CHATHAM, La. — The American Sprint Car Series National Tour officially begins its new chapter under the World Racing Group banner at Super Bee Speedway in Chatham, La., April 19-20.
Featuring the best sprint car drivers in the region, the two-day event will see the national championship return to the quarter-mile track for the first time since 2012. It’ll also be the season opener for the ASCS Gulf South Region and the continuation of the 2024 season for the ASCS Hurricane Area Super Sprints.
Between the national tour and regional series, ASCS has visited Super Bee 20 times, dating back to 2002.
Five of those visits were for national events, seeing former champions Gary Wright and Jason Johnson swap command of each race. Wright won with the National Tour at Super Bee in 2003, 2004 and 2005, while Johnson also won in 2004 and in 2012. Kevin Ramey won the first ASCS trip to the track in 2002 with the Gulf South Region.
In addition to championship points, drivers will contend for a $4,000 payday each night.
Keep up with the top storylines of the weekend:
NEW CHAPTER
World Racing Group finalized the acquisition of the American Sprint Car Series from Series founder Emmett Hahn in March to help strengthen and grow ASCS and sprint car racing.
In the month since, the American Sprint Car Series has already seen enhancements with the hiring of Lonnie Wheatley as the Series Director and Cody Cordell as Competition Director, and the implementation of a $152,000 championship points fund and tow money package for the national tour.
The top-10 finishing positions in the title race will be paid with the champion earning $40,000; $25,000 for second; $20,000 for third; $15,000 for fourth; $12,000 for fifth; $10,000 for sixth; $9,000 for seventh; $8,000 for eighth; $7,000 for ninth; and $6,000 for 10th.
A new race format has also been established featuring Time Trials — where drivers only time against those in their Hot Lap group and Heat Race — Heats, a Dash, Last Chance Showdown (if need) and a feature with 22 starters and Provisionals.
Currently, 14 drivers, representing seven states, are expected to contend for the 2024 title: Brandon Anderson (Okla.), Seth Bergman (Wash.), Zach Blurton (Kan.), Landon Britt (Tenn.), Matt Covington (Okla.), Hank Davis (Okla.), Michael Day (Texas), Andrew Deal (Kan.), Terry Easum (Okla.), Bradley Fezard (Ark.), Austyn Gossel (Co.), Bryan Gossel (Co.), Kyler Johnson (Kan.) and Jordan Knight (Kan.).
ONE SPOT BETTER
After finishing second in ASCS National Tour points last year, Matt Covington returns full-time to chase his first ASCS championship. The 19-time national tour winner will continue to pilot his No. 95 sprint car for his 11th straight full-time season on the national scene.
He’s spent the early portion of the 2024 season building experience with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, earning a career-best series finish of 13th at Cotton Bowl Speedway.
BERGMAN RETURNS
After running a part-time schedule the last five years, Seth Bergman, of Snohomish, Wash., is set to chase his first national tour championship again in 2024.
He’s already found success with the American Sprint Car Series this year, making an impressive 15th-to-first charge at Creek County Speedway with the ASCS Sooner Region in March. The victory brought him to 71 career ASCS wins overall — 18 of those are with the national tour.
The last time he followed the full national tour in 2018, Bergman earned his career-best points finish of second.
ROOKIE CLASS
The American Sprint Car Series National Tour will have a stout field of Rookie of the Year contenders this year with eight first-year drivers representing four states.
Joining the tour are Blurton, Davis, Deal, Easum, Fezard, Gossel and Knight.
Of the group, Blurton is the only one entering the 2024 season with a national tour win — coming at WaKeeny Speedway in 2022. Davis and Bryan Gossel each have two regional ASCS victories; Davis’ most recent one came in March with the Hurricane Area Super Sprints.
HURRICANE SEASON (SO FAR)
The Hurricane Area Super Sprints have contested three races, so far, this season and have seen a different winner in each.
Davis, who is running for Rookie of the Year with the national tour, won the region’s first race of the year at North Alabama Speedway — his first win with the region and second ASCS win overall. Then, Max Stambaugh also picked up his first Hurricane Area Super Sprints victory the next night at North Alabama.
The most recent victory with the region went to four-time National Tour winner Jan Howard at Louisiana’s Baton Rouge Raceway. Howard is also the current Hurricane Area Super Sprints points leader — 57 ahead of Brandon Blenden.