CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (Aug. 10, 2010) - Racing the DieHard Dodge Charger Funny Car, Matt Hagan is ready for this weekend's 29th annual NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway, the final NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event of the year before the Countdown to 1 playoffs begin for the top 10 in points.
Third in the standings, having clinched a spot in the Countdown, the 27-year-old Angus Cattle farmer from Christiansburg, Va., is looking for a good result before the battle for the championship kicks in for the final six races. In only his second full season in the pro Funny Car class, he's clearly a strong contender for the crown.
"I'm just hoping to have a good race," said Hagan, third in the rankings with a mathematical, albeit slim, chance of moving into second this weekend. "We've got a really consistent race car; we just have to go out there and keep going rounds.
“The biggest thing is you can't let this Countdown drama creep into your head. You can wish a win, or even a championship, to happen all you want; you just have to go out there and make it happen for yourself and nobody is going to do that for us but ourselves. (Crew chief) Tommy DeLago is really coming around as a tuner and I think my driving is coming around a little bit. A lot of it is confidence. If you have the confidence you'll do well.
"I think we've done what we need to do to build up our confidence coming into this Countdown," added Hagan, who's won twice so far this year, qualified No. 1 twice, set a national elapsed time record (4.022 seconds), and advanced to five semifinals. "There's still a lot of room for us to grow and learn. We haven't peaked as a team yet, so I'm really excited about that.
"I'm also excited that our DieHard crew guys are doing so well. Those guys are the ones who are really making us go rounds. Tommy's doing a good job and I'm doing a good job, but those guys are being flawless up there. And that allows us to do our job better."
HAGAN LANDS IN HIS FIFTH SEMIFINAL OF 2010 IN DENVER
MORRISON, Colo. (July 25, 2010) - Matt Hagan continues to check off those semifinal-round finishes in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, making it five following this weekend's Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals.
What he really wants is to win his third national event of the season and enter the Countdown to 1 playoffs at least in third place. He regained that spot today when he defeated his teammate Jack Beckman in the quarterfinal (4.276/289.69 to 4.336/285.53) after dismissing Jack Wyatt in the opening stanza (4.231/294.18 to 4.598/259.96).
In the semifinal, he faced eventual event winner Robert Hight. Driving the special Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car body this weekend, also sporting the DieHard colors with which he usually races, Hagan took off in the lead (.079 to .082 reaction time), but was passed by Hight at around the 660-foot mark, losing to the John Force Racing driver by seven feet (.0166 of a second). It was close: 4.218/296.50 for Hight; 4.237/290.51 for Hagan.
Mathematically, it is possible for the 27-year-old Angus Cattle farmer from Christiansburg, Va., to move into second place after the next event in Brainerd, Minn. Following that race, the Countdown to 1 playoffs begin for the top 10 in the final six events of the year. Realistically, with Robert Hight's victory here today, his 115-point deficit would be difficult to overcome.
"We had a good day; we just got beat," said Hagan. "If we're going to get beat I'd like to get beat that way. I don't want to get beat, period, but it's a lot better than smoking the tires.
"We went down the race track. (Crew chief) Tommy DeLago gave me a good car; Hight's team just stepped up a little bit more.
"We have nothing to hang our heads about this weekend. I'm glad we got our third spot back (which he had given up in Seattle, the first race of the Western Swing - Seattle, Sonoma, Calif., Denver). That's our spot. We're going to keep it.
"We have a good team, good car, and our driver is coming around. It will be OK. We have two weeks off. I know it's going to eat these DieHard Dodge guys a little bit, but it will give them a little bit more to drive for. They'll come out here hungry again. I'm looking forward to it."
The next event is the 29th annual NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn., Aug. 12-15.
UNOFFICIAL FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS, after 16 of 23 events: 1. John Force, 1219 (runner-up today) 2. Robert Hight, 1191 (winner today) 3. Matt Hagan, 1076 4. Jack Beckman, 1060 5. Ron Capps, 1014 6. Tim Wilkerson, 963 7. Bob Tasca III, 959 8. Ashley Force Hood, 938 9. Del Worsham, 897 10. Tony Pedregon, 733
MORRISON, Colo. (July 24, 2010) - Matt Hagan pulled out a pole-position-securing run in the final round of qualifying for the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, knocking 14-time champion John Force off the top spot.
Racing the special Mopar-bodied Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car (his usual mount is the DieHard Dodge), Hagan collected his second No. 1 of the season, the fourth of his career, and his first at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals.
His 4.161-second run at 301.33 mph eclipsed Force's 4.191/296.76, set on Friday night under the lights. Today's final session was held under a cloud cover on a 90-degree track surface.
On Friday, Hagan posted a tire-smoking 6.445/102.72 (No. 11) and a 4.242/285.59 (No. 6). Today's earlier pass produced a 4.275/288.21, the third quickest pass of that round, which was good for No. 6 at the time.
"We just have a really great race car," said Hagan, No. 4 in the points rankings entering the event and two-time winner so far this year. "(Crew chief) Tommy DeLago is doing such a good job. And we're reaping the benefits from these crew guys. I can't talk enough about them. They've had a flawless year this year. It goes up there every time and starts and, knock on wood, we haven't had any problems. Our guys have really come full circle this year for us compared to where they were last year.
"Tommy basically said, 'Look, kid. Hang on to it; you never know what's going to happen up there.' He said he was going to get after it and he did.
"It went out there and [the clutch] tried to get one-to-one and when it did that it just took off. All I could do is keep it in the groove and hang on to it until the win light came on.
"We should have been in the last two finals also," he said of his semifinal finishes at the last two events in Seattle and Sonoma, Calif. "Woulda, coulda, shoulda, but didn't. We're just kind of creeping up on it and having fun along with it.
"With this being the Mopar Mile-High Nationals and having us No.1 in Funny car and Allen Johnson No. 1 in Pro Stock, how does it get any better as far as qualifying goes? Obviously tomorrow we have to go out and win the race. I know Don (Schumacher, team owner) is excited about it, and we're excited.
"No. 1 kind of comes with a bad omen, so I'd like to have been 2 or 3, to be honest with you. It's nice to be No. 1, [but] sometimes that seems to bite you on race day."
Hagan faces No. 16 qualifier Jack Wyatt in the opening round of Sunday's eliminations.
MORRISON, Colo. (July 24, 2010) - Matt Hagan pulled out a pole-position-securing run in the final round of qualifying for the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, knocking 14-time champion John Force off the top spot.
