Two-time NHRA Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan enhanced his love for Texas by scoring the first NHRA win by a 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Hellcat Funny Car. 

Hagan’s triumph came at the 34th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals and it was the 32^nd of his career and third at the Texas Motorplex located outside of Dallas. It rekindled his chances for the 2019 Funny Car points championship.

Hagan knocked out three Countdown to the Championship playoff contenders behind the wheel of the Western Technical College Mopar CAP Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Funny Car of Don Schumacher Racing (DSR). The win marked the ninth time in 22 races this season where a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car came out victorious. With his first win in the Countdown, Hagan jumps from seventh to fourth in the championship standings with two races remaining.

(Racing his Western Tech College themed 2020 Dodge Charger – Matt Hagan collected his 32 career NHRA Funny Car win

“We were carrying the Western Tech and Mopar CAP colors on this Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Funny Car this weekend,” said Hagan. “We had a message for a lot of students Friday morning. Any time we can reach young kids it is a great thing. I have a few guys on my car that went through Western Tech, so to see the program come full circle is really awesome. I did my job today and my guys did their jobs today and that’s what happens when you put a good group of people together.”

Hagan was one of seven HEMI®-powered Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers that qualified for the 16-car Funny Car field. Jack Beckman reached the second round and remains second in the standings, while Ron Capps, who lost to Beckman in the opening round, holds the sixth position.

The route to Hagan’s fifth final of 2019 was loaded with stout competition. He started his day from the sixth position on the ladder and earned an opening round triumph over Blake Alexander with a pass of 3.903 seconds, Hagan matched that time exactly in the second round when he put reigning world champion J.R. Todd on the trailer for the weekend. Crew Chief Dickie Venables continued his masterpiece, helping Hagan run his best pass of the day, 3.900 seconds at 329.83 mph, in the semifinal to take down Robert Hight, who went red at the starting line.

In a rematch of the 2012 Texas final, Bob Tasca III proved to be no match for Hagan in their 25th career race and third time in a final. Hagan grabbed the starting-line advantage and pulled away during the run to secure the victory. 

(Bob Tasca III – qualified 4th and went to the final round in the Motorcraft Ford Mustang)

(John Force clocked in #1 after qualifying with low ET and top speed of the meet)

Event Essentials:   NHRA AAA Texas Nationals (Oct. 17-20th, 2019) 

(Points leader Robert Hight had a rather stunning red-light foul start in the semi final round)

(Home state Texan racer Todd Simpson ran this new Toyota body on his car — but slapped the guard wall during his one qualifying run effort)

Posted with files by Bill Klingbell & Bruce Biegler

All photos by Bruce Biegler

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