WEST MEMPHIS, AR – October 19, 2024 – Derek Hagar of Marion, AR swept the World Short Track Challenge co-sanctioned by the United Sprint Car Series and the American Sprint Car Series on Saturday night at Riverside International Speedway. Hagar’s fifth straight USCS win at RIS was worth $10,000.
Hagar came from the fifth starting spot to pass early race leader Jordon Mallett of Greenbrier, AR for the point on lap 34 of the 40-lap race and pull away in the final six laps to sweep the World Short Track Challenge weekend after also winning the $2,000 top prize in Friday night’s 25-lap Feature Race.
Mallett finished second and third went to Sam Hafertepe Jr. of Sunnyvale, TX. Sam Davis of Sand Springs, OK took the fourth spot, and Blake Hahn of Sapulpa, OK was fifth. Dale Howard of Byhalia, MS drove to a sixth-place finish, and Jason Martin of Liberal, KS started 16th and finished seventh to earn the Wilwood Brakes Hard Charger of the Race Award.
Two-time USCS National Champion Morgan Turpen-Havener of Gallatin, TN finished eighth and Kyle Jones of Kennedale, TX drove to a ninth-place finish. Former USCS Champion Marshall Skinner of Marion, AR rounded out the top ten.
In preliminary action, the six ten-lap Heat Races were won by Davis, Hafertepe, Cody Gardner of Benton, AR, Ayden Gatewood of Caruthersville, MO, Mallett, and Skinner. The two 12-lap C-Main Races were won by Andrew Deal, Caney KS and Ernie Ainsworth, Bartlett, TN. The two 15-lap B-Main Races were won by Gatewood and Skinner. Mallett won the 6-lap Speed Dash to earn the Pole Position for the Feature Race.
Mallett took the lead at the start of the 40-lap Feature Race followed by Gardner, Davis, Hafertepe and Hagar. Lap five saw Davis pass Gardner for the second spot and Hager passing Hafertepe for fourth. The first of two caution flags came out on lap 11 when Gardner spun out of the third spot in turn two.
Mallett led Davis, Hagar, Hafertepe, and Howard down for the restart. The field raced clean and green until lap 23 when Christopher Townsend of Tarkington, TX spun in turn four to bring out the second and final caution flag. Hagar got by Davis to take over the second spot on the restart, and then began to hunt for his comfort spot at Riverside International Speedway – the lead.
Hahn began to make his presence known on lap 28 when he passed Howard to move into the top five. Things got busy in the final seven laps of the race, as Hagar took the lead away from Mallett on lap 34, and Hafertepe got by Davis to take over the third spot on the same lap.
Hahn then moved up to challenge Davis for the fourth spot. Hahn passed Davis for fourth on lap 36, but Davis was able to reclaim the spot on lap 37. Once out front in the lead, Hagar pulled away from Mallett, as he took a .938 second margin of victory under the checkered flag in a race that took 26 minutes and 55.173 seconds to complete 40 laps.
The United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters will conclude its 2024 season on Friday night, November 1 and Saturday night, November 2 at I-75 Raceway in Sweetwater, TN. 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 UNITED SPRINT CAR SERIES PRESENT. ED BY K&N FILTERS EVENT AT RIVERSIDE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY IN WEST MEMPHIS, AR ON 10/18/24:
FEATURE RACE – 25 Laps: 1. 9jr Derek Hagar, Marion, AR (5); 2. 3 Jordon Mallett, Greenbrier, AR (1); 3. 15h Sam Hafertepe, Sunnyvale, TX (6); 4. 2c Hank Davis, Sand Springs, OK (4); 5. 52 Blake Hahn, Sapulpa, OK (13); 6. 47 Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS (3); 7. 36 Jason Martin, Liberal, KS (16); 8. 10m Morgan Turpen-Havener, Gallatin, TN (8); 9. 6j Kyle Jones, Kennedale, TX (9); 10. 26 Marshall Skinner, Marion, AR (12); 11. 40 Howard Moore, Memphis, TN (20); 12. 31 Casey Wills, Sperry, OK (19); 13. 37 Ayden Gatewood, Caruthersville, MO (11); 14. 10L Landon Britt, Memphis, TN (17); 15. 71t Christopher Townsend, Tarkington, TX (15); 16. 16g Austyn Gossel, Windsor, CO (14); 17. 121 Jan Howard, Marion AR (10); 18. 6 Cody Gardner, Benton, AR (2); 19. 55z Zach Pringle, Benton, AR (18); 20. 2j Zach Blurton, Quinter, KS (21); 21. 99m Trent Moss, Medon, TN (7).
