By Roby Helm
BENTON, MO – May 23, 2025 – Derek Hagar of Marion, AR was awarded the victory in Round 1 of the 20th Annual Speedweek for the United Sprint Car Series Presented By Hoosier Race Tire on Friday night at Benton Speedway. Hagar was declared the winner after the car of apparent winner, Ayden Gatewood of Caruthersville, MO, was found to be light at the scales after the 30-lap Feature Race.
USCS point leader Dale Howard of Byhalia, MS finished second, and Chase Howard of Nesbit, MS, took the third spot. The 16-time USCS National Champion and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN, charged from the 16th starting spot to finish fourth.
Garrett Benson of Concordia, MO started 20th and finished fifth to earn the Wilwood Disc Brakes Hard Charger of the Race Award. Adyn Schmidt of Haubstadt, IN, took the sixth spot, and Carson Short of Marion, IL, was seventh. Hayden Brinkley of Bono, AR finished eighth, and Jeff Willingham of Ripley, MS, was ninth. Wesley Shepard of Coldwater, MS, rounded out the top ten.
In preliminary action, The three eight-lap Heat Races were won by Hayden Martin of Olive Branch, MS in the Engler Machine & Tool First Heat, Chase Howard in the Butlerbuilt Second Heat, and Hagar in the Schoenfeld Headers Third Heat.
Chase Howard took the lead at the drop of the green flag from the pole position followed by Gatewood, Hagar, Martin, and Schmidt. The red flag came out on lap two for a multi-car tangle that eliminated Martin, Brad Cookson of Morley, MO, Steven Howell of Byhalia, MS, and Bubba Jones of West Memphis, AR.
Gatewood passed Chase Howard for the lead on a lap seven restart, and Howard dropped to fourth on lap ten when Hager, who started sixth, and Dale Howard moved up to second and third respectively. That would prove in the end to be the winning pass. Hagar held a 5.027 second margin of victory over Dale Howard at the checkered flag.
Round 2 of the 20th Annual Speedweek for the United Sprint Car Series Presented By Hoosier Racing Tire will be the second event of the seven-race series at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, AR on Saturday night. For more information about USCS, 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 NIGHT 1 OF THE 20TH ANNUAL SPEEDWEEK FOR THE UNITED SPRINT CAR SERIES PRESENTED BY HOOSIER RACING TIRE AT BENTON SPEEDWAY IN BENTON, MO ON 5/23/25:
FEATURE RACE – 30 Laps: 1. 3 Derek Hagar, Marion, AR (6); 2. 47 Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS (7); 3. 91 Chase Howard, Nesbit, MS (1); 4. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN (16); 5. 2b Garrett Benson, Concordia, MO (20); 6. 12s Adyn Schmidt, Haubstadt, IN (3); 7. 21 Carson Short, Marion, IL (15); 8. 17 Hayden Brinkley, Bono, AR (13); 9. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (12); 10. 55 Wesley Shepard, Coldwater, MS (14); 11. 16 Hannah Merritt, Nesbit, MS (22); 12. 7d Dylan DeJournett, New Madrid, MO (17); 13. 26 Marshall Skinner, Marion, AR (8); 14. 901 Tucker Boulton, Brighton, TN (11); 15. 23 Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC (18); 16. 333 Carl Finder III, Farmington, MO (19); 17. 67 Hayden Martin, Olive Branch, MS (5); 18. 4 Brad Cookson, Morley, MO (4); 19. 16s Steven Howell, Byhalia, MS (9); 20. Bubba Jones, West Memphis, AR (10); 21. 37 Ayden Gatewood, Caruthersville, MO (2) DQ/LT; 22. 8x Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS DNS.
HEAT RACES – 8 Laps:
ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL HEAT 1: 1. Martin; 2. Schmidt; 3. Gatewood; 4. Cookson; 5. Shepard; 6. Moss; 7. Bowden; 8. Merritt.
BUTLERBUILT HEAT 2: 1. C. Howard; 2. Howell; 3. Jones; 4. Brinkley; 5. Willingham; 6. DeJournett; 7. Finder.
SCHOENFELD HEADERS HEAT 3: 1. Hagar; 2. D. Howard; 3. Boulton; 4. Skinner; 5. Short; 6. Gray; 7. Benson.