Mountainous Effort – Sam Hafertepe Jr. has continued to control the pacing of the ASCS National Tour standings as he prepares for two weeks of chasing trophies in Frontier Speedweek.
The pilot of the Hill’s Racing Team No. 15H owns three wins from the summer stretch at Belleville High Banks and Dodge City Raceway Park. In the last points-paying event, Hafertepe had to climb the field at Viking Speedway to earn a top-five finish and the night’s Hard Charger award.
Returning to Big Sky, Hafertepe is looking for redemption after finishing outside the top-10 in the two visits from 2025. The Sunnyvale, TX native will turn his first laps around Sheridan on Sunday as he attempts to expand a 23-point lead over Matt Covington.
Title Hike – Matt Covington and Seth Bergman trail behind Hafertepe in the Series standings entering the northwestern swing by 23 and 57 points, respectively. Heading into the Frontier Speedweek, they have an opportunity to shorten the distance with 12 races left in 2026.
Covington is seeking his first win at Big Sky while owning two top-five finishes from 2015 and 2019. In last season’s visit, Covington’s highest finish at Big Sky was ninth place. The Glenpool, OK driver will make his first start at Sheridan on Sunday night.
Bergman has a string of success at Big Sky that includes three Feature wins. Two of the scores came with the Frontier Region in 2020, and his latest triumph was a National Tour win in 2024 en route to the year’s championship. Like Covington, Bergman will visit the Wyoming 3/8-mile for the first time in his career.
Big First – The stretch between Montana and Wyoming brings a batch of tracks that add an opportunity for both National Tour competitors and 360 Sprint Car invaders to make a splash with a first Series win in the northwestern plains.
The National Tour racers chasing a first win include Ryder LaPlante, Austyn Gossel, Brogan Carder, and Cole Schroeder. Gossel is the only driver to have made laps at Sheridan, finishing third in two Frontier Region events from 2025.
Big Sky has seen IMCA Sprint Cars hit the 3/8-mile three times in 2026, with Logan Hershey winning two times in May and July, and Damon McCune taking the second May Feature. Sheridan raced its first Sprint Car event of 2026 in July, with McCune driving to victory.
THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
WHEN AND WHERE
Friday-Saturday, Aug. 28-29, at Big Sky Speedway in Shepherd, MT
Sunday, Aug. 30, at Sheridan Speedway in Sheridan, WY
AROUND THE CORNER
Friday, Sept. 4, at Gallatin Speedway in Belgrade, MT
Saturday-Sunday, at Electric City Speedway in Black Eagle, MT
CURRENT TOP-10 STANDINGS
- Sam Hafertepe Jr. (1970pts)
- Matt Covington (-23)
- Seth Bergman (-57)
- Kyler Johnson (-241)
- Ryder LaPlante (-390)
- Whit Gastineau (-399)
- Austyn Gossel (-414)
- Brogan Carder (-438)
- Terry Easum (-464)
- Cole Schroeder (-465)
FEATURE WINNERS (12 Drivers)
3 wins – Sam Hafertepe Jr., Seth Bergman, Tyler Courtney
2 wins – Justin Peck, Matt Covington
1 win – Kyler Johnson, Blake Hahn, Chris Martin, Brady Bacon, Levi Hillier, Gio Scelzi, Ryan Timms
FEATURE LAPS LED (19 Drivers)
63 laps – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
52 laps – Justin Peck
48 laps – Seth Bergman
33 laps – Matt Covington
31 laps – Kyler Johnson
30 laps – Levi Hillier, Blake Hahn, Ryan Timms
29 laps – Brady Bacon
24 laps – Austyn Gossel
22 laps – Chris Martin
21 laps – Austin McCarl
20 laps – Gio Scelzi
16 laps – Cameron Martin
15 laps – Tyler Courtney
13 laps – Brian Brown
9 laps – Whit Gastineau
7 laps – Cole Macedo
3 laps – Sean McClelland
2 laps – Brady Baker
QUICK TIME AWARDS (8 Drivers)
9 awards – Sam Hafertepe Jr
2 awards – Matt Covington, Kyler Johnson
1 award – Seth Bergman, Howard Moore, Chris Martin, Levi Hillier, Aaron Reutzel
HEAT RACE WINNERS (39 Drivers)
7 wins – Seth Bergman
6 wins – Matt Covington
4 wins – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
3 wins – Whit Gastineau, Garrett Benson, Justin Peck
2 wins – Ryder Laplante, Chris Martin, Kyler Johnson
1 win – Jordan Mallett, Sean McClelland, Cam Martin, Brady Bacon, Tyler Clem, Emerson Axsom, Brian Brown, Cole Macedo, Garen Linder, Colby Copeland, Nick Parker, Hank Davis, JJ Hickle, Alex Hill, Jeremy Campbell, Blake Hahn, Kade Morton, Alex Sewell, Brady Baker, Howard Moore, Austyn Gossel, John Carney II, Tanner Holmes, Austin McCarl, Matt Juhl, Tyler Courtney, Ryan Timms, Tasker Phillips, Clint Garner, Evan Semerad
