Mopar Funny Car driver Matt Hagan finally broke through in the Nevada desert as he won at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the very first time.

(Matt Hagan’s FC win was the 26th of his great career – but also his first ever win at Las Vegas)

Hagan put his HEMI®-powered, Mopar Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T from Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) in the winner’s circle at the 17th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals to take his fourth victory of the season and 15th for Mopar-powered Funny Cars in 2017. It was also the 20th time at least one Mopar Dodge Funny Car from DSR has appeared in the final round through 23 events to date this year.

With just one event remaining in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, which includes the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs, Mopar vehicles have now claimed victory a total of 20 times across the Funny Car and Top Fuel categories. Additionally, five Mopar-powered drivers across both categories are still mathematically eligible to win the 2017 championship in two weeks at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

During this weekend’s NHRA Nationals, Hagan, a two-time Funny Car champion, defeated Courtney Force from the right lane in the final round. Hagan turned in a pass of 3.942 seconds at 329.42 mph paired with a .050-second reaction time to better Force’s 4.020 at 320.05. She left the line with a reaction time of .069. The duel at the Vegas track surrounded by desert mountains and lying 15 miles north of the famed Strip was a re-match of both this year’s NHRA Winternationals and New England Nationals. Each of those final rounds were also won by the Mopar driver Hagan.

(Nitro FC class finalist – Courtney Force)

Hagan, whose team has struggled in the Countdown, opened his day by pushing past Gary Densham in round one on a clean pass as Densham smoked his tires near the 300-foot mark. The round win was the 300th of Hagan’s career. He next bested Del Worsham, who also struck the tires to put Hagan into the semifinal round against his DSR Mopar teammate Jack Beckman. Hagan advanced to the final by turning in his third consecutive clean pass as Beckman instantly went up in smoke.

Hagan’s victory was the 26th of his career.

Beckman also had a very successful weekend in Las Vegas, first re-setting both ends of the track record with a 3.854-second pass at 335.57 mph during qualifying to capture the No. 1 spot in his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T. He first bested fellow Dodge driver Jim Campbell in round one on a very solid pass as Campbell struck the tires. He next took down teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. on another clean pass as Johnson went up in smoke. His day was then ended by Hagan.

(Matt Hagan reset both ends of the track record at LVMS while qualifying on the FC pole)

Event Essentials:   NHRA Toyota Nationals (Oct. 27-29th, 2017) 

(With this 2nd round win over is boss and team owner John Force – Robert Hight moved into the overall championship points lead – with one race remaining in 2017)

Posted with files by Dan Hodgdon and Bruce Biegler

Photos by Ron Lewis, Gary Nastase & Courtesy of NHRA