Defending NHRA Mission Funny Car World Champion Matt Hagan, seeking his second straight zMAX Dragway victory, drove his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Johnson Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat to a final-round finish Sunday at the NHRA Carolina Nationals, while TSR teammate Tony Stewart exited early in the first round of Top Fuel eliminations.
Hagan, who captured the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals event win in Charlotte last April, and his championship-winning TSR crew had their nitro-burning Dodge//SRT Hellcat machine running strong all weekend with qualifying runs of 3.832 (season best) and 3.865 to secure the No. 1 starting spot entering Sunday’s final eliminations. It was Hagan’s second top-qualifying position of the season after claiming the No. 1 spot at Pomona in March.
The four-time NHRA world champion scored round victories against Dave Richards and Bob Tasca III before facing current NHRA Mission Funny Car points leader Austin Prock in the final round in very hot, humid weather conditions with track temperatures close to 130 degrees. It was Hagan’s 92nd career final round appearance in the Funny Car category.
In the final matchup, Hagan took an advantage over Prock at the starting line with a .051 second reaction light to Austin’s .070 and held the margin slightly before Prock’s mount nipped Hagan by a few feet at the finish line. Hagan recorded a 3.958 to Prock’s 3.94 to settle for the runner-up position. The second-place finish moved Hagan to fourth in the current NHRA Mission Funny Car points standings as the series heads to the NHRA Gateway Nationals this weekend, Sept. 27-29, near St. Louis…