Matt Hagan – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Hagan quickest so far in NHRA qualifying at zMAX Dragway

Matt Hagan made the quickest Funny Car run of the year on Friday at zMAX Dragway, taking the provisional No. 1 spot for Tony Stewart Racing at the 15th annual betway NHRA Carolina Nationals. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and …

Matt Hagan made the quickest Funny Car run of the year on Friday at zMAX Dragway, taking the provisional No. 1 spot for Tony Stewart Racing at the 15th annual betway NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 17th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Hagan powered to an impressive run of 3.825s at 333.49mph in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, setting the track E.T. record and making the quickest pass in the Funny Car category since he went 3.823 in Phoenix at the second race of the 2022 season. If it holds, the three-time Funny Car world champ would earn his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and 50th in his career. It was also a nice bounce back for Hagan and his team after falling by a crushing 0.0001s in the second round last weekend against points leader Robert Hight.

“That was a great moment right there,” Hagan said. “It’s just a great day and what a lap to lay down there. When they’re on a run like that and they’re digging, they’re a handful and that’s why we love driving these things. I’m so proud of my guys.

“A run like that is a huge confidence-booster and it’s just nice to be able to put that in the bank. I can’t say enough about my guys and it was just a great day. These cars are probably the most humbling thing I’ve ever dealt with in my life. You’ve got to be peaking at the right time and if we want to be champion, we need to win two or three more races this year. That’s our mindset and our mentality right now.”

Ron Capps, the defending back-to-back world champ, went 3.885s at 329.02mph to go to second and Chad Green went to third after a 3.887s at 327.27mph. Hight is 15th after suffering a huge explosion on the starting line during his run.

In Top Fuel, Doug Kalitta continued his hot streak, following up on last weekend’s 50th career win by going to the No. 1 spot in Charlotte with a standout performance of 3.665s at 331.61mph in his Mac Tools dragster. The veteran, who moved up to third in points with the win last week, is aiming for his second No. 1 spot this season and 53rd in his career. The run under the lights was also the fifth straight run in the 3.60s for Kalitta dating back to last weekend, which bodes well for the rest of the weekend as well as the remaining races in the Countdown to the Championship.

“This car is happy to be on the track,” Kalitta said. “I’m just really happy for all my guys and this whole team. Charlotte is one of the greatest places we run and we’re hungry to keep this momentum going. So far, so good and we’ll see what we’ve got after tomorrow.

“We’ve got plenty of confidence right now and the conditions are going to be good [this weekend]. This team has been gelling really well and hopefully we can keep it going. They’ve been making me look good. We’re going to keep our head down, keep trying to get round wins and see what we can do.”

Defending world champion Brittany Force went 3.686s at 332.75mph, putting her second after the opening qualifying session, and Justin Ashley’s 3.698s at 333.74mph gave him the third spot.

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For the second straight race, defending Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders enjoyed a strong start, taking the provisional No. 1 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro with a run of 6.509s at 210.18mph. If that holds, Enders would earn her fourth top spot this year and 33rd in her career. It would also continue Enders’ strong start to the playoffs after she qualified No. 1 in Reading and advanced to the semifinals. Looking for a sixth world championship, Enders is after more at zMAX Dragway – namely a third win of the season.

“The whole season started off really crappy for us, as everybody knows, and we just kept our heads down and went to work,” Enders said. “We said it’s not going to matter until the final six and here we are. We’re running really well again so we’re absolutely thankful for that. That’s what I mean but this is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to get to the end of the season and then perform as perfectly as possible in the Countdown.”

Camrie Caruso’s 6.525s puts her second and defending event winner Aaron Stanfield swiped third with a 6.533s at 210.50mph. Points leader Matt Hartford, who won the last two races, is currently eighth with a 6.548s at 209.43mph.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera shrugged off his surprising second-round loss from last weekend in strong fashion on Friday, distancing himself from the rest of the field with a run of 6.731s at 200.44mph on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. Herrera, who is now second and 17 points behind Matt Smith, is seeking his 10th No. 1 qualifier of the year and what he hopes is his seventh victory of the year and first career Countdown to the Championship victory. Herrera enjoyed a terrific start on Friday and will try to replicate that over the next two days in Charlotte.

