Photo Editor Mbhknc
Brady Bacon in victory lane at Magnolia Motor Speedway. (USCS photo)

Dominant Brady Baker Is Mississippi USCS Winner

COLUMBUS, Miss. — Brady Baker topped the United Sprint Car Series 25-lap feature Wednesday night at Magnolia Motor Speedway.

Baker took the lead from Derek Hagar on lap seven and then checked out on the field to take a 5.361-second victory over Dale Howard.

Hagar took the third spot and Brad Bowden, who started 11th, finished fourth. World of Outlaws regular Landon Crawley finished fifth.

Hagar grabbed the lead at the start of the race followed by Baker, Howard, Moore and Crawley.  Before the field could establish a race pace, the first of two caution flags came out on lap three. On the restart, Cawley and Moore exchanged the fourth spot for three straight laps, and Crawley took charge of the spot on lap five.

The lead changed hands on lap seven, as Baker passed Hagar for the lead.  Howard grabbed the second spot from Hagar on lap eight.  Baker opened a 1.505- second lead on Howard by the tenth lap, but the field was bunched up on lap 11, as the caution flag came out. Within two laps after the restart, Baker had opened up a 2.425-second lead on Howard.

Bowden moved up into the top five on lap 13, getting around Moore for the fifth spot. With five laps to go, Baker was in a different zip code from Howard in second with a 4.852-second advantage. Bowden moved up to fourth on lap 24, passing Crawley for the position.

The finish:

Feature (25 laps): 1. 71 Brady Baker, Alexander, AR (3); 2. 47 Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS (4); 3. 9jr Derek Hagar, Marion, AR (1); 4. 4x Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS (11); 5. 187 Landon Crawley, Benton, AR (8); 6. 3 Howard Moore, Memphis, TN (2); 7. 26 Marshall Skinner, Marion, AR (9); 8. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN (10); 9. 23 Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC (13); 10. 9 Lane Whittington, Denham Springs, LA (5); 11. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (15); 12. 1jr Lamie Manley, Memphis, TN (16); 13. 16 Hannah Merritt, Nesbit, MS (17); 14. 83 Curt Schumacher, Caledonia, MS (18); 15. 91 Chase Howard, Nesbit, MS (7); 16. 67 Hayden Martin, Olive Branch, MS (6); 17. 44 Ronny Howard, Nesbit, MS (12); 18. 17 Alex Lyles, Arlington, TN DNS.

Â