(Photo by Tim Aylwin)
Inside Line Promotions – WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. (May 6, 2014) – Like a newly-engaged woman displaying a diamond ring, Derek Hagar is showing off his trophy to anyone who has eyes.
“That thing has been riding around in my truck since Saturday night,” he said with a beaming smile. “I had to take it to work to show everybody. I bought a glass case for it today. It’s going to be on display.”
Hagar’s prize is a customized Gibson guitar he earned for winning the Eagle Motorsports Rock ‘N Roll 50 Presented by MyRacePass last Saturday at Riverside International Raceway, where he came out on top of an epic battle with fellow Arkansas native Tim Crawley during the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour 50-lap event.
“Fifty laps around Riverside is tough,” Hagar said. “We were slide jobbing all over each other. There were times you probably couldn’t fit a piece of paper between us and I know there was one time you couldn’t because we banged wheels.”
The duo slid each other at least six times as they waged war through thick traffic on the racy quarter-mile track.
“That was definitely the most exciting race I’ve been a part of,” Hagar said. “There wasn’t a time when you could rest.”
Despite that intensity, Hagar remained cool, calm and collected throughout the entire night. After using a late pass in his heat race to win, which locked him into the feature and earned him enough points to advance into the redraw, Hagar pulled the No. 1 to start on the pole of the main event.
“There was something about Saturday night that I really wasn’t too bothered,” he said. “For every other ASCS National show when I start up front I get the butterflies. Saturday night I just had a real good feeling. I just kept my cool.”
Crawley jumped to the lead on the start of the race and he led the first 18 laps before the slide fest began.
“He was pretty good,” Hagar said. “I just rode around until we got to lapped traffic. We got into it quick and it was thick, too. Lapped traffic was probably the hardest part of the whole night.”
Hagar took the lead on Lap 19 and despite numerous sliders back and forth, he held onto the top spot for every remaining lap except one en route to his first career Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour triumph.
“He was throwing everything at us,” Hagar said. “Everything worked out in our favor. That’s the biggest thing, with all the heartaches and hard work, all the races we’ve lost and close calls we’ve had, it all paid off Saturday night.”
QUICK RESULTS –
May 3 – Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark. – Heat race: 1 (2); Feature: 1 (1).
SEASON STATS –
8 races, 6 wins, 7 top fives, 7 top 10s, 7 top 15s, 7 top 20s
UP NEXT –
TBD
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.DerekHagarRacing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HagarDerek
VIDEO –
Ride along with Hagar during his victory at I-30 Speedway on April 5 thanks to this video by Jones Sports Media: http://youtu.be/JDYTr1M4KjM
APPAREL –
Hagar has t-shirts, hats and koozies available for sale at his race trailer at every race he competes at. To see his schedule, visit http://www.DerekHagar.com/schedule.
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 also like to thank R.E. Enterprises, Xtreme Race Graphics, DynoTech Performance, FSR Radiators, Fragola Performance Systems, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Hinchman Racewear, FK Rod Ends and Ti64 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 and to join Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or InsideLinePromotions@gmail.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on May 06, 2014
- Article Date: 5/6/2014 by Inside Line Promotions