Derek Hagar enjoyed the best weekend of his season as he powered to a feature victory during all three races he started.
Hagar swept an ASCS Hurricane Area Super Sprints doubleheader in his car and he won a 305ci winged sprint car race in the McCord Farms No. 42.
“We got in a good car in Mr. McCord’s car and had a good night on Friday, winning the heat race and the feature,” he said. “We jumped back in our car and won the heat race and the feature as well. It made for a good night. To follow it back up on Saturday with another win made for a really good weekend.”
The winning weekend began on Friday at Crowleys Ridge Raceway in Paragould, Ark., where Hagar won a heat race after starting on the outside of the front row in both a 360 and a 305 heat race. The feature redraw lined him up on the outside of the front row in the 360 main event.
“I got the jump on the start,” he said. “We had a battle with Scotty Milan. I saw his nose on the first lap. Once I put away that I never felt a challenge, but watching the video he was staying with us until his misfortune. The track took rubber very early in the feature. I knew it was coming because the 305 race was first. I knew I needed to save my tires and pick my battles wisely with traffic and not get out of the rubber.”
Hagar started on the pole in the 305 A Main.
“I had a good jump on the start and held on to win,” he said. “Mr. McCord puts together a good race car. He does everything by himself and he gives us a winning race car every time we sit in the seat. I’d love to know his win count. I’m sure it’s pretty high as long as he’s been in the sport.”
The weekend wrapped up on Saturday at Riverside International Speedway, where Hagar hustled from sixth to second place in a heat race. He started fourth in the feature.
“We had a little issue on the start,” he said. “There was a crash in front of us and we got ran over from behind. It ripped the left sideboard forward. It was hanging by the straps. The car wasn’t handling as good as it should after that. Come to find out the left rear shock was bent. It was really making it hard to drive.
“We moved up to the front row for the restart. Brad Bowden got the jump, but I was able to pull up beside him entering turn one and edge into the lead off turn two. Then we had a battle with Dale Howard with a couple of slide jobs. Once I figured out how to drive the car to do what I needed to do I never felt a challenge after that.”
Hagar plans to return to Riverside International Speedway this Saturday for the 6 th annual Greg Hodnett Memorial.
QUICK RESULTS –
June 7 – Crowleys Ridge Speedway in Paragould, Ark. (360 sprint car) – Heat race: 1 (2); Feature: 1 (2).
June 7 – Crowleys Ridge Speedway in Paragould, Ark. (305 sprint car) – Heat race: 1 (2); Feature: 1 (1).
June 8 – Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark. – Heat race: 2 (6); Feature: 1 (4).
SEASON STATS –
11 races, 4 wins, 5 top fives, 6 top 10s, 8 top 15s, 8 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Saturday at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark., for the 6 th annual Greg Hodnett Memorial
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