LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — For the first time in his career, Derek Hagar reached victory lane in an STN feature event by wiring the field in Friday night’s 25-lap preliminary at the 32nd annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires at I-30 Speedway.
Hagar got the best of pole starter John Carney II on the initial start and held on after a caution in the final five laps to take the $2,500 winner’s share in the STN appetizer aboard the Dynotech-powered Southern Collision Center No. 9jr J&J.
“I was running as hard as I needed to keep the lead but was still trying to save the tires,” Hagar said.
Carney II earned the pole position over a field of 69 competitors after racing from fourth to first to win his heat race and then from sixth to first to win his qualifier to top the night’s point charts. However, it was outside front row starter Hagar diving into the first turn to take the opening lap lead.
“I knew I had to get down in front of him right away,” Hagar commented.
Hagar set the pace ahead of Carney II with Dylan Westbrook moving to apply pressure for second until a lap-nine bobble opened the door for Dale Howard to take over third position.
Working delicately through traffic from the ninth lap on, Hagar kept Carney II at bay until a caution flew with just four laps remaining when fourth-running Westbrook popped a right-rear tire.
Carney II tried to mount a challenge on the restart, but Hagar was up to the task and raced on to victory lane with Carney settling for runner-up honors aboard the Sander Construction/South Plains Auto Transport/Mesilla Valley Transportation No. J2 sprint car
“I probably shouldn’t have let him cut down on me like that getting into the first turn, but we’ll take second tonight,” Carney said. “It may go a little different for $10,041 to win.”
Howard held off Seth Bergman in the closing laps to claim the show position with the Washington native next across the line in fourth.
Harli White, who scored her first ASCS Regional win at I-30 Speedway earlier this season, rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 9jr-Derek Hagar (2), 2. J2-John Carney II (1), 3. 47-Dale Howard (3), 4. 23b-Seth Bergman (5), 5. 17w-Harli White (6), 6. W20-Greg Wilson (7), 7. 16p-Justin Peck (9), 8. 15h-Sam Hafertepe, Jr. (8), 9. D6-Cody Gardner (11), 10. 7-Justin Henderson (13, 11. 21s-Carson Short (12), 12. 14k-Kyle Bellm (15), 13. 17T-Channin Tankersley (19), 14. 9$-Kyle Clark (20), 15. 44m-Chris Martin (17), 16. 15J-Jeremy Middleton (10), 17. 47x-Dylan Westbrook (4), 18. 3-Howard Moore (14), 19. 12h-Tony Bruce, Jr. (18), 20. 22-Sean McClelland (16).