Defending NHRA Funny Car Champion Matt Hagan disposed of  the competition for the 2nd time this season with a truly dominating win during the Carquest Auto Parts Nationals….

(Matt Hagan won for the 3rd race in a row dating back to last season)

The combination of Don Schumacher Racing driver Matt Hagan, the Mopar Express Lane /Rocky Boots crew and the brand new 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T continues to prove to be a winning one after a dominant performance at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park earned the team a second Funny Car National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) title in as many events since the new vehicle’s debut this 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

The No.1 Qualifier posted another sub four-second run in as many days to once again lower the track record with a blistering 3.975-second pass, the fifth quickest elapsed time ever posted in competition, and the second fastest speed in Funny Car history at 324.83 miles per hour. That performance came in the final elimination battle against Del Worsham (4.010 second / 318.17 mph) run to earn his second consecutive title win this season.

“Everyone at Mopar is thrilled to see Matt Hagan take the new 2015 Dodge Charger R/T to the winner’s circle at consecutive events to start the year,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO – Mopar Brand Service, Parts and Customer Care. “It reinforces all the hard work and investment that Mopar, Dodge and Don Schumacher Racing put into producing a fantastic new 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car and to see it be so competitive and dominant right off the bat makes us all very proud.”

(Hagan’s Rocky Boots Mopar set both low ET and Top Speed)

“That shows why we are champions,” said Hagan who is the defending 2014 NHRA Funny Car World Champion. “(Crew Chief) Dickie Venables has done a helluva of a job with this Rocky Boots/Mopar Funny Car and he just continues to prove why he is one of the baddest crew chiefs out there. The guy has a great hot rod underneath me and I’m just trying not to mess it up.”

Prior to eliminations, Hagan earned the pole position on Saturday with his first official three-second run (3.978 / 320.28) in the new Mopar that spent more than a year in development. However, with the trip to the Phoenix winner’s circle, Hagan’s elimination round win streak actually extends to 12, dating back to final race of the 2014 season in Pomona in which he earned his second career championship.

Prior to the final — he had beaten three Toyota bodied cars driven by Jeff Diehl, Cruz Pedregon and Alexis Dejoria.

“We continue to turn win lights on,” said Hagan who extends his lead in the points standings. “It’s two wins in a row this year but if you go back to Pomona it’s really three wins in a row. We are world champions because we have such a great team. It has been really good lately. The biggest thing that we can do is just to continue to do what we’ve been doing. We don’t change a lot.”

Filed by:  Pat Caporali

(Alexis DeJoria had a strong “final four” placing with her Toyota Camry)

Event Essentials:  NHRA Carquest Auto Parts Nationals (Feb. 20-22nd, 2015) Phoenix AZ

(Round one saw Robert Hight (near lane) defeat his boss/teammate John Force)

Photos by NHRA, Ron Lewis & Gary Nastase