Inside Line Promotions
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Oct. 4, 2022) – Derek Hagar captured his first career ASCS Mid-South Region championship and I-30 Speedway track title last weekend when racing said fair well to the dirt oval.
“Being the final track champion of I-30 is special, something that nobody else can do from here on out,” he said. “That was weighing heavy on us Thursday. We just needed to have a clean night and run near the front to win that. We had a pretty good lead on the ASCS Mid-South deal and weren’t too worried about it.”
Thursday was the track’s final points night and Hagar hustled from fifth to second place during a heat race before ending the night sixth during the Ralph Henson Memorial to wrap up the championships.
“We had a decent finish,” he said. “We were a little too snug on the bottom and too free to roll the middle. I had to take what I could get and race smart.”
The next two nights showcased the 35th annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires, which featured more than 80 drivers invading I-30 Speedway throughout the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour event.
Hagar qualified fifth quickest in his group on Friday.
“I didn’t qualify the best,” he said. “Then we had a mini feature as far as cars in our heat race. A guy crashed so we started fourth and finished fourth, which put us in the show. We had a good car in the feature, but had to start too far back without cautions. That hindered us trying to make up more positions.”
Hagar advanced from 15th to seventh in the A Main to garner the Hard Charger Award for passing the most cars.
The event concluded on Saturday, when Hagar rallied from sixth to third place in a heat race before he won a B Main to transfer into the 41-lap main event.
“We had a really good car in the feature, but once you start getting closer to the front the cars get really hard to pass,” he said. “I just wish we could have started closer to the front and battled with those guys.”
Hagar’s charge from 16th to ninth marked the second-most positions gained. It was his fourth straight year with a top 10 during the Short Track Nationals finale.
Hagar plans to compete this Friday and Saturday at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark., with the USCS Series.
QUICK RESULTS –
Sept. 29 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Heat race: 2 (5); Feature: 6 (4).
Sept. 30 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Qualifying: 5; Heat race: 4 (5); Feature: 7 (15).
Oct. 1 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Heat race: 3 (6); B Main: 1 (1); Feature: 9 (16).
SEASON STATS –
37 races, 12 wins, 20 top fives, 28 top 10s, 28 top 15s, 30 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday and Saturday at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark., with the USCS Series
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.DerekHagarRacing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HagarDerek
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“Maria and the crew at FK Rod Ends are awesome to work with,” Hagar said. “They take pride in their products and that’s why we choose to run FK Rod Ends.”
Hagar would like to thank Ameri-Panel, KO Motorsports, J&J Auto Racing, B & D Towing and Recovery, FK Rod Ends, Dynotech Performance, A.M.P., Fragola Performance Systems, Administrative Consulting Services, Killer Coatings, Xtreme Race Graphics, Southern Collision Centre, Jeff’s Heating and Cooling, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Weld Wheels, DHR Suspension, Hinchman Racewear, Wix Filters, Valvoline, Ti64 and Builtwiser Wings for their continued support.