Hagan grabs No. 4 in Pomona qualifying

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2009 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 6 of 6 in Countdown to 1 playoffs
Round 24 of 24 for season
45th annual AUTO CLUB NHRA FINALS
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.)
Nov. 12-15, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

HAGAN GRABS NO. 4 IN POMONA QUALIFYING

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 14, 2009) - Matt Hagan pulled out a stunning
4.076-second lap at 277.72 mph in the final of four qualifying sessions for
the 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals to qualify No. 5 in the Funny Car
field for Sunday's eliminations.

The only problem was he shut it off early, aborting a run that might have
been good enough to qualify the Valvoline Engine Guarantee/Mail Terminal
Services Dodge in No. 1. His other attempts this week included an
8.786/75.41 (DNQ), a 4.107/304.94 (No. 5), and a 4.476/196.04 (No. 6).

"We had a great race car that lap," said a disappointed Hagan, a contender
for the 2009 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award
as an NHRA rookie-of-the-year frontrunner. "In life you have to take credit
for things you do well and you have to take the blame for things that you
don't do so well. And that was one of my not-so-fine moments in racing.

"That run was probably going to be low for the weekend. I could have run
4.02 or 4.03, and to run an .07 clicking it off and only running 277 mph
tells you we were on a killer pass. Well, at least it moved us up in the
field.

"It's so disappointing to me to end it that way, and I can't really explain
why it happened. You're hunting around and it's dark out there. I was in
there fighting the car and I was trying to pick up where I was on the race
track and I made a judgment call and I pulled my foot out of it early.

"You drive by feel out there with these things a lot of times, and sometimes
you get it right and sometimes you don't."

Hagan will face Tony Pedregon in the first round of Sunday's eliminations,
aiming to win his first national event of his rookie year before the season
comes to an end.

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