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NHRA
NHRA: Hagan Hot At U.S. Nationals
Up and coming superstar Matt Hagan held on to the No. 1 spot in Funny Car qualifying Sunday at O'Reilly Raceway Park
Craig Wack  | http://www.go2Geiger.com  |  Posted September 05, 2010  
Hagan's DSR Dodge has been the class of the Pro Stock field so far at the U.S. Nationals. (Go2Geiger.com)
Up and coming superstar Matt Hagan held on to the No. 1 spot in Funny Car qualifying Sunday at O'Reilly Raceway Park with his stellar run of 4.039 at 277.89 mph during Saturday night's qualifying session.

Hagan, who pilots the DieHard Dodge Charger out of Don Schumacher Racing, started his career in the IHRA and feels a strong sense of accomplishment to set the pole and the esteemed U.S. Nationals.

"It's huge to come out here and qualify No. 1," Hagan said. "To come from two years ago when I was racing IHRA and would come over here and qualify at 16, to now come up here and be No. 1 is a huge step in the right direction."

Hagan doesn't take any of the credit for the low numbers his Charger has been running. He makes sure to sing the praises of his crew chief Tommy DeLago.

"I owe it all to Tommy DeLago, he just gets smarter everyday, I don't know how he does it but he does," Hagan said. "We came out here and tested and it's definitely paying dividends back to us. It's an honor to drive that caliber of a machine."

Hagan faces two-time NHRA champion Tony Pedregon and the Quaker State Chevy Impala in the first round of eliminations Monday and he knows never to count out the guy in the other lane no matter what position you start on race day.

"Tony had our number last year, we couldn't get around him," Hagan said. "This year we have had a little bit better luck but I know that tomorrow I'll have my game face on because Tommy's coming to play and we're just going to do what we do and try to go some rounds tomorrow."

Three time Indy champ and current NHRA Full Throttle points leader Larry Dixon continues to dominate Top Fuel by taking his sixth pole of the season. Dixon's run of 3.776 at 324.36 mph stuck all day Sunday since conditions were nowhere near those of Saturday evening when he laid down that run.

The Al-Anabi dragster spent Sunday qualifying trying to test out the track for what is sure to be more like raceday conditions than Saturday night.

"Being qualified solidly it kind of allows you to go out there and see what the track can hold and what the motor and clutch is doing," Dixon said. "It's valuable information. We ran decent in the first session and in the last session the 60-foot time was great so they were obviously trying to go big there."

The championship is on everyone's mind since the U.S. Nationals is the first race of six event in the Countdown to the Championship. Dixon is not looking too far beyond his first round matchup.

"If we are fortunate enough to win the race tomorrow, it's not going to win the championship; we still have five races left after Indy," Dixon said. "The only thing that can be decided tomorrow is who's going to win the Nationals. I'm not looking past (Bruce) Litton to be honest."

Dixon races neighbor Bruce Litton tomorrow during the first round of eliminations. Litton's best run of the weekend was a 4.194 at 225.63 mph and Dixon knows that Litton's Lucas Slick Mist dragster has the potential to lay down a strong number.

"We're racing Bruce Litton tomorrow, and I can literally see his backyard from my backyard," Dixon said. "He's a great guy and it's a good car, he'll definitely keep you honest. So we have to go up there and do our thing and hopefully it's going to be enough."

Pro Stock points leader Mike Edwards drove his Penhall Pontiac GXP around Jeg Coughlin Jr. with a 5.579 second lap at 209.14 mph to take the No. 1 position going into race day. Edwards also stole the track record back from Coughlin on his way to the top Saturday morning.

"I'm real thankful that we did make a good run and came away with the No. 1," Edwards said. "Tomorrow is going to be interesting that’s for sure, there's a lot of fast cars that are bunched together."

Edwards knows the best way to start on race day is on top, but he also knows that the track has a good chance of being completely different tomorrow. Edwards acknowledges that whoever figures out the track will have the best chance at a successful Sunday.

"We've struggled a little bit in the last stretch," Edwards said. "We need to work harder at what we're doing and hopefully we can make some adjustments for tomorrow because whoever maneuvers that track will be the one that comes away with that Wally tomorrow."

Edwards faces Justin Humphreys, a fellow Pontiac driver in the opening round Monday. Humphreys quickest run of the weekend was a 6.631 at 207.27 mph separating him and Edwards by only hundredths. Edwards knows his crew is going to give him a strong Pontiac GXP for the first race of the Countdown.

"It's just like any other race really, it is more pressure and the first race of the countdown but you have to focus and do your normal thing," Edwards said. "You just take it all in, relax and do your job. We'll go as far as we can go, if I drive well, we'll go far."

Andrew Hines held on to the top spot in Pro Stock Motorcycle with his national record setting run from Saturday night throughout Sunday's qualifying efforts. Hines has more confidence in his riding ability right now, than he has in his entire career.

"I kept overemphasizing everything last year and in the beginning of the year I was stumped and trying to find anything that I could do to get better and I got worse," Hines said. "I just finally went back to basics, thinking like I did back in 03, 04 and I think I'm the best racer I've ever been in my entire career.

Hines' Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod was the quickest bike in both sessions on Sunday, making him the quickest in all five sessions of qualifying. Having a strong, consistent Harley underneath him, Hines knows he has a good chance at going rounds on Sunday.

"When the hot air comes in tomorrow it's going to take a couple hundred RPM out of my bike at the finish line," Edwards said, "it'll be a little easier on the valve train, a little more reliability on the engine which will work in our favor just like it did in Brainerd."

Hine's faces Wesley Wells in the opening round of eliminations Monday. Wells' quickest run of the weekend was a 7.054 at 191.24 mph in the very tight Pro Stock Motorcycle field.

Eliminations for the 56th running of the U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil begin at 11 a.m. on Monday at O'Reilly Raceway Park.



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Craig Wack

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