Pomona, Calif. — Mopar®-powered Dodge Charger R/T driver Matt Hagan drove to the race win and captured the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car championship today at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
The Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) star captured the first championship for a Mopar Dodge Funny Car since DSR driver Gary Scelzi brought home the 2005 Funny Car title in a Mopar. Hagan clinched the title with his defeat of Cruz Pedregon in the semifinals, and went on to win the event, posting a 4.009-second elapsed time, the third quickest pass in Funny Car history, in his final round win over Robert Hight.
"Hats off to Matt Hagan for bringing home the 2011 NHRA Funny Car championship," said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group's service, parts and customer-care brand. "His championship is a true testament to the performance and reliability of our Mopar HEMI® engines. We look forward to expanding our relationship with Matt and with Don Schumacher Racing for the 2012 season."
Hagan rose to the occasion, qualifying No. 1 and defeating Jon Capps in the opening round. In the quarterfinals Hagan took out fellow Mopar-powered DSR driver Jack Beckman, who was also in the hunt for the championship, motoring to a 4.107/307.55 run to Beckman’s losing 4.142/310.27. Hagan then knocked off Pedregon to clinch the title and eliminate the sour taste in his mouth from the 2010 NHRA Finals at Pomona, in which the championship slipped from his grasp on the final day of the season.
“That race against Jack (Beckman) was one of the biggest races of my life,” said Hagan, who earned his second win of the season today and first Funny Car championship. “Jack has a strong car, that Mopar has been running strong, and our Dodge has been strong as well. We’ve really had to step up. If we didn’t get past Jack, we wouldn’t have had to worry about Cruz.
“It really is truly amazing this weekend to win the event and the race. We had some phenomenal things happen this year and to win is amazing. I hate the phrase you have to lose one to win one, but that really happened here.”
Mopar-powered DSR Funny Car drivers finished 1-2 in the standings, with Beckman taking the runner-up spot. Ron Capps finished sixth in his DSR Mopar Dodge. DSR Funny Car drivers racked up eight wins in 22 events this season, with Hagan also becoming the first Funny Car driver to break the three-second barrier when he posted a 3.995-second run at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte in September.
The Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) star captured the first championship for a Mopar Dodge Funny Car since DSR driver Gary Scelzi brought home the 2005 Funny Car title in a Mopar. Hagan clinched the title with his defeat of Cruz Pedregon in the semifinals, and went on to win the event, posting a 4.009-second elapsed time, the third quickest pass in Funny Car history, in his final round win over Robert Hight.
"Hats off to Matt Hagan for bringing home the 2011 NHRA Funny Car championship," said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group's service, parts and customer-care brand. "His championship is a true testament to the performance and reliability of our Mopar HEMI® engines. We look forward to expanding our relationship with Matt and with Don Schumacher Racing for the 2012 season."
Hagan rose to the occasion, qualifying No. 1 and defeating Jon Capps in the opening round. In the quarterfinals Hagan took out fellow Mopar-powered DSR driver Jack Beckman, who was also in the hunt for the championship, motoring to a 4.107/307.55 run to Beckman’s losing 4.142/310.27. Hagan then knocked off Pedregon to clinch the title and eliminate the sour taste in his mouth from the 2010 NHRA Finals at Pomona, in which the championship slipped from his grasp on the final day of the season.
“That race against Jack (Beckman) was one of the biggest races of my life,” said Hagan, who earned his second win of the season today and first Funny Car championship. “Jack has a strong car, that Mopar has been running strong, and our Dodge has been strong as well. We’ve really had to step up. If we didn’t get past Jack, we wouldn’t have had to worry about Cruz.
“It really is truly amazing this weekend to win the event and the race. We had some phenomenal things happen this year and to win is amazing. I hate the phrase you have to lose one to win one, but that really happened here.”
Mopar-powered DSR Funny Car drivers finished 1-2 in the standings, with Beckman taking the runner-up spot. Ron Capps finished sixth in his DSR Mopar Dodge. DSR Funny Car drivers racked up eight wins in 22 events this season, with Hagan also becoming the first Funny Car driver to break the three-second barrier when he posted a 3.995-second run at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte in September.
