By Roby Helm
WEST MEMPHIS, AR – Derek Hagar of Marion, AR made history on Saturday night by becoming the first driver to win both the Flip and Flop 25-lap Feature Races in the 16th Annual Bobby Martin Memorial Flip Flop 50 for the United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters at Riverside International Speedway.
Hagar started on the outside front row for the Flip 25-lap Feature Race and cruised to victory. Then, the field was flopped for the start of the second 25-lap Feature Race, and Hagar started 22nd. Hagar hustled through the field to take the lead, the win, and the nearly $10,000 top prize for winning both races and collecting most of the $50 per lap-leader prize money.
Coming from 22nd to first also earned Hagar the Wilwood Brakes Hard Charger award in the Flop 25. Jordon Mallett of Greenbrier, AR finished second to Hagar in the Flip 25 with third going to Dale Howard of Byhalia, MS. Zach Pringle of Benton, AR was fourth, and Ernie Ainsworth of Bartlett, TN took the fifth spot.
Chris Martin of Ankeny, IA started 17th and finished sixth to earn the Wilwood Brakes Hard Charger of the Race Award in the Flip 25. Howard Moore of Memphis, TN, drove to a seventh-place finish and eighth went to National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN, who all but sewed up his 16th USCS National Championship. Cody Gardner of Benton, AR was ninth, and Rookie Sprint Car driver Chelby Hinton of Dubberly, LA rounded out the top ten.
Cody Gardner finished second to Hagar in the Flop 25, and third place went to Brandon Hanks of Burlison, TN. Ronny Howard of Nesbit, MS was fourth, and Howard Moore took the fifth spot. Martin drove to a sixth-place finish, and seventh place went to Dewayne White oi Byhalia, MS. Mallett came home in the eighth position, and Ainsworth was ninth. Dale Howard rounded out the top ten.
In preliminary action, the two 12-lap B-Main Races to fill the back half of the Flip Flop 50 field saw Conner Wray of Olive Branch, MS win the first B-Main Race and Ronny Howard drove to victory in the second B-Main Race.
The United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters returns to Riverside International Speedway on Friday, October 18, and Saturday, October 19 for the rescheduled World Short Track Challenge as it will be USCS vs. the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS). The Friday night show will pay $2,000-to-win, and the Saturday event will pay $10,000-to-win,
For more information about USCS and the World Short Track Challenge, visit their website at uscsracing.com and the series Facebook page, or call the USCS 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 16TH ANNUAL BOBBY MARTIN MEMORIAL FLIP FLOP 50 AT RIVERSIDE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY IN WEST MEMPHIS, AR ON 10/12/24:
FLIP FEATURE – 25 Laps: 1. 9jr Derek Hagar, Marion, AR (2); 2. 3 Jordon Mallett, Greenbrier, AR (1); 3. 47 Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS (3); 4. 55 Zach Pringle, Benton, AR (5); 5. 91a Ernie Ainsworth, Bartlett, TN (4); 6. 44m Chris Martin, Ankeny, IA (17); 7. 40 Howard Moore, Memphis, TN (9); 8. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN (6); 9. G6 Cody Gardner, Benton, AR (11); 10. 6x Chelby Hinton, Dubberly, LA (18); 11. 10k Dewayne White, Byhalia, MS (20); 12. 84 Brandon Hanks, Burlison, TN (7); 13. 91 Chase Howard, Nesbit, MS (14); 14. 9m Josh McCord, Bossier City, LA (12); 15. 44 Ronny Howard, Nesbit, MS (16); 16. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (23); 17. 23 Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC (21); 18. 33 Joe Larkin, Suwanee, GA (24); 19. 13x Jake Brashier, Denham Springs, LA (22); 20. 17b Brayden Taylor, Hernando, MS (19); 21. 4x Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS (10); 22. 37 Ayden Gatewood, Caruthersville, MO (8); 23. 23w Conner Wray, Olive Branch, MS (15); 24. 29r Corey Ray, Millington, TN (13).
FLOP FEATURE – 25 Laps inverted: 1. 9jr Hagar (22); 2. G6 Gardner (6); 3. 84 Hanks (3); 4. 44 R. Howard (1); 5. 40 Moore (8); 6. 44m Martin (9); 7. 10k White (4); 8. 3 Mallett (13); 9. 91a Ainsworth (10); 10. 47 D. Howard (12); 11. 23 Moss (16); 12. 4c Cooper Looney, Jonesboro, AR (23); 13. 13x Brashier (19); 14. 17b Taylor (18); 15. 33 Larkin (15); 16. 26 Marshall Skinner, Marion, AR (24); 17. 91 C. Howard (2); 18. 10 Gray (7); 19. 55 Pringle (11); 20. 28 Willingham (17); 21. 37 Gatewood (21); 22. 6x Hinton (5); 23. 9m McCord (14); 24. 4x Bowden (20).
B-MAIN 1 – 12 Laps: 1. Wray; 2. Martin; 3. Taylor; 4. Moss; 5. 16 Hannah Merritt, Nesbit, MS; 6. Skinner; 7. Larkin; 8. 8 Joseph Wray IV, Bartlett, TN; 9. 56 D.L. (Tank) Brashier, Ethel, LA; 10. 47s Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN.
B-MAIN 2 – 12 Laps: 1. R. Howard; 2. Hinton; 3. White; 4. J. Brashier; 5. Looney; 6. 1jr Jamie Manley, Memphis, TN; 7. 4m Michael Miller, Vancleve, MS; 8. Willingham; 9. 21 Spencer Meredith, Hernando, MS DNS.