Matt Hagan, the 27-year-old farmer from Christiansburg, Va., located just a few hours’ drive from zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C., is happy to return to this weekend’s third annual NHRA Carolinas Nationals for the second race of the six-event Countdown to the Championship of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. He’s particularly happy to be racing two-wide instead of four-wide, a concept that was introduced at this track earlier this year.
The Dodge Charger Funny Car he races for Don Schumacher Racing will also sport a special FRAM/DieHard paint scheme to help promote FRAM, one of DSR’s primary sponsors. The FRAM Top Fuel dragster that Cory McClenathan races during the rest of the NHRA season will fly Valvoline colors this weekend. This will mark the second event in two years at which Hagan’s car will feature FRAM.
“We are very happy to be working with Matt Hagan again,” said Kelley O’Donnell, Director of Global Coolants/Motorsports Products at Honeywell CPG. “We’ve had a good relationship with him since his rookie season last year. He’s one of the young up-and-coming stars of the NHRA, and FRAM is proud to be on the side of his Funny Car this weekend in Concord.”
“I am proud to carry the FRAM colors this weekend, along with DieHard,” said Hagan, who is third in the playoffs point standings, just one point out of second place, following his semifinal finish in the first event of the Countdown. “One of my favorite things about this Concord event is that it’s going to be a two-wide race. Don’t get me wrong, I think the idea of racing four-wide was very dramatic and dynamic and I applaud NHRA and Bruton Smith for making it happen. But, for a driver it was not an easy concept to get used to. So now we can focus on winning this race.
“I’m also excited to race in Concord because it’s getting cool in the evenings and I know we’ve got a great race car when it comes to cool-weather conditions,” added Hagan, who was Funny Car runner-up in Concord last year.
“It’s going to be great to have family and friends around because it’s a ‘local’ track and it’s just going to be a lot of fun.”
As for his place in the Countdown? “It is what it is,” he said. “Obviously, we’d like to be No. 1, but we’re not right now and we’re working hard to get that position. (Crew chief) Tommy DeLago and I definitely have the same goal in mind and that’s just to focus on each race and not worry about where we sit in points. That all will fall where it falls and we just have to do the best we can at every race and it will be what it will be.”
MATT HAGAN QUICK FACTS:
* Born Nov. 11, 1982 in Salem, Va., lives in Christiansburg, Va.
* Married to Rachel; one son, Colby (10/27/06), one daughter Penny Louise (9/28/09)
* Manages family 500-acre Angus Cattle farm in Virginia
* No. 3 in 2010 Funny Car standings after semifinal finish in first event of playoffs. His “regular” season produced two victories in two final rounds (four career final rounds), six quarterfinal finishes, five semifinal and four first rounds
* Is one point behind second-place Jack Beckman, and 61 back of leader John Force
* Qualified No. 13 at 2009 Concord race; was runner-up to Robert Hight
* Qualified No. 9 in first 2010 Concord race; finished fourth in four-wide final
* Low qualifier three times so far in 2010, in Gainesville, Denver and Indy
* Set national top-speed record (to 1000 feet) of 316.15 mph in Gainesville 2010. It has since been eclipsed by Ashley Force Hood with a 316.38 mph
* Set national elapsed-time record in Chicago 2010: 4.022 seconds
* Has a career round-win record of 43-41 (27-16 in 2010)
* No. 11 in 2009 Funny Car point standings, as a Rookie-of-the-Year frontrunner. Was first finisher outside the Countdown to 1 contenders
* Had two runner-up finishes, 13 first-round, eight quarterfinal, and one semifinal in 2009
* Qualified on pole twice in 2009: in Sonoma, Calif., and Las Vegas 2
* 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
* 2010 is second season with Don Schumacher Racing
* Won class-best three Funny Car events in 2008 IHRA series, ending season third in point standings
* Quickest elapsed time to 1000 feet so far: 4.022 seconds (Chicago 2010)
* Fastest speed to 1000 feet so far: 316.15 mph (Gainesville 2010)
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