Inaugural ‘Sonoran Clash’ features 360 racing’s best against multiple national 410 stars

CASA GRANDE, AZ (Feb. 17, 2026) — This weekend, the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) kicks off a double dose of desert Sprint Car action with its debut at Central Arizona Raceway.

The inaugural Sonoran Clash hits the high-banked, 3/8-mile oval in Casa Grande, AZ, for the first of back-to-back weekends of racing this Saturday and Sunday night, Feb. 21–22, before returning the following weekend, Feb. 28–March 1. The stars of the national 360 Sprint Car tour will battle for a $4,000 winner’s share on both Saturday programs before $6,000-to-win main events on both Sundays.

In addition, Avanti Windows & Doors has sponsored a points fund for drivers competing over both weekends. A separate points tally will be kept during each of the four races, awarding $4,000 to the driver with the most points after all Feature events have been completed. The runner-up in points will receive $3,000, third place gets $2,000 and $1,000 goes to fourth.

Pit gates will open each day at 11 a.m. Grandstands will open at 1 p.m., and Hot Laps are set for 2 p.m. with Qualifying and racing to follow. Adult GA tickets are $35, seniors/military are $30, kids ages 11–17 are $20 and children 10-and-under are free.

Tickets can be purchased at the track on race day. If you can’t make it to the track, how can you watch each race? Every American Sprint Car Series race is live on DIRTVision.

PACK LEADER — Sam Hafertepe Jr. comes into Arizona as the de facto points leader, sitting the highest up of any full-time driver in the championship standings after the opening races at Volusia Speedway Park.

The six-time and defending Series champion recorded finishes of fifth, 11th and seventh over the three-race stretch, seeding him sixth in the current championship standings but above all other fellow ASCS national title chasers.

Like many others, Hafertepe makes his debut at the fast, 3/8-mile oval of Central Arizona this weekend. Fortunately, his prowess on larger tracks is likely to be a difference-maker against his competition, as seven of the 11 Feature wins he scored last year came at tracks measuring 3/8-mile or larger.

HEY, ROOKIE — Three months removed from clinching the 2025 American Sprint Car Series Rookie of the Year Honors, Garrett Benson is projected to join the field for his debut at Central Arizona.

The 15-year-old from Concordia, MO, wrapped up a fifth-place finish in the championship standings last November and led the rookie points battle nearly the entire season, besting fellow contenders Brady Baker, Ryder Laplante, and Brogan Carder. In 29 Feature starts, Benson scored four third-place finishes — two of which came at tracks of 3/8-mile in size.

Now entering his second full season in Sprint Cars, Benson kicks off the outdoor portion of his 2026 racing campaign at Central Arizona at the controls of the Don’s Diesel, SPEC Racing Engines-powered J&J Chassis No. 2B. So far in 2026, he’s made several starts on dirt indoors at the Tulsa Expo Raceway in January, most notably posting a third-place finish in the A-Class Micro Sprint main event during the Tulsa Shootout.

BROWN IS BACK — A familiar face to ASCS and 410 Sprint Car fans is expected to rejoin the national 360 Sprint Car roster at Central Arizona this weekend – Higginsville, MO’s Brian Brown.

Brown, 47, posted finishes of fourth, 10th, and fourth in the ASCS portion of Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, ranking him fifth in the final event points standings. The 21-time ASCS Feature winner did this all in his return to racing for the first time since a hard crash took him out of competition with an arm injury during the Knoxville Nationals last August.

One of his standout runs at Volusia came following ASCS competition, as Brown strapped a 410 c.i. engine back in the Casey’s/FVP No. 21 and ran fifth in Saturday’s main event against the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars.

HOME STATE STANDOUT — Arizona’s own Sterling Cling has had success at Central Arizona before and will be one of the home-state drivers in the field to watch for this weekend.

