On a track where tire preservation is key and track position is considered even more important, Marion's Derek Hagar knew he needed to make his move quickly.
Quickly, as in the beginning.
STN prelim
• Friday night’s preliminary feature results from the 32nd annual Comp Cams Short Track Nationals sprint car event at Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway with starting position in parentheses:
Derek Hagar (2), Marion, $2,500
John Carney II (1), El Paso, Texas, $1,250
Dale Howard (3), Byhalia, Miss., $1,000
Seth Bergman (5), Snohomish, Wash., $750
Harli White (6), Lindsay, Okla., $700
Greg Wilson (7), Benton Ridge, Ohio, $650
Justin Peck (9), Monrovia, Ind., $600
Sam Hafertepe Jr. (8), Sunnyvale, Texas, $550
Cody Gardner (11), Benton, $525
Justin Henderson (13), Tea, S.D., $500
Carson Short (12), Marion, Ill., $400
Kyle Bellm (15), Nixa, Mo., $350
Channin Tankersley (19), Highlands, Texas, $325
Kyle Clark (20), Sapulpa, Okla., $300
Chris Martin (17), Ankeny, Iowa, $275
Jeremy Middleton (10), North Little Rock, $250
Dylan Westbrook (4), Scotland, Ontario, $250
Howard Moore (14), Memphis, $250
Tony Bruce Jr. (18), Liberal, Kan., $250
Sean McClelland (16), Tulsa, $250
Lap leaders — Hagar 1-25. Heat winners — Wilson, Hafertepe, Tankersley, Westbrook, Carney, Bergman, McClelland, Riley Goodno. Qualifier winners — White, Carney, Bergman, Peck. C-Main winners — Scott Bogucki, Tim Crawley. B-Main winners — Bellm, McClelland
Hagar took the lead at the green flag and led every lap of Friday night's preliminary feature at the 32nd annual Comp Cams Short Track Nationals sprint car event at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock.
The main event was held late Saturday night, paying $10,041 to win.
Starting on the outside of the front row and facing slick track conditions in Friday's prelim, Hagar raced past polesitter John Carney II of El Paso, Texas, and quickly dove back in front of him.
"I knew I had to get down in front of him right away," Hagar said.
Hagar maintained the advantage as he entered lapped traffic by the ninth lap. But the field was bunched again after the caution flag flew with four laps remaining when Canadian Dylan Westbrook blew a tire while running in fourth place.
Carney tried to mount a challenge on the restart, but Hagar pulled away to take the victory, earning the $2,500 top prize.
"I probably shouldn't have let him cut down on me like that getting into the first turn," Carney said, "but we'll take second tonight."
It was the first STN prelim victory by an Arkansan since Benton's Tim Crawley won in 2008.
"I was running as hard as I needed to keep the lead but was still trying to save the tires," said Hagar, who earned his first STN prelim victory after finishing second last year. His best STN main event finish is seventh in 2017.
It was the eighth victory of the season for Hagar, including ones in American Sprint Car Series events at I-30 and Crowley's Ridge Raceway in Paragould in July. He also has three victories at Byram, Miss., and others at Hattiesburg, Miss., Columbus, Miss., and Talladega, Ala.
Dale Howard of Byhalia, Miss., held off Seth Bergman of Snohomish, Wash., in the closing laps to finish third. Harli White of Lindsay, Okla., was fifth.
Greg Wilson of Benton Ridge, Ohio, took sixth and Justin Peck of Monrovia, Ind., was seventh in his first STN start. Sam Harfertepe Jr. of Sunnyvale, Texas -- who has finished second in the STN main event three times, including the past two years -- was eighth.
Benton's Cody Gardner and Justin Henderson of Tea, S.D., rounded out the top 10.
Sports on 10/06/2019