“We’re happy with that run and we’re just trying to get redemption back from Reading,” Herrera said. “It put us down a little bit, but it’s another race and we’re just looking forward to two more rounds of qualifying tomorrow and then race day on Sunday. This is one of my favorite tracks and I’m just happy to be back here.”

Chip Ellis, who advanced to the final round last week, is currently second with a 6.817s at 199.05mph and Eddie Krawiec took third thanks to his 6.825s at 197.94mph. Smith is 17th after one session.

Qualifying continues at 1:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at the betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

Millican claims second win of 2023 at Bandimere’s NHRA swan song

Clay Millican picked up his second event win of 2023 at the final NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series race at Bandimere Speedway, defeating Doug Kalitta in the final round on Sunday in front of a sellout crowd at the 43rd Dodge Power Brokers NHRA …

Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won the 10th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. It was also the third straight sellout crowd to close out racing at Bandimere Speedway.

Millican held off Kalitta in the final round in his 11,000-horsepower Parts Plus/Rick Ware Racing dragster with a run of 3.872s at 299.60mph in the final round. Sunday was only the second time Millican advanced out of the first round this season, but the veteran has won both races when he’s done so, picking up his first win earlier this season in Chicago. He replicated that in Denver in front of a massive crowd during eliminations, starting the Western Swing off with his first career victory at Bandimere Speedway.

He got past Tony Schumacher, Mike Salinas and Shawn Langdon to reach the final round, scoring his fifth career victory and one that will stand with him for a long time. He also moved to 10th in points.

“When you race Doug Kalitta, you can’t leave anything on the table,” Millican said. “Man oh man, what this group has done. We had not won a single round until Chicago. What do we do? We win the race. So when we won first round here, I’m like, ‘We’re winning the race.’

“It’s pretty amazing what (crew chief Jim Oberhofer) has done. When he gets it, he just does it over and over and over. I just can’t believe how good this was. It was exactly like Chicago – the only way for me to lose this race was for me to do something wrong. Thank the man upstairs, I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just incredible what happens when the first-round win light comes on. You hold a Wally.”

Kalitta, who was seeking his 50th career win, reached his first final round of the year thanks to round wins against Terry Totten, Josh Hart and Steve Torrence. Justin Ashley stayed in the points lead with a 54-point advantage over Torrence.

In Funny Car, after winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge specialty race on Saturday, Hagan made it a memorable clean sweep on Thunder Mountain, going 4.135s at 304.25mph in his 11,000-horsepower Dodge Direct Connections Charger SRT Hellcat to defeat Alexis DeJoria. It is Hagan’s fourth victory this season and 47th in his career, as well as his second career win at Bandimere Speedway.

Hagan knocked off Chris King and defending world champ Ron Capps to reach the final round, getting past DeJoria – which was the same string of opponents he beat in Denver in 2021 – to finish off a truly incredible weekend for the points leader. At his sponsor’s race, Hagan picked up his 50th No. 1 qualifier, won the specialty race on Saturday and made the final winning run down Thunder Mountain on Sunday.

“I guess I need to go buy a lottery ticket honestly, it’s one of those weekends that’s just magical,” said Hagan, whose points lead grew to 45 over Capps. “I’ve been up here close to 15 years racing a fuel Funny Car, and to think that you’re not going to come back here – and then walk away with the Wally and the extra special trophy from the Bandimere family, to have the #2Fast2Tasty check, my 50th No. 1 qualifier. Just so many milestones and things to remember.

