Californian Darren Hagen sits in prime position for tonight's Barry Butterworth Memorial midget race at WXC Speedway-Western Springs, having won the preliminary event at Huntly Speedway in Waikato on Wednesday night.
The 27-year-old worked hard for the mid-week win, courtesy of three Kiwis - Chris McCutcheon, Brad Mosen and HaydenWilliams - each taking turns to dive bomb past the American.
Hagen held on, however, to record his first win in New Zealand since his debut here on Boxing Day last year. McCutcheon finished second, followed by Williams, Nathan Smee (AUS) and Jerry Coons Jr (USA).
"I think I've won a feature in every country I've raced in now. The win in Huntly was tougher than I expected, I'd be praying about it pretty hard beforehand," he said. "You've got some of the best guys in midget racing down here [in New Zealand]. The depth isn't as strong as in the States but guys like Mosen and McCutcheon are right up there with the best in the world."
The Barry Butterworth Memorial is one of the most prestigious midget races in New Zealand, having started in 1994 and, with a $48,000 total prize pool on offer, will be fiercely contested tonight.
"Any time you've got a prestigious race for somebody who gave their heart and soul to the sport, then we all want to win it," Hagen, the 2012 USAC National Midget champion, said.
• Gates open at 4pm while the first green flag drops at 6.15. For more information, visit www.springsspeedway.com.
