With new sponsor on board, Hagan ready for 2010

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 1 of 23
50th ANNUAL NHRA WINTERNATIONALS
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.)
Feb. 11-14, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WITH NEW SPONSOR ON BOARD, HAGAN READY FOR 2010

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 10, 2010) - With DieHard on board as primary sponsor of
the Dodge Charger Funny Car he drives for Don Schumacher Racing, and with
the continuing support of shelor.com, Matt Hagan is aiming for a victory at
this weekend's 50th annual NHRA Winternationals.

No longer a rookie, the 27-year-old Angus Cattle farmer from Christiansburg,
Va., has his first national-event win in his sights, as he prepares for his
second full NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season.

"After last year, you had to really sit down and think to yourself and do
some soul searching," said Hagan, who was winless in 2009 but had reached
two final rounds and qualified No. 1 twice. "To go to 24 races and make
about 100 laps during the year and not come out with a win was
disheartening, but we got really close.

"In the off-season I had to step back and look at what I could improve on
and what I can make better this year.

"It's tough to be away from your family, even though they support everything
you do, so I just I had to make a commitment to myself this year to come out
with a great attitude and a big desire to win.

"I know with the quality of team that we have it's very, very possible. Don
Schumacher knows how to put a winning team together. He's done it for his
son Tony six years in a row. (Tony Schumacher has seven overall Top Fuel
championships.)

"Don kept everybody on our team together for this year and that says a lot
because we all know each other, we're all growing together, I'm learning
from them and they're learning from me. And that goes a long way when you
have the same people around you who have the same confidence in you as you
have in them. But, I tell you, there's still a lot to learn in these cars
and I know we're going to be learning every lap.

"I'm really looking forward to the new season. I've been training real hard
at home, running and weight-lifting. My goal is to win the first race. I'm
sure everybody's goal is that, but we didn't get it done last year. I know
we'll get it done several times this year."

As for no longer being a rookie, "I guess saying you're a rookie is great
when you mess up," said Hagan, "so hopefully we don¹t mess up too many times
this year and we won't have to worry about that. I know I've learned a lot
last year running with the veterans out here. They sure can handle race cars
and I'm learning to do the same thing.

"And having DieHard on the car this year is another motivator for us to win
every race."

MATT HAGAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 11 in 2009 Funny Car point standings, as a Rookie-of-the-Year
frontrunner. Was first finisher outside the Countdown to 1 contenders
* Has 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
* Has a career round-win record of 16-25
* Qualified No. 14 at '09 Winternationals, lost first round to Ashley Force
Hood
* 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
* 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)
* Quickest elapsed time to 1000 feet so far: 4.030 seconds (Las Vegas 2
2009)
* Fastest speed to 1000 feet so far: 313.88 mph (Las Vegas 2 2009)
* Manages family 500-acre Angus Cattle farm in Virginia

SCHEDULE:       
THURSDAY, Feb. 11 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSION at 3 p.m.
FRIDAY, Feb. 12 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 3 p.m.
SATURDAY, Feb. 13 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at noon and 3 p.m.
SUNDAY, Feb. 14 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at
11 a.m.
 
TELEVISION:     
Saturday, Feb. 13, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying
highlights at 11 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Feb. 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute
news magazine show, at 11a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Feb. 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage
starting at 8 p.m. (ET).
                           
SATELLITE (Analog feed):      
Friday, Feb. 12, 8:30  9 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 18K (12060 MHz,
vertical)
Saturday, Feb. 13, 10 10:30p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 18K (12060 MHz,
vertical)
Sunday, Feb. 14, 10  10:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 18K (12060 MHz,
vertical)
Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners¹
interviews on Sunday.

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