“It’s amazing and such an emotional weekend. Just being here and seeing all these fans every time we make a run, it’s something I’ll never forget. It’s just a super special weekend and just incredible. I’m very, very blessed to be here.”

DeJoria reached her third final in 2023 and 15th in her career by defeating Chad Green, Cruz Pedregon and J.R. Todd.

Like Hagan, Coughlin also swept the final weekend in Pro Stock at Bandimere Speedway, thrilling the capacity crowd on Sunday and defeating points leader Dallas Glenn in the final round with a pass of 6.933s at 196.64mph in his JEGS.com Chevrolet Camaro. Coughlin won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday, following it up with a dynamic performance in eliminations, defeating Aaron Stanfield, Greg Anderson and reigning world champ Erica Enders to reach the finals.

He posted an impressive 0.015s reaction time against Glenn, slipping past him for his second win this season and fourth in Coughlin’s career.

“What an exciting day to come out here and get a win,” Coughlin said. “You just take it one run at a time. We’ve got the best people in the industry at Elite Motorsports. They all work together and we have excellent power. I just had to stay focused. This is one of my favorite facilities and it’s an absolute honor just to be here.

“The fun part of NHRA championship drag racing is the excitement level like that final, that’s what packs the stands and makes you come back. You hope for situations like that and you practice all the time and it’s an obsession, you love it and you can’t stop.”

Glenn reached his sixth final round this year by driving past Chris McGaha, Kyle Koretsky and Camrie Caruso. His points lead stands at 202 over Matt Hartford.

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Herrera returned to form on Sunday in Pro Stock Motorcycle, picking up his fourth win of the year on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki with a run of 7.103s at 187.73mph to beat Angie Smith in the championship round. After struggling on Friday, Herrera performed at a high level the rest of the weekend, beating Chris Bostick, defending world champ Matt Smith and rookie Chase Van Sant to reach the final round. Angie Smith went red in the finals, but Herrera would have been difficult to beat with his second straight run of 7.10s on Sunday.

After a dominant start to the season, the points leader struggled – at least by his standards – in back-to-back races. But Herrera made another strong statement in his first race ever at a packed Bandimere Speedway.

“I’m glad we bounced back here, especially in front of all these fans at Bandimere Speedway,” said Herrera, who now leads Arana Jr. by 219 points. “These fans are incredible and this whole weekend has been amazing. I’m glad I’m able to add my name to the list of people from Vance & Hines who have won here. It was an adjustment for sure, but the bike was running good all weekend. It makes my job a little easier when you have a bike like that.

“To be able to bounce back from (the last two races) here, of all places, it’s an amazing feeling. It’s a shame to see it go but I’m just glad to put my name as part of the last to ever win here in Pro Stock Motorcycle.”

Angie Smith reached the finals for the second time this year and seventh overall by defeating Jianna Evaristo, Eddie Krawiec and No. 1 qualifier Hector Arana Jr.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action July 21-23 with the second race of the famed Western Swing, the Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Seattle.

Ashley, Hagan, Glenn take NHRA Winternationals victories at Pomona

In a rematch of last year’s Top Fuel final round at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, Justin Ashley picked up his second straight win at the storied event, powering past Austin Prock on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. Matt Hagan (Funny …

Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) also won the third of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Ashley went 3.713s at 330.63mph in his 11,000-horsepower Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by National Debt Relief, leading from start-to-finish against Prock’s 3.762s at 327.43mph. It gives the Top Fuel points leader his second straight victory and ninth career win, as well as a clean sweep of the weekend in Pomona after winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday.

Ashley beat Krista Baldwin and Antron Brown to reach the final round, posting a series of incredible reaction times along the way. He was an impressive 0.033s on the starting line in the final round against Prock as well, giving Ashley his 10th straight round win to put a tremendous stamp on the start of his 2023 campaign.

