(Photo by RAD Action Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – ELDON, Mo. (Sept. 4, 2024) – Derek Hagar guided three different race cars to podium performances last weekend.
Hagar swept the 305ci winged sprint car portion of the show at Crowleys Ridge Raceway in Paragould, Ark., on Friday in a McCord Farms sprint car.
“We had a really good car all night long,” he said. “We won the heat race and took the lead on the initial start of the feature and never looked back. I was able to run the top in turns one and two up on the dirt wall. It really helped me launch off the corner and hit the bottom in turns three and four. We got to lapped traffic and I had to start moving around. I figured out the middle worked pretty good for me in turns three and four and I was still able to run the top in turns one and two.”
Hagar also hopped in a 600cc micro sprint that night for Marshall Skinner Motorsports, winning a heat race and placing second in the main event.
“It was fun,” he said. “We won the heat race and started outside pole in the feature. Jackson (Skinner) got by me on the first lap. He and the guy on the pole were side by side the whole race. Jackson finally cleared him and ran the best race I’ve seen him run. A 12-year-old kid with me behind him, I figured he’d start overdriving the car, but he didn’t. I gave it all I had to get around him and just couldn’t make it happen.”
Hagar then climbed aboard the Paul Hart owned 410ci winged sprint car on Saturday and Sunday at Lake Ozark Speedway, which hosted a POWRi 410 Outlaw Sprint Series doubleheader. He qualified 20th quickest before rallying from seventh to fourth place in a heat race on Saturday to lock into the main event. Hagar capped the night by charging from 12th to second place in the A Main, marking the second-most cars passed.
“We drew the highest pill and went out last in qualifying,” he said. “We were still trying to learn the car. The heat race came around and we made some changes. We charged our way forward three spots. The cushion was really treacherous. I made my mind up I was running the middle to the bottom in the feature. I started picking cars off left and right. The double-file restarts were key for us. I picked the outside every time even if I gave up a position because I could get a really good launch up top coming off turn four. We worked our way up to second.”
The weekend concluded with another rally on Sunday. After timing in 14th quickest and ending fifth in a heat race, Hagar maneuvered from 16th to sixth in the feature. The 10 positions gained were the most and earned the Hard Charger Award.
“There really wasn’t passing in the heat races,” he said. “I made the bottom work good at the start of the feature. Once I got up to sixth the track started rubbering up by Lap 8 or 9. It was follow the leader for the rest of the race.”
Hagar plans to return to action this Saturday at Farmington Empire Speedway in Farmington, Mo., during the 27th annual Queens Royal and Terry Babb Tribute.
QUICK RESULTS –
Aug. 30 – Crowleys Ridge Raceway in Paragould, Ark. (305 sprint car) – Heat race: 1 (2); Feature: 1 (1).
Aug. 30 – Crowleys Ridge Raceway in Paragould, Ark. (600cc micro sprint) – Heat race: 1 (2); Feature: 2 (2).
Aug. 31 – Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Mo. – Qualifying: 20; Heat race: 4 (7); Feature: 2 (12).
Sept. 1 – Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Mo. – Qualifying: 14; Heat race: 5 (5); Feature: 6 (16).
SEASON STATS –
25 races, 8 wins, 16 top fives, 20 top 10s, 22 top 15s, 22 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Saturday at Farmington Empire Speedway in Farmington, Mo., for the 27th annual Queens Royal and Terry Babb Tribute
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.DerekHagarRacing.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dhrracing
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – J&J Auto Racing
Located in McKenzie, Tenn., J&J Auto Racing has manufactured sprint car chassis and racing parts for more than 40 years. For more information, visit http://www.JandJAutoRacing.com.
“They’ve been in the family since J&J Auto Racing started building cars,” Hagar said. “My stepdad’s dad owned race cars back in the Riverside days. They are good, safe, dependable race cars and great people to deal with.”
Hagar would like to thank Nutrien Ag Solutions, Sonic of Dyersburg, Keith Jones Promotions, Boat Warehouse, West Tennessee Expediting, Inc., Ameri-Panel, J&J Auto Racing, B & D Towing and Recovery, FK Rod Ends, Dynotech Performance Race Engines, A.M.P., Fragola Performance Systems, Administrative Consulting Services, Killer Coatings, Beazt Composites, Xtreme Race Graphics, Southern Collision Centre, AR Dyno Specialty, 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.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Sep 04, 2024
- Article Date: 9/4/2024 by Inside Line Promotions