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Tough Start To 50^th Annual Knoxville Nationals For Sam Hafertepe Jr.

Daryl Turford

Sunnyvale, Texas-A promising start to the 50^th Annual Knoxville Nationals ended with a crash on Thursday night for Sam Hafertepe Jr and The Plumbfast Racing Team. As a result Sam is now mired deep in the field for Saturday night's events and will be looking to dig himself out of a very deep hole.

Hafertepe was a bullet in warm-ups as he laid down one of the best laps of the night. Unfortunately a 49 pill draw saw Sam go out late for time trials on a rapidly slowing surface and the Sunnyvale, Texas native could only muster a 19^th place time trial run.

Sam lined up 5^th for his heat race and immediately blasted into 3^rd heading through turns 1 and 2. As Sam exited turn 2 he attempted to make the pass for 2^nd when contact was made which resulted in Sam spinning before being drilled by Greg Wilson who had nowhere to go.

"This just sucks," said Sam following the heat. "I had a really good start going and another car got crossed up in front of me, we touched and I was done. I think if I'd have missed him I would have been able to win the heat and we would have been in a really good position to once again make The Knoxville Nationals."

As a result of the crash, The Plumbfast Racing, Lone Star Speedway Maxim-Fisher frame was bent and quick work was needed to have the car welded back together. The crew along with several helpers scrambled to get the car ready for the C Main in one last, ditch effort to salvage their Nationals.

Sam lined up 3^rd in a stacked C Main that saw Danny Lasoski and Tim Kaeding line up in front of him with only 2 cars advancing to the B Main. Hafertepe and Kaeding battled throughout the 8 lap event and swapped the position several times before Kaeding finally made the decisive pass with 2 laps remaining.

Hafertepe will now race Saturday afternoon as he attempts to earn a spot in Saturday night's C Main if he can finish 10^th or better in the Non-Qualifiers portion of The Nationals.

"We are going to give it our best shot today," explained Sam. "This is The Knoxville Nationals, we came here to race and that's exactly what we are going to do."

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Support the people who support Sam: G-H Plumbing, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, AFCO Shocks, Simpson, Rocket Headers, Competition Suspension, Kear's Speed Shop, Wings Unlimited and Smiley's Race Products. PPM Titanium, GPC

this poor kid can not catch a break. I keep hoping he will so we can see what he can do.