Cling, the 29-year-old native of Tempe, has two ASCS-sanctioned, Non-Wing Sprint Car Feature wins in his career at Central Arizona — once with the former ASCS Desert Sprint Car Series in 2020, and another with the former ASCS Arizona Non-Wing Sprints in 2023.

In his six career national ASCS Feature starts with the wing on, Cling has been strong as well, producing three top-10 and four top-10 finishes since his debut with the Series in 2024.

410 CONTENDERS — Two additional 410 Sprint Car regulars are headed for Casa Grande to challenge the 360 regulars in the desert.

Brock Zearfoss contested all three ASCS Features at Volusia with a best finish of third on Friday night behind the wheel of the Brock Zearfoss Racing No. 3Z. This weekend, the Pennsylvania native will drive for California car owner Clayton Snow and his signature white/pink No. 7 — the same car Zearfoss won in at the former Arizona Speedway in ASCS Southwest Region action in 2021.

Justin Peck will make his first ASCS appearance of 2026 in his second season driving the Rudeen Racing No. 26. Peck, 27, of Monrovia, IN, raced at Central Arizona in 410 competition last March, posting finishes of third and sixth — nearly two months after sweeping the ASCS season-opening weekend at Volusia.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 

• Saturday–Sunday, Feb. 21–22, at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, AZ

TRACK FACTS

• High-banked, 3/8-mile oval
• Track Record — None set

ON THE INTERNET
X — @ASCSRacing
Instagram — @ascs_racing
Facebook — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
YouTube — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
DIRTVision — DIRTVision.com (Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (3/35 Races)

1. Tyler Courtney (150pts)
2. Brady Bacon 142pts (–8)
3. Austin McCarl 135pts (–15)
4. Emerson Axsom 130pts (–20)
5. Brian Brown 125pts (–25)
6. Sam Hafertepe Jr. 122pts (–28)
7. Cole Macedo 119pts (–31)
8. Brock Zearfoss 116pts (–34)
9. Whit Gastineau 113pts (–37)
10. Chris Martin 110pts (–40)

FEATURE WINNERS (2 Drivers):

1. Tyler Courtney (2 wins)
2. Brady Bacon (1 win)

FEATURE LAPS LED (6 Drivers)

1. Austin McCarl (21 laps)
2. Brady Bacon (18 laps)
3. Cameron Martin (16 laps)
4. Brian Brown (13 laps)
5. Cole Macedo (7 laps)
6. Tyler Courtney (6 laps)

QUICK TIME AWARDS (2 Drivers)

1. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Chris Martin (1 award)

HEAT RACE WINNERS (9 Drivers)

1. Whit Gastineau, Chris Martin (2 wins)
2. Brady Bacon, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Tyler Clem, Emerson Axsom, Brian Brown, Cole Macedo, Matt Covington (1 win)

DASH APPEARANCES (13 Drivers)

1. Whit Gastineau, Tyler Courtney, Brian Brown (3 appearances)
2. Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Brady Bacon, Davie Franek, Chris Martin, Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2 appearances)
3. Brock Zearfoss, Cameron Martin, Cole Macedo, Tyler Clem (1 appearance)

SMITH TITANIUM LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (3 Drivers)

1. DJ Christie, Matt Covington, Tyler Clem (1 win)

HARD CHARGER AWARDS (3 Drivers)

1. Ryder Laplante, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo (1 award)

PODIUM FINISHES (29 Drivers)

1. Tyler Courtney, Brady Bacon, Austin McCarl (2 podiums)
2. Cole Macedo, Brock Zearfoss, Emerson Axsom (1 podium)

2026 SCHEDULE + WINNERS

Race Number. Day, Date / Track / City, State / Winner (Total Wins)

1. Thu, Jan. 29 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney (1)
2. Fri, Jan. 30 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney (2)
3. Sat, Jan. 31 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brady Bacon (1)

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: American Sprint Car Series Debuts at Central Arizona Raceway

Inaugural ‘Sonoran Clash’ features 360 racing’s best against multiple national 410 stars

CASA GRANDE, AZ (Feb. 17, 2026) — This weekend, the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) kicks off a double dose of desert Sprint Car action with its debut at Central Arizona Raceway.

