Hagan goes to semifinals in Seattle

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 14 of 23
23rd annual NHRA Northwest Nationals
Pacific Raceways
Kent, Wash.
July 9-11, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

HAGAN GOES TO SEMIFINALS IN SEATTLE

KENT, Wash. (July 11, 2010) - Matt Hagan raced the DieHard Dodge Charger
Funny Car into his third semifinal round of the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag
Racing Series today at the 23rd NHRA Northwest Nationals.

Starting from seventh position, the 27-year-old Angus Cattle farmer from
Christiansburg, Va., first disposed of Jeff Arend in the pair's eighth
meeting of the year (7-1 for Hagan) with a 4.172/299.20, then Del Worsham
with a 4.203/292.71 in the quarterfinal.

Hagan met up with eventual event winner Tim Wilkerson in the semifinal
round, where he launched first at the starting lights. He held the lead
until the 660-foot mark of the 1000-foot track, only to be caught by
Wilkerson at the finish with a 4.249/290.38 winning lap to Hagan's
4.386/224.32.

"It just got hot and greasy out there," Said Hagan, who only had lane choice
in the first round. "We've been in the right lane all day. We wanted that
lane. Wilk's a tough guy. He won the last race in Norwalk, Ohio, he's got
his game together and they're tough guys to beat.

"So, we had to step it up a little bit to make sure to try to outrun them,
but we couldn't get it done on a hot and greasy race track.

"We have nothing to hang our heads about. We had a good weekend, we stayed
third in points, we went some rounds on Robert Hight (second-place in
points, who lost in the second round), and we went some rounds on John Force
(points leader who lost in the first round). We would've loved to have
gotten the win but, all in all, a decent weekend."

Next up is the 23rd annual FRAM-Autolite Nationals in Sonoma, Calif., July
16-18.

FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS, after 14 events:
1. John Force, 1057
2. Robert Hight, 1016
3. Matt Hagan, 922
4. Jack Beckman, 907
5. Tim Wilkerson, 891 (winner today)
6. Ashley Force Hood, 872
7. Ron Capps, 847 (runner-up today)
8. Bob Tasca III, 828
9. Del Worsham, 802
10. Tony Pedregon, 668

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