Mopar Dodge//SRT driver Matt Hagan made his 2019 NHRA championship statement, capturing his second consecutive Funny Car Wally in his Dodge//SRT Charger Hellcat Widebody at the 19^th annual Dodge NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil at Las Vegas.

Hagan, who started the day in the seventh qualifying spot, beat Jonnie Lindberg in the final round with a run of 3.876 seconds at 331.36 and closed to within 56 points of the top position in the Countdown to the Championship. The victory also marked the 10th time in 23 events where a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat came out victorious.

“This was an incredible effort by my Dodge Mopar guys here this weekend,” said Hagan, following his fourth win of 2019. “This is the Dodge NHRA Nationals. The second to last race of the season. And you have everyone from the president of Mopar here to all the people beyond us that are out here for SEMA. It’s one you need to win. We had some lady luck on our side this weekend and it all worked out. I can’t thank everyone that makes this possible enough. It was just a phenomenal job by (crew chief) Dickie Venables and my guys. We just won the Dodge NHRA Nationals and we can’t wait to get to Pomona.”

Matt Hagan defeated Sweden’s Jonnie Lindberg in the fuel FC final — 3.876 secs to 3.945 secs.

Hagan’s win capped an exciting weekend by the Mopar and Dodge//SRT teams in Funny Car that included Jack Beckman as the top qualifier in his Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car, resetting the track records for speed and elapsed time during qualifying.

The weekend’s results put Beckman and Hagan within close striking distance for a Funny Car world championship at the final event of the 2019 NHRA season in Pomona, California, in two weeks.

Hagan stormed to his fourth career final in the Dodge NHRA Nationals, first taking out fellow Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat racer Paul Lee with a run of 3.909 seconds. Next, he snapped a four-race losing streak versus his DSR and Dodge//SRT Mopar teammate Tommy Johnson, Jr., posting his best pass of the weekend, 3.869 seconds. The semifinal against Bob Tasca III was a rematch of the final in Dallas two weeks ago and the results were the same with Hagan turning on the win light to reach his third consecutive final in the fall Las Vegas race and sixth final of the season. The two-time Funny Car world champion flexed his muscle in the final, leaving first and driving away from Lindberg with his fourth consecutive run over 330 mph to secure his 33rd career victory.

Jack Beckman set a track record ET at 3.835 secs when he qualified #1

Event Essentials:   NHRA Dodge Nationals (Oct. 31-Nov. 3rd, 2019) 

Racing this special edition DHL Toyota at Las Vegas – defending NHRA World Champion JR Todd held the provisional pole after Friday.

Posted with files by Bill Klingbell and Bruce Biegler

Photos by Phil Hutchison, Auto Imagery & Courtesy of NHRA