“I’m not sure it gets any better,” Ashley said. “It was just an incredible day. To get two wins in a row, plus the deal on Saturday, it’s just amazing. It really takes an entire team effort from start to finish. This car has been on absolute rails. I’m just really proud of our guys and we are really going to enjoy this one.

“I think last year we took a big step in the right direction and this year, our focus was to take it to the next level and I think you’ve seen that, especially in these last two races. So I feel like we’re on an upward trajectory, but we’re going to stay focused on the present moment. This was probably the best weekend of racing we’ve had as a team.”

Prock reached his first final round of the year after he got past Leah Pruett, Steve Torrence and John Force Racing teammate and defending world champion, Brittany Force. Those two will match up in the next Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge in Chicago, while the other pairing will feature Ashley and Brown.

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Hagan jumped back in the points lead with his second win in three races for Tony Stewart Racing, going 3.967s at 328.06mph in his 11,000-horsepower Haas Automation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to defeat defending world champ Ron Capps. After qualifying just 10th, Hagan and his team were consistent throughout eliminations, driving past Blake Alexander, Alexis DeJoria and Terry Haddock.

Hagan posted a brilliant 0.032s reaction time in the final round, while Capps ran into trouble early in the run. The 45th career win for Hagan was also the seventh at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip for the multi-time world champ, which is second behind only John Force in Funny Car at the legendary track.

“It’s a great day when you can go from 10th in qualifying and win the race,” Hagan said. “I woke up and knew we had a little bit of a hill to climb as a team, and it’s just one of those deals where as things progressed and the car goes down the track, you get more confident. Just to watch (crew chief) Dickie (Venables) and what he does on the racetrack, there’s very few weekends where that guy doesn’t impress me.

“I’m glad to have him in our corner and I’m just super proud of my guys. It’s pretty amazing to be able to put a car in the winner’s circle with a new sponsor like that. Funny Car is tough and it’s going to be a dogfight, and there’s just no room for error because it’s so tough.”

Capps advanced to his second straight final and 142nd in his career, as the defending world champ got past Paul Lee, No. 1 qualifier Cruz Pedregon and Bob Tasca III on Sunday. In the next Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Capps will race Tasca in Chicago, while Hagan will take on Haddock.

In a final round matchup of two KB Titan Racing cars, Dallas Glenn drove to his fourth career win and first this season in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro, beating Matt Hartford in the final round with a 6.546s at 209.92mph. Glenn and his team dialed up an impressive run in the final round, slipping past Hartford by a narrow margin after defeating Chris McGaha, Bo Butner and No. 1 qualifier Camrie Caruso earlier in the day, using a 0.002s reaction time to get past Caruso.

It bumps Glenn to first in points for the first time in his young career and also marks the third different Pro Stock winner in as many races. Glenn’s win also ensures the young standout will have at least one victory in his first three years in Pro Stock.

“It was a great day and anytime I’m tired at the end of it, I know it’s been a good day,” Glenn said. “I’ve got an absolutely great car and it’s been running really well. I’m comfortable in it and I was just able to make a lot of clean runs. It’s really cool to be the points leader right now. I’ve never been able to get it done in Pomona before, and it’s been so frustrating. But I knew the car was going to be really good today and I was just happy it all came together for us.”

Harford, who won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday, knocked off Deric Kramer, defending world champion Erica Enders and Aaron Stanfield to reach the final round for the first time this season and 13th time in his career.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action on April 14-16 with the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Hagan, Salinas, Coughlin, Herrera win NHRA Gatornationals

In a matchup of the last two Funny Car winners at the 54th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Matt Hagan drove past J.R. Todd in the final round on Sunday to kick off the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, also giving Tony …

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won at the first of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Hagan powered to a run of 3.926s at 329.34mph in his Dodge Direct Connection Charger SRT Hellcat, winning the Gatornationals for the second straight season. Both Hagan and Todd posted identical reaction times on the starting line, but Todd ran into trouble late in the run and Hagan claimed his 44th career win. He also defeated Tim Wilkerson, Bob Tasca III and Alexis DeJoria, making three straight runs in the 3.80s to reach the final round. After going his entire career without winning in Gainesville, Hagan, a three-time world champ, now has back-to-back wins at the historic race.

