Hagan is provisional low qualifier in Vegas on Friday

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2009 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 5 of six in Countdown to 1 Playoffs
Round 23 of 24 for season
Ninth annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Judy Stropus 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438;
jstropus@earthlink.net

HAGAN IS PROVISIONAL LOW QUALIFIER IN VEGAS ON FRIDAY

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 30, 2009) - Matt Hagan, the contender for the 2009
Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award as an NHRA
rookie-of-the-year frontrunner, was low qualifier after two of four rounds
of qualifying at the ninth annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at
Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

If he holds on to No. 1 through two more sessions, he will earn his second
pole position of the season.

Hagan, driving the Valvoline Engine Guarantee/shelor.com Dodge Funny Car,
posted his career-best lap racing to 1000 feet of 4.030 seconds at his and
the class's fastest speed to 1000 feet of 313.88 mph in Friday's second
session, earning him three bonus points under the new qualifying bonus
system for the Countdown to 1 playoffs. He also set both ends of the track
record with that pass.

His first lap today was a 4.134/306.12, good for No. 4 at the time. Two more
rounds of qualifying will be held on Saturday to determine the final 16-car
field for Sunday's eliminations.

"It was just a great, smooth run,² said Hagan, who is not in the playoffs,
but is still eligible to earn the bonus points. ³It just went out there and
did what it was supposed to do. It went right down the track. I drove it a
little bit far, but when it feels that good it's hard to pull your foot out
of it.

"Tommy DeLago (crew chief), I can't say enough about that guy. He's really
done a lot of studying up there in the lounge to make sure that all the R&D
that has been put into these programs is really starting to show. That has a
lot to do with it and it starts with Tommy, because he's the one in there
screwing the knobs in. Iıve got the easy job, I just hang onto this thing.

"Sometimes it can be more difficult than you think, but other times it just
runs right down through there. And that's what it did tonight. Some of the
fastest runs, I feel like, are some of your smoothest runs.

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