A second Texas win on Hagan's hit list

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Roud 20 of 23
Round 3 of six in Countdown to the Championship
25th annual NHRA Fall Nationals
Texas Motorplex
Ennis, Texas
Sept. 24-26, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

A SECOND TEXAS WIN ON HAGAN'S HIT LIST

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (Sept. 22, 2010) - Matt Hagan, the 27-year-old Angus
Cattle farmer from Virginia, has demonstrated that youth and exuberance are
not only assets when baling hay and herding cows on his 500-acre farm, but
on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series circuit as well. He hopes this
edge will help him win his second race in Texas at this weekend¹s 25th
annual NHRA Fall Nationals in Ennis (south of Dallas). He claimed his first
career NHRA Funny Car victory in Houston earlier this year.

Driving the DieHard Dodge Charger Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing in
only his second full season, Hagan has been a fierce competitor in the
class. He's third in the point standings after winning twice in as many
final rounds, set a national elapsed-time record (4.022 seconds) and was low
qualifier three times. He's determined to move himself up in the standings
and earn his first championship as the series heads to Ennis, Texas, this
weekend for the third event of six in the Countdown to the Championship
playoffs.

"I wish we had done better at the last race," said Hagan, who exited in the
quarterfinals in Concord, N.C., last Sunday but has yet to lose in the first
round all season, having advanced to six semifinals and two finals this
year. "We have a good race car in the DieHard Dodge and we have a good shot
at winning the championship. But like Tommy (DeLago, crew chief) said, we
have to take it one round at a time.

"You can see that the pressure of the playoffs is starting to eat at some
people. I think that the biggest thing we can do for ourselves is just take
a deep breath and let it all out and just go racing and have fun.

"Whether you admit that it weighs on you or not, it's going to weigh on you
to some extent, so we just want to do the best job we can and not leave
anything on the table.

"We have a really good chance to move up in the standings this weekend.
We've been fortunate enough to not go out first round after qualifying
pretty well most of the time (in top half in 14 of 19 events this year).
We're still here, we're still head-hunters out there and we're trying to get
it done."

Last year, as a rookie, Hagan qualified No. 10 in Ennis, losing first round
to his DSR teammate Jack Beckman.

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 two events in the Countdown to the
championship (one semifinal, one quarterfinal)
* His "regular" 2010 season produced two victories in two final rounds (four
career final rounds), six quarterfinal finishes, five semifinal and four
first rounds
* Is 38 points behind second-place Jack Beckman, and 42 back of leader John
Force
* Qualified No. 10 at 2009 Ennis race; lost first round to Jack Beckman
* 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 43-42 (27-17 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. 24 - FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 2:15 p.m. and 5:15
p.m.
SATURDAY, Sept. 25 - FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 11:15 a.m. and 2:30
p.m.
SUNDAY, Sept. 26 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FULL THROTTLE SERIES
eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:    
Sunday, Sept. 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise one hour of qualifying
highlights at 1 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will re-air one hour of qualifying
highlights at 10 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute
news magazine show, at 6:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 26 ESPN3.com will televise of coverage of eliminations
starting at noon (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage
starting at 7 p.m. (ET).
    
SATELLITE (Digital SD feed):
Friday, Sept. 24, 8:30 - 9 p.m. (ET), AMC 3 / Transponder 24K
Saturday, Sept. 25, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 3 / Transponder 24K
Sunday, Sept. 26, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 3 / Transponder 24K
(12180 MHz, horizontal; Data Rate: 18.295441161 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 13.235 Ms;
FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 36 Mhz)
Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners'
interviews on Sunday.

***