From Roby Helm
CLANTON, AL – – June 21, 2024 – Derek Hagar of Marion, AR hustled to his second 25-lap United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters Feature Race win of the season on Friday night at Buckshot Speedway. Hagar took the lead from Brandon Grubaugh of Ocala, FL on the 15th lap, and went unchallenged for the remaining ten laps of the race.
Ronny Howard of Nesbit, MS finished second, and third went to Grubaugh. The defending and 15-time USCS National Champion, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN came back from a lap three tangle to take the fourth spot, and Trey Meredith of Dade City, FL was fifth.
Jeff Willingham of Ripley, MS started tenth and finished sixth to earn the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger of the Race Award, and Lance Moss of Cherryville, NC came back from his tangle with Gray on lap three to come home in the seventh spot. Todd Fayard of D’Iberville, MS was eighth, and fourth-generation driver P.J. Reutimann of Zephyrhills, FL took the ninth spot. Blake Mallette of Vancleve, MS rounded out the top ten.
In preliminary action, Gray earned the Pole Position for the Feature Race with a win in the six-lap Hoosier Racing Tire Speed Dash. Grubaugh won the eight-lap Engler Machine & Tool First Heat Race, and Gray won the eight-lap Butlerbuilt Racing Products Second Heat Race.
Gray and Moss battled for the lead in the first two laps of the race. Gray, looking for his 99th career USCS win, edged Moss for the first two circuits, but the lead trio got together on lap three to bring out the first of three caution flags. Grubaugh moved up from the third spot to inherit the lead for the restart followed by Hagar, Howard, Reutimann and Willingham.
Hagar kept chipping away at Grubaugh’s lead and was able to move up to challenge for the point on lap 12. Hagar made the pass for the lead on lap 15, but could not stretch out to a big lead, as the second caution flag came out on lap 17 when Clint Weiss of Jesup, GA stalled on the front straightaway.
Howard passed Grubaugh for the second spot on the restart, but by the time he took over the spot, Howard was 2.5 seconds behind Hagar. Gray returned to the top five by passing Willingham for the fifth spot on lap 18. Gray made it back up to the fourth spot on lap 21 when he got around Reutimann for the position.
Hagar had to give up a 3.128 second lead over Howard on lap 22 when Reutimann brought out the caution flag. Hagar pulled away on the restart, as Meredith passed Willingham to move up to the fifth spot. Hagar took the checkered flag with a 2.641 second margin of victory over Howard at the checkered flag in a race that took 14 minutes and 1.843 seconds to complete.
The United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters returns to action on Saturday night when they travel to East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL. For more information about USCS, visit their website at uscsracing.com and the series Facebook page, or call the series office at 770-865-6097.
United Sprint Car Series Marketing Partners are K&N Filters, Engler Machine & Tool, Hoosier Racing Tire, Huggins Cams, Hero Graphics, DMI/Bulldog, J&J Supply of NC, Racing Electronics, JE Pistons, DHR Suspension, Wilwood Disc Brakes, KSE Racing Products, PRO Shocks, Schoenfeld Headers, and Arizona Sport Shirts.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE UNITED SPRINT CAR SERIES PRESENTED BY K&N FILTERS EVENT AT BUCKSHOT SPEEDWAY IN CLANTON, AL ON 6/21/24:
FEATURE RACE – 25 Laps: 1. 9jr Derek Hagar, Marion, AR (4); 2. Ronny Howard, Nesbit, MS (5); 3. G6 Brandon Grubaugh, Ocala, FL (3); 4. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN (1); 5. 11 Trey Meredith, Dade City, FL (8); 6. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (10); 7. 23 Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC (2); 8. 13 Todd Fayard, D’Iberville, MS (7); 9. 00 P.J. Reutimann, Zephyrhills, FL (6); 10. 67 Blake Mallette, Vancleve, MS (9); 11. 0 Clint Weiss, Jesup, GA (12); 12. 23w Conner Wray, Olive Branch, MS DNS.
HOOSIER RACING TIRES SPEED DASH – 6 Laps: 1. Gray; 2. Moss; 3. Grubaugh; 4. Hagar; 5. Howard; 6. Reutimann DNS.
HEAT RACES – 8 Laps:
ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL HEAT 1: 1. Grubaugh; 2. Moss; 3. Howard; 4. Fayard; 5. Mallette; 6. Wray.
BUTLERBUILT RACING PRODUCTS HEAT 2: 1. Gray; 2. Hagar; 3. Reutimann; 4. Meredith; 5. Willingham; 6. Weiss.