The inaugural Sonoran Clash hits the high-banked, 3/8-mile oval in Casa Grande, AZ, for the first of back-to-back weekends of racing this Saturday and Sunday night, Feb. 21–22, before returning the following weekend, Feb. 28–March 1. The stars of the national 360 Sprint Car tour will battle for a $4,000 winner’s share on both Saturday programs before $6,000-to-win main events on both Sundays.

In addition, Avanti Windows & Doors has sponsored a points fund for drivers competing over both weekends. A separate points tally will be kept during each of the four races, awarding $4,000 to the driver with the most points after all Feature events have been completed. The runner-up in points will receive $3,000, third place gets $2,000 and $1,000 goes to fourth.

Pit gates will open each day at 11 a.m. Grandstands will open at 1 p.m., and Hot Laps are set for 2 p.m. with Qualifying and racing to follow. Adult GA tickets are $35, seniors/military are $30, kids ages 11–17 are $20 and children 10-and-under are free.

Tickets can be purchased at the track on race day. If you can’t make it to the track, how can you watch each race? Every American Sprint Car Series race is live on DIRTVision.

PACK LEADER — Sam Hafertepe Jr. comes into Arizona as the de facto points leader, sitting the highest up of any full-time driver in the championship standings after the opening races at Volusia Speedway Park.

The six-time and defending Series champion recorded finishes of fifth, 11th and seventh over the three-race stretch, seeding him sixth in the current championship standings but above all other fellow ASCS national title chasers.

Like many others, Hafertepe makes his debut at the fast, 3/8-mile oval of Central Arizona this weekend. Fortunately, his prowess on larger tracks is likely to be a difference-maker against his competition, as seven of the 11 Feature wins he scored last year came at tracks measuring 3/8-mile or larger.

HEY, ROOKIE — Three months removed from clinching the 2025 American Sprint Car Series Rookie of the Year Honors, Garrett Benson is projected to join the field for his debut at Central Arizona.

The 15-year-old from Concordia, MO, wrapped up a fifth-place finish in the championship standings last November and led the rookie points battle nearly the entire season, besting fellow contenders Brady Baker, Ryder Laplante, and Brogan Carder. In 29 Feature starts, Benson scored four third-place finishes — two of which came at tracks of 3/8-mile in size.

Now entering his second full season in Sprint Cars, Benson kicks off the outdoor portion of his 2026 racing campaign at Central Arizona at the controls of the Don’s Diesel, SPEC Racing Engines-powered J&J Chassis No. 2B. So far in 2026, he’s made several starts on dirt indoors at the Tulsa Expo Raceway in January, most notably posting a third-place finish in the A-Class Micro Sprint main event during the Tulsa Shootout.

BROWN IS BACK — A familiar face to ASCS and 410 Sprint Car fans is expected to rejoin the national 360 Sprint Car roster at Central Arizona this weekend – Higginsville, MO’s Brian Brown.

Brown, 47, posted finishes of fourth, 10th, and fourth in the ASCS portion of Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, ranking him fifth in the final event points standings. The 21-time ASCS Feature winner did this all in his return to racing for the first time since a hard crash took him out of competition with an arm injury during the Knoxville Nationals last August.

One of his standout runs at Volusia came following ASCS competition, as Brown strapped a 410 c.i. engine back in the Casey’s/FVP No. 21 and ran fifth in Saturday’s main event against the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars.

HOME STATE STANDOUT — Arizona’s own Sterling Cling has had success at Central Arizona before and will be one of the home-state drivers in the field to watch for this weekend.

