Hawkins captures A feature win

Steven Hawkins Jr. wasn't sure why he was allowed to go back to the front of the race after a caution flag during the pro stock A feature on Friday night at State Fair Speedway.

Hawkins, from Noble, was in the lead when he was hit by another driver and spun off the track. But he never stopped, meaning the caution wasn't waived for his car. So he moved back to the front of the race, and "I thought I was supposed to go to the back,” Hawkins said.

When informed it was because his car didn't stop rolling, he said: "Is that why? Yeah, I did keep going.”

Hawkins went on to win his A feature of the season. It was his second since he began racing at the State Fair Speedway last year.

With the win, Hawkins moved up from 12th in the point standings to ninth.

He was given a breath of fresh air on the seventh lap.

Steve Smith of Edmond, who has won three A features this season, lost a tire with three laps to go on the second turn. He and Hawkins were neck-and-neck at the front.

The loss dropped Smith from fourth in the standings to fifth.

"He is fast” Hawkins said of the six-time division point champion. "It isn't good to see him in your rearview mirror.”

Hawkins, who works at 77 Auto in Slaughterville, has been racing for 10 years.

The program Friday night was delayed about 30 minutes due to rain. When the races resumed, there were two heats remaining. ...

Derek Cottrell of Fletcher was involved in a frightening accident with J.P. Bailey of Collinsville during the first American Sprint Car Series Outlaw B Features on the fifth lap. Cottrell flipped off the track but appeared to be OK. ...

Tyler Johnson of Lawton took the championship sprint A feature win. It was his first feature win of the season and only his second top-five finish. Championship sprints points leader Chris Burns qualified for the A feature after coming through the last-chance B feature. He finished fourth in the A feature.