From Inside Line Promotions
West Memphis, AR — (June 9, 2015) — Derek Hagar claimed his first career Hooker Hood Classic in impressive fashion last Saturday.
Hagar lapped up to third place during the 360ci main event at Riverside International Speedway to score his second win of the season.
“I feel that was one of our most dominant wins, especially at Riverside where there’s a lot of great competition,” he said. “I got myself a throwback suit from Hinchman Racewear last week. It’s all white with yellow stripes on it like a lot of people wore in the ’70s and ’80s. To win a historic race like that and to wear that suit was perfect. The Hood family is a great family and to win that trophy feels pretty special.”
Hagar opened the night by winning his heat race after starting third.
“That put us second in points and started us on the outside of the front row for the main event,” he said. “I think (the polesitter) led the first four or five laps. I had a good run on him and did a slide job. We raced a good lap and a half and I finally had the edge. We had a good car all night and I could run in the rough stuff in turns three and four. I think that was our advantage. I kept passing cars and I got to the point where I could see the second and third-place cars. I started taking it easy because I didn’t want to screw up and hang it in the fence. Then I started screwing up more so I had to get back on the gas. We were on the straightaway as the second and third-place cars when we took the checkered flag.”
Hagar also competed in the 305ci class for Bobby Jones during the event. He started on the pole for the main event after earning the most points during the heat races by charging from eighth to second place.
“At Riverside you can tell them if you want the inside or outside lane on the start and I elected to go to the outside,” he said. “The kid that started beside me, he’s just a young kid starting out, he got into me in turn three and turned me around. It tore the car up pretty bad.”
Hagar’s team used ratchet straps on the nose wing and side panels of the top wing in order to allow him to restart the race at the back of the field.
“I went back out there and started in the back,” he said. “We had a good car and I was able to come back through the field to get a top five. Bobby was happy. It’s a low budget team. I was really happy to see a smile on his face at the end of the night. It made my whole night.”
Hagar is scheduled to race this Friday at NEA Speedway in Harrisburg, Ark., and Saturday at Tennessee National Raceway in Hohenwald, Tenn., with the USCS Series.