Inside Line Promotions – WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. (July 18, 2023) – Traffic made for an exciting show on Saturday at Riverside International Speedway, where Derek Hagar efficiently navigated traffic without incident behind the wheel of the McCord Farms 305ci winged sprint car.
At least until after the checkered flag was waved.
“Lapped traffic was crazy,” he said. “I was paying more attention to where they were going. I was having to be in defense mode because I had a brake pedal, but not great stopping force. I was having to judge my corner entry to try to get by them without running through the wall. I saw the flagman wave a flag, but I thought it was the white flag. Three lapped cars got together in front of me on the backstretch. They went toward the infield and by the time I got to them a car turned right to dodge them and clipped me in the left rear. I started bouncing and laid it on the side. I didn’t realize it, but it worked out because the race was over and we won. I had to be taken to Victory Lane on a wrecker.”
It was the lone blemish of the night as Hagar hustled to a sweep, winning both a heat race and the main event from the third starting position.
“We ran good in the heat race and Mr. McCord said, ‘Man, you can slow down a bit,'” he said. “I said, ‘Whenever you slow down things tend to happen and you can screw up.’ His whole family was there. I told him after the heat race to call up and make sure they have their hair fixed up to get pictures after the feature. I like messing with him and then going out there and putting on a good show in his car.”
The victory was Hagar’s 11 th of the season in 13 starts. That’s his fifth-most wins in a season with a little less than half of the year remaining. It was also Hagar’s third triumph in three starts this season in the McCord Farms backed sprint car.
“The key is just putting yourself in good equipment,” he said. “Everything we’ve jumped in, whether our car or Mr. McCord’s car, is capable of winning. After that it’s my job to make the right decisions on the track. Everything needs to fall your way, too. I feel we’ve put ourselves in the right position to contend for a win every night by being in good equipment and for the most part things have gone our way.”
Hagar plans to return to Riverside International Speedway this Saturday in both his 360ci winged sprint car and the McCord Farms 305 sprint car.
QUICK RESULTS –
July 15 – Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark. – Heat race: 1 (3); Feature: 1 (3).
SEASON STATS –
13 races, 11 wins, 12 top fives, 12 top 10s, 12 top 15s, 13 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Saturday at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark.
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.DerekHagarRacing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HagarDerek
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“Maria and the crew at FK Rod Ends are awesome to work with,” Hagar said. “They take pride in their products and that’s why we choose to run FK Rod Ends.”
Hagar would like to thank 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.