Matt Hagan, a contender for the 2009 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award as an NHRA rookie-of-the-year frontrunner, will make his first visit to Infineon Raceway for this weekend’s FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals.
The driver of the shelor Dodge Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing has been enjoying learning new tracks on the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, with his best result in 14 events a final-round appearance at Las Vegas. He’s 10th in the point standings right now and if he holds on to a top-10 spot in the rankings he will earn the opportunity to race for the championship in the Countdown to 1 playoffs for the top 10, which begin following the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
“I’ve never been to Sonoma,” said Hagan, a 26-year-old Angus Cattle farmer from Christiansburg, Va., who has qualified for every event and in the top half of the field in nine of the 14 events so far. “This whole Western Swing (Denver, Seattle and Sonoma, Calif.) is all new to me. I’m looking forward to getting to Infineon Raceway and checking it out. I’m also excited to meet the Northern California fans out there. If it’s like everywhere else we’ve been so far this year, I’m sure it will be a great and rewarding experience.”
“This Western Swing schedule has been so hectic that I haven’t had a chance to get any advice from my fellow competitors and crew members about this track. I expect to be talking to some of them when I get there this weekend.”
“We just came from Seattle, where the right side of the groove in the right lane pulled you hard inside and the left lane had a few bumps in it. I’m learning how to deal with all these different characteristics of each track, and I’m sure Sonoma will have some of its very own.”
“It will be neat to go in there and start off fresh and move forward, as we aim for our first Funny Car victory.”
MATT HAGAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 10 in 2009 Funny Car point standings, as a Rookie-of-the-Year frontrunner
* Has seven first-round, five quarterfinal, one semifinal and one runner-up finish so far in 2009
* Is 135 points short of fifth place in standings
* Entered NHRA Funny Car class four times in 2008, qualifying once at the U.S. Nationals
* 2006 NHRA AMS Pro Mod Challenge Rookie of the Year
* First season with Don Schumacher Racing
* Won class-best three Funny Car events in 2008 IHRA series, ending season third in point standings
* Born Nov. 11, 1982 in Salem, Va., lives in Christiansburg, Va.
* Married to Rachel; one son, Colby (10/27/06), daughter on the way
* Quickest elapsed time to 1000 feet so far: 4.098 seconds (Phoenix 2009)
* Fastest speed to 1000 feet so far: 306.12 mph (Atlanta 2009)
* Manages family 500-acre Angus Cattle farm in Virginia
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