DASH STARTS (36 Drivers)
12 starts – Sam Hafertepe Jr
10 starts – Matt Covington
7 starts – Seth Bergman, Kyler Johnson, Whit Gastineau
4 starts – Levi Hillier
3 starts – Chris Martin, Tyler Courtney, Brian Brown, Justin Peck
2 starts – Camerson Martin, Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Brady Bacon, Davie Franek, Garrett Benson, Ryder Laplante, Howard Moore
1 start – Jordan Mallett, Paul Solomon, Brock Zearfoss, Cole Macedo, Tyler Clem, Hank Davis, Nick Parker, Colby Copeland, Garen Linder, JJ Hickle, Alex Hill, Blake Hahn, Alex Sewell, Kade Morton, Jeremy Campbell, Bryant Wiedeman, Brady Baker, Austyn Gossel
LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (9 Drivers)
2 wins – Braxton Weger, Rico Abreu
1 win – DJ Christie, Matt Covington, Tyler Clem, Whit Gastineau, Sterling Cling, Gage Montgomery, Brogan Carder, Bradley Fezard, Chris Martin
HARD CHARGER AWARDS (13 Drivers)
3 awards – Whit Gastineau
2 awards – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
1 award – Seth Bergman, Ryder Laplante, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, DJ Netto, Brogan Carder, Joe B. Miller, Bradley Fezard, Hayden Mabe, Jack Thomas, Kyler Johnson, Casey Wills, Riley Goodno, Tasker Phillips, Rico Abreu
PODIUM FINISHES (25 Drivers)
9 podiums – Sam Hafertepe Jr., Matt Covington
5 podiums – Seth Bergman
4 podiums – Tyler Courtney
3 podiums – Justin Peck, Whit Gastineau, Brady Bacon
2 podiums – Kyler Johnson, Austin McCarl, Levi Hillier, Austyn Gossel, Ryan Timms, Aaron Reutzel
1 podium – Cole Macedo, Emerson Axsom, Brock Zearfoss, JJ Hickle, Jordan Mallett, Chris Martin, Blake Hahn, Alex Sewell, Garrett Benson, Christopher Townsend, Gio Scelzi, Kyle Larson
2026 AMERICAN SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE + WINNERS
Date / Track / City, State / Winner (Total Wins)
- Thu, Jan. 29 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney
- Fri, Jan. 30 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney (2)
- Mon, Feb. 2 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brady Bacon
- Sat, Feb. 21 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Justin Peck
- Sun, Feb. 21 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Matt Covington
- Sat, Feb. 28 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Justin Peck (2)
- Sun, Mar. 1 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Levi Hillier
- Sat, Apr. 11 / Salina Highbanks Speedway / Salina, OK / Chris Martin
- Fri, May 8 / Benton Speedway / Benton, MO / Seth Bergman
- Fri, June 5 / Creek County Speedway / Sapulpa, OK / Blake Hahn
- Sat, June 6 / 81 Speedway / Park City, KS / Seth Bergman (2)
- Fri, June 26 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr.
- Sat, June 27 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2)
- Fri, July 10 / Batesville Motor Speedway / Locust Grove, AR / Matt Covington (2)
- Sat, July 11 / Texarkana 67 Speedway / Texarkana, AR / Seth Bergman (3)
- Sat, July 25 / Dodge City Raceway Park / Dodge City, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3)
- Sat, Aug. 1 / Viking Speedway / Alexandria, MN / Kyler Johnson
- Thu, Aug. 6 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Gio Scelzi
- Fri, Aug. 7 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Tyler Courtney (3)
- Sat, Aug. 8 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Ryan Timms
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: ASCS Begins Frontier Speedweek with Big Sky, Sheridan Opener SHEPHERD, MT (August 25, 2026) — Montana and Wyoming are set to welcome the American Sprint Car Series for the first time in 2026.
The ASCS National Tour returns to the northwestern land with Big Sky Speedway’s Harvey Ostermiller Memorial for two nights on Friday-Saturday, Aug. 28-29. Then, it’s a trek to the “Cowboy State” for the first ASCS National Tour appearance at Sheridan Speedway on Sunday, Aug. 30.
The two tracks are part of a two-week Frontier Speedweek, with the following week of racing including trips to Gallatin Speedway on Sept. 4, then the finale at Electric City Speedway on Sept. 5-6.
