Hagan sets national speed record at Gatornationals

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 3 of 23
41st annual NHRA GATORNATIONALS
Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway
March 12-14, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

HAGAN SETS NATIONAL SPEED RECORD AT GATORS

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 14, 2010) - Polesitter Matt Hagan set the national
top-speed record racing to 1000 feet today at the 41st NHRA Gatornationals
when he ran 316.15 mph to win the opening round of Funny Car eliminations
driving the DieHard Dodge Charger Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing.

The 27-year-old Angus Cattle farmer from Christiansburg, Va., backed up that
record with the 313.58 mph he recorded during qualifying.

After defeating John Smith with a stunning 4.061/316.15 in the first round -
the quickest and fastest pass of the day - he fell victim to eventual event
winner Tim Wilkerson in the quarterfinal. The pair launched with identical
reaction times, but Hagan struck the tires early, then pedaled it in an
attempt to regroup. But his efforts fell short, as Wilkerson crossed the
finish stripe first with a 4.094/307.86 to Hagan's losing 4.465/284.62.

"We always qualify very well," said a disappointed Hagan. "We just have to
learn to put four runs together on race day. These cars have so many
variables and it's easy to miss stuff, but I'm not trying to make any
excuses.

"It shook, I pedaled it and he ran a really good lap beside me, an .09,
which is one of his faster times of this weekend. (Co-crew chief) Tommy
DeLago said the track got warmer and the DieHard car just didn't respond to
the changes the team made.

"Setting the national speed record is awesome. There's no doubt in my mind
on any given day we have one of the fastest race cars out here. We just have
to put a couple of laps together and make that all come together. When that
happens, watch out, because we're going to be somebody to really reckon with
out here. 

"We're so close to winning our first race," added Hagan, who is in his
second full season of Funny Car competition. "We came away from this with a
lot of positive data. It's great to have (new co-crew chief) John Medlen on
board. He brings a lot of experience and knowledge to the team.

"We made some really nice laps this weekend, and I think we can take those
and learn and pull from those and better ourselves for the four-wide race in
Concord, N.C., coming up. We should see a lot of similar conditions in
Concord because the weather is going to be kind of similar."

Hagan is now tied in fifth place in the points with Robert Hight.

Next up is the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C.,
March 25-28.

UNOFFICIAL FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS, after three national events:
1. John Force, 280
2. Ron Capps, 226
3. Jack Beckman, 219
4. Bob Tasca III, 205 (runner-up today)
5. Robert Hight, 181
6. Matt Hagan, 181
7. Tony Pedregon, 180
8. Tim Wilkerson, 177 (winner today)
9. Ashley Force, 149
10. Del Worsham, 128

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