From Inside Line Promotions
Woodstock, GA — (August 26, 2013) — For the sixth straight month Derek Hagar has recorded at least one feature victory.
Hagar capped a successful weekend by leading all 30 laps on Saturday at Dixie Speedway, where he registered his ninth win of the season and increased his points lead in the USCS championship standings, after earning a top five on Thursday with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour.
“It was a great weekend,” he said. “We had good cars both nights. I can’t complain one bit. The crew had the car dialed in both nights.”
The weekend started on Thursday at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark., with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour. Hagar charged from fifth to second place in his heat race while his car poured out smoke during an impressive performance that gave him enough points to advance to the feature redraw.
“It was a fresh motor and it had too much oil in it,” he said. “It was getting on the header. It’d make it smoke and every once in a while catch on fire.”
Unfortunately, Hagar picked the highest number – eight – in the redraw to start the main event on the outside of the fourth row.
“The car was really good,” he said. “The track was real slick and I was rolling through the middle of the track good. I was just easy on the gas. We tightened the car up a whole lot. I played with the wing. It would help me real good except coming off turn two. The car just had a lot better drive than any other car that was out there.”
Hagar rallied into the top three before another driver turned him from behind on Lap 13. Hagar’s car spun around once before he kept going. However, the yellow flag was displayed and deemed an inadvertent caution. Hagar restarted where he blended in after spinning, which was 11th.
He continued to work his way forward after the caution and ended with a fourth-place finish.
“It’s bittersweet because we had a winning car,” he said. “We were coming up through there. (Tim) Crawley and Cody Garner were right there in front of us when we got spun. I think if that wouldn’t have happened we would have won.”
The team headed to Dixie Speedway on Saturday, when Hagar dominated the USCS event. He led all eight laps to win his heat race after starting on the outside of the front row. The winner of the first heat race drew the four as the inversion and since Hagar ended fourth in points after the heats, he started on the pole for the feature.
“We tightened the car up a lot,” he said. “I drove it like an asphalt car, just kept it straight. They said at one point 10 laps in we were a half a track ahead. I think I lapped up to seventh.”
Hagar is slated for a USCS tripleheader this weekend beginning on Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga. He will then compete on Saturday at Cleveland Speedway in Cleveland, Tenn., before Sunday’s event at Toccoa Speedway in Toccoa, Ga.
QUICK RESULTS –
Aug. 22 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Heat race: 2 (5); Feature: 4 (8).
Aug. 24 – Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Ga. – Heat race: 1 (2); Feature: 1 (1).
SEASON STATS –
28 races, 9 wins, 21 top fives, 28 top 10s, 28 top 15s, 28 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., Saturday at Cleveland Speedway in Cleveland, Tenn., and Sunday at Toccoa Speedway in Toccoa, Ga., with the USCS
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.DerekHagar.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hagarderek
APPAREL –
Hagar has t-shirts, hats and koozies available for sale at his race trailer at every race he competes at. To see his schedule, visit http://www.DerekHagar.com/