Here’s a look at the top storylines:
Opening Leg – The first weekend of Frontier Speedweek will begin with the traditional two-night Harvey Ostermiller Memorial opener at Big Sky, then close the weekend with a Sunday debut at Sheridan.
Big Sky has hosted the Series nine times since 2013 and has been an annual stop for two days of racing since 2024. The track has seen former ASCS champions reign supreme, including Jason Johnson (2013), Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2019), Blake Hahn (2019), and Seth Bergman (2024). In last season’s visit, Ryan Timms became the first driver to sweep the weekend at Big Sky.
While Sheridan hasn’t hosted the National Tour yet, it has welcomed ASCS regional racing. When the Frontier Region visited in 2025 for a doubleheader weekend, Zach Blurton and Kelly Miller walked away with Feature wins.
Mountainous Effort – Sam Hafertepe Jr. has continued to control the pacing of the ASCS National Tour standings as he prepares for two weeks of chasing trophies in Frontier Speedweek.
The pilot of the Hill’s Racing Team No. 15H owns three wins from the summer stretch at Belleville High Banks and Dodge City Raceway Park. In the last points-paying event, Hafertepe had to climb the field at Viking Speedway to earn a top-five finish and the night’s Hard Charger award.
Returning to Big Sky, Hafertepe is looking for redemption after finishing outside the top-10 in the two visits from 2025. The Sunnyvale, TX native will turn his first laps around Sheridan on Sunday as he attempts to expand a 23-point lead over Matt Covington.
Title Hike – Matt Covington and Seth Bergman trail behind Hafertepe in the Series standings entering the northwestern swing by 23 and 57 points, respectively. Heading into the Frontier Speedweek, they have an opportunity to shorten the distance with 12 races left in 2026.
Covington is seeking his first win at Big Sky while owning two top-five finishes from 2015 and 2019. In last season’s visit, Covington’s highest finish at Big Sky was ninth place. The Glenpool, OK driver will make his first start at Sheridan on Sunday night.
Bergman has a string of success at Big Sky that includes three Feature wins. Two of the scores came with the Frontier Region in 2020, and his latest triumph was a National Tour win in 2024 en route to the year’s championship. Like Covington, Bergman will visit the Wyoming 3/8-mile for the first time in his career.
Big First – The stretch between Montana and Wyoming brings a batch of tracks that add an opportunity for both National Tour competitors and 360 Sprint Car invaders to make a splash with a first Series win in the northwestern plains.
The National Tour racers chasing a first win include Ryder LaPlante, Austyn Gossel, Brogan Carder, and Cole Schroeder. Gossel is the only driver to have made laps at Sheridan, finishing third in two Frontier Region events from 2025.
Big Sky has seen IMCA Sprint Cars hit the 3/8-mile three times in 2026, with Logan Hershey winning two times in May and July, and Damon McCune taking the second May Feature. Sheridan raced its first Sprint Car event of 2026 in July, with McCune driving to victory.
THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
WHEN AND WHERE
Friday-Saturday, Aug. 28-29, at Big Sky Speedway in Shepherd, MT
Sunday, Aug. 30, at Sheridan Speedway in Sheridan, WY
AROUND THE CORNER
Friday, Sept. 4, at Gallatin Speedway in Belgrade, MT
Saturday-Sunday, at Electric City Speedway in Black Eagle, MT
CURRENT TOP-10 STANDINGS
- Sam Hafertepe Jr. (1970pts)
- Matt Covington (-23)
- Seth Bergman (-57)
- Kyler Johnson (-241)
- Ryder LaPlante (-390)
- Whit Gastineau (-399)
- Austyn Gossel (-414)
- Brogan Carder (-438)
- Terry Easum (-464)
- Cole Schroeder (-465)
FEATURE WINNERS (12 Drivers)
3 wins – Sam Hafertepe Jr., Seth Bergman, Tyler Courtney
2 wins – Justin Peck, Matt Covington
1 win – Kyler Johnson, Blake Hahn, Chris Martin, Brady Bacon, Levi Hillier, Gio Scelzi, Ryan Timms
FEATURE LAPS LED (19 Drivers)
63 laps – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
52 laps – Justin Peck
48 laps – Seth Bergman
33 laps – Matt Covington
31 laps – Kyler Johnson
30 laps – Levi Hillier, Blake Hahn, Ryan Timms
29 laps – Brady Bacon
24 laps – Austyn Gossel
22 laps – Chris Martin
21 laps – Austin McCarl
20 laps – Gio Scelzi
16 laps – Cameron Martin