SPEED DASH – 6 Laps: 1. Mallett; 2. Gardner; 3. D. Howard; 4. Davis; 5. Hagar; 6. Hafertepe.
B-MAIN 1 – 15 Laps (Top 5 Transfer): 1. Gatewood; 2. Hahn; 3. Townsend; 4. Britt; 5. Wills; 6. 23 Seth Bergman, Snohomish, WA; 7. 45x Kyler Johnson, Quinter, KS; 8. 23w Conner Wray, Olive Branch, MS; 9. 48 Wade Buttrey, Fairview, TN; 10. 16 Hannah Merritt, Nesbit, MS; 11. 56t D.J. (Tank) Brashier, Ethel, LA; 12. 88 Terry Easum, Broken Arrow, OK; 13. 16s Steven Howell, Byhalia, MS; 14. 15d Andrew Deal, Caney KS; 15. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN.
B-MAIN 2 – 15 Laps (Top 5 Transfer): 1. Skinner; 2. Gossel; 3. J. Martin; 4. Pringle; 5. Moore; 6. 84 Brandon Hanks, Burlison, TN; 7. 91a Ernie Ainsworth, Bartlett, TN; 8. 91 Kyle Connery, Vero Beach, FL; 9. 88c Brogan Carder, Sioux Falls, SD; 10. 4c Cooper Looney, Jonesboro, AR; 11. 17b Brayden Taylor, Hernando, MS; 12. 8 Joseph Wray IV, Bartlett, TN; 13. Blurton; 14. 21 Carson Short, Marion, IL; 15. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS.
C-MAIN 1 – 12 Laps (Top 5 Transfer): 1. Deal; 2. Buttrey; 3. Easum; 4. Merritt; 5. Howell; 6. 23L Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC; 7. 2t Todd Bradford, Eads, TN; 8. 13x Jake Brashier, Denham Springs, LA; 9. 21m Spencer Meredith, Hernando, MS; 10. 44 Ronnie Howard, Nesbit, TN; 11. 71 Brady Baker, Alexander, AR DNS; 12. 95 Matt Covington, Glenpool, OK DNS; 13. 8xr Hayden Martin, Olive Branch, MS DNS; 14. 10k Dewayne White, Byhalia, MS DNS.
C-MAIN 2 – 12 Laps (Top 5 Transfer): 1. Ainsworth; 2. Moore; 3. Looney; 4. Blurton; 5. Willingham; 6. 27j Joseph Poe Jr., Scott, AR; 7. 91h Chase Howard, Nesbit, MS DNS; 8. 901 Tucker Boulton, Brighton, TN DNS; 9. 5L Anton Hernandez, Arlington, TX DNS; 10. 29r Corey Ray, Millington, TN DNS; 11. 8x Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS DNS; 12. 938 Bradley Fezard, Bonnerdale, AR DNS; 13. 47s Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN DNS.
HEAT RACE 1 – 10 Laps: 1. Davis; 2. Turpen-Havener; 3. J. Martin; 4. Pringle; 5. Ainsworth; 6. R. Howard; 7. Looney; 8. Poe.
HEAT RACE 2 – 10 Laps: 1. Hafertepe; 2. Jones; 3. Gray; 4. Johnson; 5. Easum; 6. Willingham; 7. Merritt; 8. Meredith.
HEAT RACE 3 – 10 Laps: 1. Gardner; 2. Townsend; 3. J. Howard; 4. Hanks; 5. Carder; 6. Buttrey; 7. Moore; 8. Howell.
HEAT RACE 4 – 10 Laps: 1. Gatewood; 2. Hahn; 3. Wills; 4. Taylor; 5. J. Wray; 6. L. Moss.
HEAT RACE 5 – 10 Laps: 1. Mallett; 2. Gossel; 3. Britt; 4. Bergman; 5. C. Wray; 6. Blurton; 7. Deal; 8. J. Brashier; 9. Bradford.
HEAT RACE 6 – 10 Laps: 1. Skinner; 2. Short; 3. Connery; 4. T. Moss; 5. D. Brashier; 6. C. Howard; 7. Boulton; 8. Hernandez; 9. Ray.