Lonnie Wheatley, MENDENHALL, Miss. (August 24, 2007) – Sixteen-year-old Derek Hagar of Marion, AR, notched his first career American Sprint Car Series feature victory by topping Friday night's 25-lap ASCS Coastal Region main event at Simpson County Motorsports Park.
 
Hagar picked up the win in style, beating a pair of past ASCS National champions, Travis Rilat and Terry Gray, in addition to 2006 National Driver of the Year, Jason Johnson, to the stripe for the win.
 
After winning the Pole Dash, Hagar gunned into the lead at the outset and checked out in the early stages.  Rilat battled past Gray for second on the ninth round and closed in on Hagar with a handful of laps to go.  But when Johnson began challenging Rilat for second, Hagar slipped away to the checkered flag unabated.
 
Rilat chased Hagar to the line, with Gray getting back around Johnson in the final rounds to claim the show position.  Johnson settled for fourth, with Danny Martin, Jr., advancing a half-dozen positions to round out the top five.
 
Marshall Skinner crossed the line in sixth, with current series points leader Michael Dupuy, Dewayne Prince, Michael Herrington and Shane Morgan completing the top ten.
 
Hagar, Rilat and Marshall Yelverton topped heat race action.
 
ASCS Coastal Region Results from Simpson County Motorsports Park:
 
First Heat (8 Laps):  1. 9JR-Derek Hagar, 2. 9-Lane Whittington, 3. 01-Shane Morgan, 4. 12-Michael Dupuy, 5. 16-Dewayne Prince, 6. k12-David Kountz, 7. 12x-Rusty Sanford.
 
Second Heat (8 Laps):  1. 29-Travis Rilat, 2. 10-Terry Gray, 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 4. 00-Danny Martin, Jr., 5. 09-Timmy Thrash, 6. 44-Ronny Howard, 7. 7-Michael Herrington.
 
Third Heat (8 Laps):  1. 7x-Marshall Yelverton, 2. 26-Marshall Skinner, 3. 2-Todd Fayard, 4. 15-Justin McKenzie, 5. k9-Robert Casada, 6. 32-Hunter Phillips.
 
Pole Dash (5 Laps):  1. 9JR-Derek Hagar, 2. 10-Terry Gray, 3. 26-Marshall Skinner, 4. 29-Travis Rilat, 5. 9-Lane Whittington, 6. 7x-Marshall Yelverton.
 
"A" Feature (25 Laps):  1. 9JR-Derek Hagar, 2. 29-Travis Rilat, 3. 10-Terry Gray, 4. 41-Jason Johnson, 5. 00-Danny Martin, Jr., 6. 26-Marshall Skinner, 7. 12-Michael Dupuy, 8. 16-Dewayne Prince, 9. 7-Michael Herrington, 10. 01-Shane Morgan, 11. 9-Lane Whittington, 12. k9-Robert Casada, 13. 09-Timmy Thrash, 14. 2-Todd Fayard, 15. 15-Justin McKenzie, 16. k12-David Kountz, 17. 32-Hunter Phillips, 18. 7x-Marshall Yelverton, 19. 44-Ronny Howard.  DNS: 12x-Rusty Sanford.
 
ASCS Coastal Region Points (Top Ten):  1. Michael Dupuy 1,572, 2. Michael Herrington 1,504, 3. Robert Casada 1,450, 4. Todd Fayard 1,392, 5. Shane Morgan 1,384, 6. Lane Whittington 1,323, 7. Timmy Thrash 1,278, 8. Chris Sweeney 1,176, 9. Hunter Phillips 1,165, 10. Terry Gray 712.