Hagan happy to race two-wide in Concord

(EDITORS: Attached is a digital drawing of the FRAM/DieHard Dodge Charger
Funny Car that Matt Hagan will race this weekend in Concord, N.C.)

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 19 of 23
Round 2 of six in Countdown to the Championship
Third annual NHRA Carolinas Nationals
zMAX Dragway
Concord, N.C.
Sept. 17-19, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

HAGAN HAPPY TO RACE TWO-WIDE IN CONCORD
Will drive the FRAM/DieHard Dodge Charger Funny Car in second playoffs event

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (Sept. 14, 2010) - Matt Hagan, the 27-year-old farmer
from Christiansburg, Va., located just a few hours' drive from zMax Dragway
in Concord, N.C., is happy to return to this weekend's third annual NHRA
Carolinas Nationals for the second race of the six-event Countdown to the
Championship of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. He's particularly
happy to be racing two-wide instead of four-wide, a concept that was
introduced at this track earlier this year.

The Dodge Charger Funny Car he races for Don Schumacher Racing will also
sport a special FRAM/DieHard paint scheme to help promote FRAM, one of DSRšs
primary sponsors. The FRAM Top Fuel dragster that Cory McClenathan races
during the rest of the NHRA season will fly Valvoline colors this weekend.
This will mark the second event in two years at which Haganšs car will
feature FRAM.
 
"We are very happy to be working with Matt Hagan again," said Kelley
O'Donnell, Director of Global Coolants/Motorsports Products at Honeywell
CPG. "We've had a good relationship with him since his rookie season last
year. He's one of the young up-and-coming stars of the NHRA, and FRAM is
proud to be on the side of his Funny Car this weekend in Concord."

"I am proud to carry the FRAM colors this weekend, along with DieHard," said
Hagan, who is third in the playoffs point standings, just one point out of
second place, following his semifinal finish in the first event of the
Countdown. "One of my favorite things about this Concord event is that it's
going to be a two-wide race. Don't get me wrong, I think the idea of racing
four-wide was very dramatic and dynamic and I applaud NHRA and Bruton Smith
for making it happen. But, for a driver it was not an easy concept to get
used to. So now we can focus on winning this race.

"I'm also excited to race in Concord because it's getting cool in the
evenings and I know we've got a great race car when it comes to cool-weather
conditions," added Hagan, who was Funny Car runner-up in Concord last year.

"It's going to be great to have family and friends around because it's a
'local' track and it's just going to be a lot of fun."

As for his place in the Countdown? "It is what it is," he said. "Obviously,
we'd like to be No. 1, but we're not right now and we're working hard to get
that position. (Crew chief) Tommy DeLago and I definitely have the same goal
in mind and that's just to focus on each race and not worry about where we
sit in points. That all will fall where it falls and we just have to do the
best we can at every race and it will be what it will be."

MATT HAGAN QUICK FACTS:
* 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)
* Manages family 500-acre Angus Cattle farm in Virginia
* No. 3 in 2010 Funny Car standings after semifinal finish in first event of
playoffs. His "regular" season produced two victories in two final rounds
(four career final rounds), six quarterfinal finishes, five semifinal and
four first rounds
* Is one point behind second-place Jack Beckman, and 61 back of leader John
Force
* Qualified No. 13 at 2009 Concord race; was runner-up to Robert Hight
* Qualified No. 9 in first 2010 Concord race; finished fourth in four-wide
final
* Low qualifier three times so far in 2010, in Gainesville, Denver and Indy
* Set national top-speed record (to 1000 feet) of 316.15 mph in Gainesville
2010. It has since been eclipsed by Ashley Force Hood with a 316.38 mph
* Set national elapsed-time record in Chicago 2010: 4.022 seconds
* Has a career round-win record of 43-41 (27-16 in 2010)
* No. 11 in 2009 Funny Car point standings, as a Rookie-of-the-Year
frontrunner. Was first finisher outside the Countdown to 1 contenders
* Had 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
* 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
* Quickest elapsed time to 1000 feet so far: 4.022 seconds (Chicago 2010)
* Fastest speed to 1000 feet so far: 316.15 mph (Gainesville 2010)

SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, Sept. 17, FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
SATURDAY, Sept. 18, FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30
p.m.
SUNDAY, Sept. 19, Pre-race ceremonies, 11 a.m. FULL THROTTLE SERIES
eliminations begin at noon

TELEVISION:    
Sunday, Sept. 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise one hour of qualifying
highlights at 10 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute
news magazine show, at 6:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 19 ESPN3.com will televise of live coverage of eliminations
starting at noon (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage
starting at 7 p.m. (ET).
    
SATELLITE (Digital SD feed):
Friday, Sept. 17, 8:30 - 9 p.m. (ET), AMC 3 / Transponder 23K
Saturday, Sept. 18, 6:30 - 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 3 / Transponder 23K
Sunday, Sept. 19, 7 - 7:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 3 / Transponder 23K
(12160 MHz, horizontal; Data Rate: 18.295441161 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 13.235 Ms;
FEC: ž; Bandwidth: 36 Mhz)
    
Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners'
interviews on Sunday.

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