It has been a whirlwind season for Damariscotta racer Katie Hagar. Reality TV was not Hagar’s cup of tea, but she hung around for the final round of 10 in Black Entertainment Television’s “Changing Lanes.” The reality show was a requirement for the 2010 roster of NASCAR’s Driver for Diversity (D4D) program.
Hagar had a successful season with NASCAR’s D4D development program. She was a late model driver for Revolution Racing, and participated in an academy style development program, that included hands-on experience working on racecars and workouts in an on-site gym with a personal trainer.
“This season has been great for my development,” Hagar commented on her website. “I have learned more about these late models by working in the shop and getting that hands-on experience, and having the fitness equipment that’s provided here in the gym, makes it even better.”
Hagar earned four top five and 13 top 10 finishes in her 16 starts with Revolution Racing in the 2010 season. She also placed seventh in the Bobby Isaac Memorial 150 at Hickory Ridge Speedway, driving number 97 for Tom Pistone.
Prior to the Bobby Isaac Memorial 150, Hagar met and talked with legendary NASCAR driver Junior Johnson. “It was great meeting Mr. Johnson, he was very pleasant and gave me a few tips about the track,” Hagar commented on the legendary .333 mile speedway. “He’s a legend in this sport and I respect that.”
Hagar tried out for the 2011 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine roster, held at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.
If she makes the team it will be her fifth year with the D4D program. “This year’s combine class was cool. There were a few more people that were older and felt like it was a mature group. I felt as if I was more relaxed and tried having fun with it all. I did the best I could do and hope to join Revolution again next year,” Hagar commented on her webpage.
