LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Making quick moves in traffic for his third Stealth Recover ASCS Mid-South Regional victory of the season, Derek Hagar was the cream of the crop Saturday night at I-30 Speedway for his seventh career win with the Arkansas-based tour.
Taking off from the right of the front row on Saturday night, Derek Hagar slipped to third on the start as Brandon Hanks moved from fourth to the lead into the first two turns. Battling with Tim Crawley for the runner-up spot, Hagar built his run for second following a lap-three caution but could not hold off the No. 1x of Crawley as the pair traded the spot over the next several laps while Hanks led the way into traffic.
Able to finally secure second, the chase into traffic put the top three nose to tail with slower cars being set up as roadblocks. Sliding for the lead on lap 12, through the first and second turn with Hanks charging after him in turns three and four, Hagar was able to keep the No. 84 at bay as Hanks was left to battle with Tim Crawley just before the caution flew on lap 13.
Gapping the field on the restart, Hagar went unchallenged to the checkered flag. Running down the No. 9jr in traffic through the closing laps, Tim Crawley ran out of time to mount a challenge and would settle for second. Brandon Hanks ended up third with Howard Moore coming from eighth to fourth. Zach Pringle followed from ninth to complete the top five.
The finish:
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 9JR-Derek Hagar, [2]; 2. 1X-Tim Crawley, [5]; 3. 84-Brandon Hanks, [4]; 4. 3-Howard Moore, [8]; 5. 8Z-Zach Pringle, [9]; 6. 15J-Jeremy Middleton, [6]; 7. 10-Terry Gray, [16]; 8. 39-Brad Bowden, [10]; 9. 21K-Kevin Hinkle, [14]; 10. 26-Marshall Skinner, [3]; 11. 38-Rick Pringle, [13]; 12. 91A-Ernie Ainsworth, [19]; 13. 92-Cody Hays, [22]; 14. 1S-Joey Schmidt, [1]; 15. 32X-Robert Richardson, [18]; 16. 3B-Chris Banja, [15]; 17. 21-Spencer Meredith, [20]; 18. 23P-Hunter Poe, [11]; 19. 21B-Brandon Hinkle, [7]; 20. 99-Blake Jenkins, [12]; 21. 3G-Paxton Gregory, [17]; 22. 2-Joseph Miller, [21]