15 laps – Tyler Courtney
13 laps – Brian Brown
9 laps – Whit Gastineau
7 laps – Cole Macedo
3 laps – Sean McClelland
2 laps – Brady Baker
QUICK TIME AWARDS (8 Drivers)
9 awards – Sam Hafertepe Jr
2 awards – Matt Covington, Kyler Johnson
1 award – Seth Bergman, Howard Moore, Chris Martin, Levi Hillier, Aaron Reutzel
HEAT RACE WINNERS (39 Drivers)
7 wins – Seth Bergman
6 wins – Matt Covington
4 wins – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
3 wins – Whit Gastineau, Garrett Benson, Justin Peck
2 wins – Ryder Laplante, Chris Martin, Kyler Johnson
1 win – Jordan Mallett, Sean McClelland, Cam Martin, Brady Bacon, Tyler Clem, Emerson Axsom, Brian Brown, Cole Macedo, Garen Linder, Colby Copeland, Nick Parker, Hank Davis, JJ Hickle, Alex Hill, Jeremy Campbell, Blake Hahn, Kade Morton, Alex Sewell, Brady Baker, Howard Moore, Austyn Gossel, John Carney II, Tanner Holmes, Austin McCarl, Matt Juhl, Tyler Courtney, Ryan Timms, Tasker Phillips, Clint Garner, Evan Semerad
DASH STARTS (36 Drivers)
12 starts – Sam Hafertepe Jr
10 starts – Matt Covington
7 starts – Seth Bergman, Kyler Johnson, Whit Gastineau
4 starts – Levi Hillier
3 starts – Chris Martin, Tyler Courtney, Brian Brown, Justin Peck
2 starts – Camerson Martin, Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Brady Bacon, Davie Franek, Garrett Benson, Ryder Laplante, Howard Moore
1 start – Jordan Mallett, Paul Solomon, Brock Zearfoss, Cole Macedo, Tyler Clem, Hank Davis, Nick Parker, Colby Copeland, Garen Linder, JJ Hickle, Alex Hill, Blake Hahn, Alex Sewell, Kade Morton, Jeremy Campbell, Bryant Wiedeman, Brady Baker, Austyn Gossel
LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (9 Drivers)
2 wins – Braxton Weger, Rico Abreu
1 win – DJ Christie, Matt Covington, Tyler Clem, Whit Gastineau, Sterling Cling, Gage Montgomery, Brogan Carder, Bradley Fezard, Chris Martin
HARD CHARGER AWARDS (13 Drivers)
3 awards – Whit Gastineau
2 awards – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
1 award – Seth Bergman, Ryder Laplante, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, DJ Netto, Brogan Carder, Joe B. Miller, Bradley Fezard, Hayden Mabe, Jack Thomas, Kyler Johnson, Casey Wills, Riley Goodno, Tasker Phillips, Rico Abreu
PODIUM FINISHES (25 Drivers)
9 podiums – Sam Hafertepe Jr., Matt Covington
5 podiums – Seth Bergman
4 podiums – Tyler Courtney
3 podiums – Justin Peck, Whit Gastineau, Brady Bacon
2 podiums – Kyler Johnson, Austin McCarl, Levi Hillier, Austyn Gossel, Ryan Timms, Aaron Reutzel
1 podium – Cole Macedo, Emerson Axsom, Brock Zearfoss, JJ Hickle, Jordan Mallett, Chris Martin, Blake Hahn, Alex Sewell, Garrett Benson, Christopher Townsend, Gio Scelzi, Kyle Larson
2026 AMERICAN SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE + WINNERS
Date / Track / City, State / Winner (Total Wins)
- Thu, Jan. 29 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney
- Fri, Jan. 30 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney (2)
- Mon, Feb. 2 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brady Bacon
- Sat, Feb. 21 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Justin Peck
- Sun, Feb. 21 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Matt Covington
- Sat, Feb. 28 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Justin Peck (2)
- Sun, Mar. 1 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Levi Hillier
- Sat, Apr. 11 / Salina Highbanks Speedway / Salina, OK / Chris Martin
- Fri, May 8 / Benton Speedway / Benton, MO / Seth Bergman
- Fri, June 5 / Creek County Speedway / Sapulpa, OK / Blake Hahn
- Sat, June 6 / 81 Speedway / Park City, KS / Seth Bergman (2)
- Fri, June 26 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr.
- Sat, June 27 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2)
- Fri, July 10 / Batesville Motor Speedway / Locust Grove, AR / Matt Covington (2)
- Sat, July 11 / Texarkana 67 Speedway / Texarkana, AR / Seth Bergman (3)
- Sat, July 25 / Dodge City Raceway Park / Dodge City, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3)
- Sat, Aug. 1 / Viking Speedway / Alexandria, MN / Kyler Johnson
- Thu, Aug. 6 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Gio Scelzi
- Fri, Aug. 7 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Tyler Courtney (3)
- Sat, Aug. 8 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Ryan Timms