“For this team, we were just running strong, and to come out and win the first race of the season, it’s just amazing,” said Hagan, who is fourth all-time in Funny Car wins. “I’m just in awe of our team right now.

“I knew it was going to be a good race and honestly J.R. poked out there in front of me, and then something happened over there to him and we drove around him and turned on the win light. This car is just running strong. It’s just…it’s an honor to just even be in that caliber of drivers… It’s a huge honor for me to be able to be fourth all the time.”

Todd, who won in Gainesville to open the 2021 campaign, also impressed on Sunday, beating Blake Alexander, Robert Hight and Chad Green to reach his 42nd career final round.

In Top Fuel, Salinas won for the first time in Gainesville and the eighth time in his career, slipping past Steve Torrence in the final round with a 3.700s at 330.31mph in his Valley Services dragster. After winning a career-best four races last year, Salinas was determined to improve upon that in 2023. He impressed throughout eliminations, too, beating Justin Ashley, defending world champ Brittany Force and Leah Pruett to reach the final round, running as quick as 3.669s on raceday.

“I think we’re going to be really good all year long, but we’re fighting with the best in the world,” Salinas said. “The teams out here are no joke. You better bring your ‘A’ game every time, but everyone is beatable. It’s special what we have right now. These guys have taught me how to win and it’s a mindset. You appreciate wins like these because they’re so hard to come by.”

Torrence, the four-time world champ, reached the final round for the 82nd time in his career, knocking off Scott Palmer, Tony Schumacher and Doug Kalitta, who set the track E.T. record with a run of 3.646s earlier in the day.

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Coughlin’s magical weekend in Pro Stock ended with his first Gatornationals victory, as he closed out the day with a run of 6.637s at 208.71mph in his JEGS.com/White Castle/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to defeat Mason McGaha in the final round. It’s the third career win for Coughlin, who also qualified No. 1 and beat Larry Morgan, Deric Kramer and Dallas Glenn to set up the matchup with McGaha. Coughlin was excellent on the starting line and cemented his strong start to the 2023 campaign.

“I was a little fired up today,” Coughlin said. “At Elite Motorsports, it’s a little newer than the JEGS so-called legacy. It doesn’t date back to 1960, but it’s the same type of honor to me. You look at Erica (Enders), she’s a five-time world champion and you’re driving for a team that wins championships. They have that same demeanor when they drive through the gates. They expect to win and we’re one big family. That’s the coolest thing about it. When one car is out, we all work together.”

McGaha knocked off Fernando Cuadra, Kyle Koretsky and five-time world champ Greg Anderson to reach his second final round.

Herrera finished off a star-making weekend with one last dominant performance in the final round, going 6.706s at 202.15mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki to beat Angie Smith and earn his first career NHRA victory. It was also Herrera’s first career race with Vance & Hines, and the young standout put together a marvelous performance, qualifying No. 1 and setting the track speed record in the process. He knocked off Ron Tornow, teammate Eddie Krawiec and Jianna Evaristo to reach the final round, making the quickest pass of each session before finishing the job in the finals.

“This is a dream,” Herrera said. “Vance & Hines is such an awesome team to work with. They help so much and it shows. I’m at a loss for words. I’m just out here having fun and I can’t believe I’m holding this Wally. To make this Vance & Hines team happy, it’s just an unbelievable feeling. To win out here and to do it in front of all these fans, it’s just amazing.”

Smith advanced to her second straight final round in Gainesville, going 6.845s at 181.84mph in the championship round. She knocked off John Hall, Joey Gladstone and rookie Chase Van Zant earlier in the day.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action with the NHRA Arizona Finals on March 24-26, which is the final race at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix.