Matt Hagan, driving the new DieHard Dodge Charger Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing, claimed the provisional pole position during Friday’s qualifying rounds for the 26th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals. He posted a 4.068-second pass at 311.34 mph in the second session, setting a top-speed track record.
The 27-year-old Angus Cattle farmer from Christiansburg, Va., was also the quickest in today’s first session (4.135/292.58).
If he holds on to No. 1 through two more qualifying rounds on Saturday, he will have claimed the third of his short career and the first at Firebird Int’l Raceway.
“I think it’s definitely safe to say we have a fast race car after having two No. 1 sessions like that,” said Hagan, in only his second full season in Funny Car competition. “To have DieHard on the car makes it even sweeter. To go out there and be able to run for a company like that and to get them up there to No. 1, is just huge in itself. I think we have a good baseline on everything.
“Hopefully it doesn’t rain tomorrow, but if it does, we’re ready for it. So, let Sunday come.
“I think Tommy (DeLago, crew chief) took into consideration that we were already in the field, so [it was] kind of go out there and see what the track would hold.
“Having that .13 (in the first session) was definitely beneficial to us to be able to go out there to see what this thing would hold. It went out there and it stuck. It felt great. Both lanes feel great; it’s real smooth out there. There’s a little bump in the right lane that you kind of have to watch out for. But other than that, it’s a real nice race track.”
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