Hagen in Top Form with KKM in 2008

Doug Bushey · 5/2/08, 1:57 PM

Darren Hagen is certainly off to a great start in 2008. Back full time with Keith Kunz Motorsports in both the USAC National Sprint Car and Midget this year, he has already added his name to the record books in two of the most prestigious events of the year.

Back in February, Darren won the midget leg of the 2nd Annual Copper on Dirt on Manzanita Raceway’s big, ½ mile clay oval. Last month he turned in the quickest time of all the National midget drivers at the paved Anderson Speedway, but a heat race crash kept him from competing further. Just last Sunday, Darren took home the trophy and top prize money at the super fast ½ mile paved, legendary Winchester Speedway for car owners Pete Willoughby and Keith Kunz in the Rich Vogler Classic in the sprint car.

Darren has adopted the saying “Go Big, or Go Home” as his mantra for this year, and has already held true to that statement by racing hard and opening some eyes early in the season. Already one of the sports more popular drivers, it seems Hagen has added some new fans with his relentless drives to the front. I for one, continue to be impressed with this young talent. Despite the fact that his cars are usually solid black and without a major sponsor, Darren has done more than just hold his own amongst his rivals in factory rides plastered with the logos of some of the largest automotive corporations in America. In fact, I would go as far as to say that he has solidified a place in racing history with his recent victories.

Hagen’s winning weekends didn’t come without a bit of controversy, yet rarely are today’s events. When you have as much talent on the track we have seen recently, both young guns and seasoned veterans trading paint at incredibly high speeds, you have to expect an all-out battle to be fought. Darren definitely doesn’t have the stature of a Viking warrior, yet when the helmet is strapped on and the belts are tightened, it’s as if an inner beast is released and he transforms into a giant killer on the track. Somehow he manages to hurl these fire-breathing machines into the corners as hard as any, and yet keeps them under his control in the process.

The trained eye will note that harnessing the power of one of these overpowered race cars isn’t simply about mashing the loud pedal and steering left. Hagen will tell you it’s all about keeping the balance between traction and acceleration, while maintaining as much momentum possible in the corners. That is something that he has learned very quickly over the last few years of his budding career. Along with drive and aggression, patience and discipline must be maintained. Recent tests in other types of race cars, including heavy tin-tops, have been successful for this reason.

The 2008 racing season is still very early, and Darren’s racing career is just getting started, but judging by the results thus far, the future looks bright for No. 67…:checkered:

5/2/08, 1:57 PM	#1 Hagen in Top Form with KKM in 2008
Doug Bushey Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 36	Darren Hagen is certainly off to a great start in 2008. Back full time with Keith Kunz Motorsports in both the USAC National Sprint Car and Midget this year, he has already added his name to the record books in two of the most prestigious events of the year. Back in February, Darren won the midget leg of the 2nd Annual Copper on Dirt on Manzanita Raceway’s big, ½ mile clay oval. Last month he turned in the quickest time of all the National midget drivers at the paved Anderson Speedway, but a heat race crash kept him from competing further. Just last Sunday, Darren took home the trophy and top prize money at the super fast ½ mile paved, legendary Winchester Speedway for car owners Pete Willoughby and Keith Kunz in the Rich Vogler Classic in the sprint car. Darren has adopted the saying “Go Big, or Go Home” as his mantra for this year, and has already held true to that statement by racing hard and opening some eyes early in the season. Already one of the sports more popular drivers, it seems Hagen has added some new fans with his relentless drives to the front. I for one, continue to be impressed with this young talent. Despite the fact that his cars are usually solid black and without a major sponsor, Darren has done more than just hold his own amongst his rivals in factory rides plastered with the logos of some of the largest automotive corporations in America. In fact, I would go as far as to say that he has solidified a place in racing history with his recent victories. Hagen’s winning weekends didn’t come without a bit of controversy, yet rarely are today’s events. When you have as much talent on the track we have seen recently, both young guns and seasoned veterans trading paint at incredibly high speeds, you have to expect an all-out battle to be fought. Darren definitely doesn’t have the stature of a Viking warrior, yet when the helmet is strapped on and the belts are tightened, it’s as if an inner beast is released and he transforms into a giant killer on the track. Somehow he manages to hurl these fire-breathing machines into the corners as hard as any, and yet keeps them under his control in the process. The trained eye will note that harnessing the power of one of these overpowered race cars isn’t simply about mashing the loud pedal and steering left. Hagen will tell you it’s all about keeping the balance between traction and acceleration, while maintaining as much momentum possible in the corners. That is something that he has learned very quickly over the last few years of his budding career. Along with drive and aggression, patience and discipline must be maintained. Recent tests in other types of race cars, including heavy tin-tops, have been successful for this reason. The 2008 racing season is still very early, and Darren’s racing career is just getting started, but judging by the results thus far, the future looks bright for No. 67…:checkered: