This year's Fourth of July celebration will be one Jade Hastings never forgets.
The 19-year-old sprint driver spent the holiday celebrating in more ways than one. On Saturday, he picked up his first career sprint feature win, capturing a NOSA victory at the Greenbush Race Park. After the race, there was a fireworks display at the GRP.
On the Fourth, the glow of the victory remained strong.
"It's going to be the best Fourth ever," he said. "We celebrated all weekend. We weren't going to spend any money on fireworks but we would up spending $1,700."
The first sprint win for every driver is among the most memorable. It was as well for Hastings.
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"I thought it would never come," said Hastings. "I still think about it every 10 minutes. I have the same feeling I did when I got the checkered flag. I was crying my eyes out. After the race, a lot of driver came over to congratulate me."
Hastings dominated the Greenbush feature.
He was in control throughout and had a six-second lead at the first caution flag. Jordan Graham was second, followed by Wade Nygaard, one of NOSA's most dominant drivers ever. Nygaard has more than 250 career wins.
"We were really hooked up; we had a great car," said Hastings.
Now, his attention turns toward the rest of the season and another goal-a win at River Cities Speedway, where it's difficult for any driver to land in Victory Lane.
He'll get that chance twice Friday night as The Bullring will run two sprint features.
"I can't wait to race on Friday," said Hastings. "The last three years at the track, we've tried not to lose. Now, we can go there and race to win because I know what it feels like to win.
"At Grand Forks, it's a lot tougher. Everyone goes so much faster there."
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In NOSA this season, Hastings was fifth in points heading into Saturday's race. This week, he'll race the double sprint features at RCS and at a NOSA show in Devils Lake on Saturday night.
The win in Greenbush was a mid-season boost of confidence for the team, he said.
"We needed that," he said. "We've had some tough luck. The car wasn't working the best. No one was having fun. We needed a shot like that to keep going.
"I guess you have to have the bad nights to make the good nights feel really good."