Cling, the 29-year-old native of Tempe, has two ASCS-sanctioned, Non-Wing Sprint Car Feature wins in his career at Central Arizona — once with the former ASCS Desert Sprint Car Series in 2020, and another with the former ASCS Arizona Non-Wing Sprints in 2023.

In his six career national ASCS Feature starts with the wing on, Cling has been strong as well, producing three top-10 and four top-10 finishes since his debut with the Series in 2024.

410 CONTENDERS — Two additional 410 Sprint Car regulars are headed for Casa Grande to challenge the 360 regulars in the desert.

Brock Zearfoss contested all three ASCS Features at Volusia with a best finish of third on Friday night behind the wheel of the Brock Zearfoss Racing No. 3Z. This weekend, the Pennsylvania native will drive for California car owner Clayton Snow and his signature white/pink No. 7 — the same car Zearfoss won in at the former Arizona Speedway in ASCS Southwest Region action in 2021.

Justin Peck will make his first ASCS appearance of 2026 in his second season driving the Rudeen Racing No. 26. Peck, 27, of Monrovia, IN, raced at Central Arizona in 410 competition last March, posting finishes of third and sixth — nearly two months after sweeping the ASCS season-opening weekend at Volusia.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 

• Saturday–Sunday, Feb. 21–22, at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, AZ

TRACK FACTS

• High-banked, 3/8-mile oval
• Track Record — None set

ON THE INTERNET
X — @ASCSRacing
Instagram — @ascs_racing
Facebook — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
YouTube — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
DIRTVision — DIRTVision.com (Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (3/35 Races)

1. Tyler Courtney (150pts)
2. Brady Bacon 142pts (–8)
3. Austin McCarl 135pts (–15)
4. Emerson Axsom 130pts (–20)
5. Brian Brown 125pts (–25)
6. Sam Hafertepe Jr. 122pts (–28)
7. Cole Macedo 119pts (–31)
8. Brock Zearfoss 116pts (–34)
9. Whit Gastineau 113pts (–37)
10. Chris Martin 110pts (–40)

FEATURE WINNERS (2 Drivers):

1. Tyler Courtney (2 wins)
2. Brady Bacon (1 win)

FEATURE LAPS LED (6 Drivers)

1. Austin McCarl (21 laps)
2. Brady Bacon (18 laps)
3. Cameron Martin (16 laps)
4. Brian Brown (13 laps)
5. Cole Macedo (7 laps)
6. Tyler Courtney (6 laps)

QUICK TIME AWARDS (2 Drivers)

1. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Chris Martin (1 award)

HEAT RACE WINNERS (9 Drivers)

1. Whit Gastineau, Chris Martin (2 wins)
2. Brady Bacon, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Tyler Clem, Emerson Axsom, Brian Brown, Cole Macedo, Matt Covington (1 win)

DASH APPEARANCES (13 Drivers)

1. Whit Gastineau, Tyler Courtney, Brian Brown (3 appearances)
2. Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Brady Bacon, Davie Franek, Chris Martin, Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2 appearances)
3. Brock Zearfoss, Cameron Martin, Cole Macedo, Tyler Clem (1 appearance)

SMITH TITANIUM LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (3 Drivers)

1. DJ Christie, Matt Covington, Tyler Clem (1 win)

HARD CHARGER AWARDS (3 Drivers)

1. Ryder Laplante, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo (1 award)

PODIUM FINISHES (29 Drivers)

1. Tyler Courtney, Brady Bacon, Austin McCarl (2 podiums)
2. Cole Macedo, Brock Zearfoss, Emerson Axsom (1 podium)

2026 SCHEDULE + WINNERS

Race Number. Day, Date / Track / City, State / Winner (Total Wins)

1. Thu, Jan. 29 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney (1)
2. Fri, Jan. 30 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney (2)
3. Sat, Jan. 31 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brady Bacon (1)

ARTICLE: https://ascsracing.com/what-to-watch-for/top-five-storylines-american-sprint-car-series-debuts-at-central-arizona-raceway/