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HAFERTEPE REFLECTS ON 2010 SEASON WHILE LOOKING...

[i HAFERTEPE REFLECTS ON 2010 SEASON WHILE LOOKING AHEAD TO 2011]

Sunnyvale, TX-Sam Hafertepe Jr. and The Plumbfast Racing Team had a solid 2010 racing season that was highlighted by a big 360 win and the best year statistically that the Sunnyvale, Texas native has ever had while competing with The World of Outlaws (WoO). The team is now busy preparing for the 2011 season but not before reflecting back on a strong season for the 25 year old.

The early part of the 2010 season saw Sam and The Plumbfast Racing Team struggle with the new tire provided by Goodyear.

"We really did not like the Goodyear tires this year," explained Sam. "We actually caught on to how to prepare tires quite well and were probably more advanced than any team out here on tour. We blew a tire in the season opener at Volusia, studied our wear really hard, experimented a bit and didn't blow another tire all year. We were also able to gamble a few times and go softer than people thought we could. Unfortunately though we could never find a really good baseline with the new tires. We were either really fast, or really slow, there was no in between. In terms of cost, we have a deal with Hoosier so our tire bill was significantly higher this year."

Heading into the 2010 season Sam had been determined to capture his first career WoO feature win but would ultimately come up just short on 3 ocasions in particular.

"In 2009 when we were close to winning it was kind of us getting a good starting spot and sort of staying in a competitive position throughout the race." explained Sam. "In 2010 when we were in a position to win a race we were a lot more dominant but things just never worked out in our favor."
3 opportunities for Sam to win in 2010 stood out. In May Sam dominated the middle portion of a feature at Williams Grove only to come up short in a wild battle over the last 5 laps with Brian Leppo, eventual winner Fred Rahmer and Daryn Pittman.

Hafertepe would also dominate the feature in Sedalia, Missouri only to see the track take rubber. Sam who had been dominating on the top did not know that the track had taken rubber on the bottom until 2nd place runner Jason Sides had slipped by for the win with Sam settling for 2nd.

The final heartbreak took place North of the border where Sam was successful all season long (2 top 5's and 5 top 10's in 5 races) at Castrol Raceway. Hafertepe dominated his heat, the dash and much of the feature with a bonzai run on a track that had built a particularily perilous ledge in turns 3 and 4. Sam made a move in traffic on lap 29 to clear 2 lapped cars that unfortunately gave Joey Saldana a run at him and the veteran took full advantage as he slid Sam for the win with just 6 laps remaining.

"It was really tough to not get that first win," said Sam. "All of the crews and drivers on the tour tell me that I've put my time in and the wins are going to come but it's just really frustrating to be so close so often and not win when you see so many guys get only one chance in their life to beat these guys and everything falls their way. I feel like we've put ourselves in a position to win so many times out here and it's just really frustrating to always come up that little bit short. We aren't going to give up though and I plan on making it even harder to keep us out of the winner's circle in 2011."
2 noticeable statistics that stood out in 2010 were Sam's heat fast times and heat race victories. Sam scored an impressive 15 heat race victories while tying for 2nd in fast time awards with 6.

"Rick Ferkel told me once that's there's an order to winning," recalled Sam. "He told me you start to win heats, then you start to win heats and set fast time, then you start winning dashes, once you can do those things consistently you'll start to win consistently. I feel like we did all those things a lot better and I was really pleased to be that fast in time trials. I feel like qualifying is one of the places where talent stands out so to be that fast that often is always really important to me. I love qualifying and I love laying down that lap that you know everyone is shooting for."

2010 was not a winless season for the driver of The Lone Star Speedway, Maxim-Fisher. Hafertepe emerged from an exciting duel with one of the sport's all-time great in Sammy Swindell to capture his preliminary night feature at The Short Track Nationals. Hafertepe dominated much of the race but when the track took rubber late Sam's car was way too tight and allowed Swindell to close. Swindell slid the youngster for the lead with 3 laps remaining but Hafertepe kept his cool, turned back under Sammy and hit his marks over the final 2 laps to take the popular victory.

"That was a really big win, we really needed it as a team," said Sam. "I've had a crew guy with me for a few years now and I've always kind of wanted to get him to the point where it could be just him and I on the road together because we work so well together. That was our first week on our own together and to win that first night was a really special night for Daryl and I. We were kind of low on confidence from having our butts handed to us every night on The Outlaw tour and that night proved to us that we do actually have a clue what we were doing."

Two nights later Sam made a move for the $15,000 win and The Short Track Nationals that may define him to many fans for the rest of their lives, good or bad.

Hafertepe Jr. started 5th on a single-laned, 1 groove race track. Sam made some impressive moves to work his way up to 2nd in what some would call the race of his life. As the race wound down Hafertepe closed in on race leader Greg Wilson and with 2 laps remaining made a bid for the win that few who witnessed will ever forget.

"I was planning on trying to make something happen on the white flag lap," recalled Sam. "However Wilson didn't get a good run off turn 2 with 2 laps to go and I wasn't sure if I was going to get a better chance for the win that that so I took it."

Hafertepe dove inside of Wilson heading into turn 3 and the duo made contact.

"I made that move knowing that I wasn't going to lift and that Wilson would slam the door," explained Sam. "I knew there would probably be contact but I was hoping there wouldn't be. A lot of people think I turned and slammed into Greg a second time but our bumpers actually got locked together and the momentum slammed me back into Greg a second time and allowed Brad Sweet to get by us and we settled for 2nd."
Hafertepe was met on the front straightaway with a chorus of boos.

"I can understand the fans reaction," said Sam. "Greg Wilson is a really nice guy and a lot of people would like to see him win that race. However we came there to win it too. From the moment we rolled off the trailer on Wednesday for practice we were on kill. Every time we hit the track other than the Saturday night dash we were the fastest car. There was a reason Sammy buried us beside him in the draw. We came to win that race, I drove my ass off all week, Daryl and I worked our asses off all week to win that race and if you think I wasn't going to take an opportunity to win that race when it was presented to me you're crazy. You only get so many chances to win The Short Track Nationals and that may be the only chance I get so I had to do everything I could. I hate how it turned out for Greg, but I didn't go to that race to ride around hold my position, I came to race and I came to win. It's really just too bad we didn't have a surface to race on because if we did I feel like we really would have taken it to those guys and wouldn't have been in a position like we were there at the end. I drove my ass off all week and I just hope fans can appreciate that for what it was but if they don't I understand."

From The Short Track Nationals on Sam closed out the year quite strong. He led the first 8 laps of the opening race of The World Finals at Lowes before spinning out due to an oil leak and recovered with a top 10 that night following an engine change and B Main. Sam led a race in each of his final 2 weekends of racing with the ASCS and earned 2 top-10 finishes.

Hafertepe is now looking ahead to 2011 but is unsure what the future holds.

"To be honest, I'd love to be out on the WoO tour but they way the schedule is and how we've been treated will probably not make that a reality in 2011," stated Sam. "We spend a lot of money to be out on the tour and sometimes I think the World Racing Group really doesn't recognize or appreciate that. I also really hate that they won't allow us to run on off nights. I really love racing with those guys, the racers are second to none, but some of the officials and upper management really need to get their act together sometimes. So as of right now we are looking at running a true "Outlaw" schedule for 2011. I would really like to land a ride with a top team and take the financial pressure off my dad but there just aren't a lot of quality rides out there right now. So for now we are just getting everything ready to go for 2011 and we're going to run whatever shows we want to run so maybe you'll see us pull in the gate at a track near you."

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