The fuel FC final at Chicago was all DSR – with Matt Hagen winning over Tommy Johnson Jr. 

Matt Hagan ended an eleven race winless streak in Funny Car during an all DSR final at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals.

Hagan, the 2011 Funny Car world champ, ran his Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger past Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. with a 4.098-second pass at 310.48 mph to claim the 11th victory of his career. It was Hagan’s first win since the season-ending race in Pomona last year and his second final round appearance of 2014.

“We’ve been working at it this year,” said Hagan who now has three wins at Chicago. “It’s been a very humbling year for us. Last year we came out and won five races and you kind of think you are going to set the world on fire the following year.”

Hagan was sitting 10th in the Funny Car point standings just seven races before the Countdown to the Championship playoff, a position that the DSR driver was not used to. The win moved Hagan to eighth in the points and he sits 78 points ahead of Tim Wilkerson for the final transfer spot.

“We could feel the pressure to stay in the Top 10 because if you’re not running for a championship, Don isn’t happy,” said Hagan, who beat 2012 world champ Jack Beckman, Bob Bode and recent Epping winner Ron Capps on the way to the final. “The competition is just so, so tough out here in Funny Car, so when you turn four win lights on, you just don’t want this day to end. When 10 guys come together for a common goal, you hope that it could go on for two or three more days like this.”

Tommy Johnson Jr. continued his rather torrid recent pace in NHRA – setting low ET of the meet at 3.999 secs and advancing to the final round.

Johnson Jr. was appearing in his second final of the season following his victory in Bristol. The Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger team rose to second in the point standings and trails Robert Hight by 246 points. Hight reached the second round before falling to Capps.

Event Essentials: (O’Reilly Route 66 Nationals – Funny Car)

Nitro FC racing at Joliet included a first time appearance for racer Brian Stewart who just missed the cut driving his new Mustang

Posted with files from NHRA Communications  – Photos by:  Bruce Biegler