Matt Hagan Secures No. 1 Qualifier at NHRA Carolina Nationals

Four-time and reigning National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mission Foods Funny Car champion Matt Hagan secured the No. 1 qualifier spot at the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, held at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, North Carolina. Representing Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage (JHG) Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT Funny Car, Hagan’s qualifying run on Friday of 3.832 seconds at 333.25 mph held firm through Saturday’s sessions, marking his second No. 1 qualifying position of the year and the 52nd of his career.

Hagan’s impressive performance on Friday stood up under tough competition, and his team’s hard work was evident after a challenging season. “We feel like we found some stuff, working hard behind the scenes,” said Hagan. “My guys have obviously been scratching their head a little bit all year and have just not had the performance that we really wanted or hoped to.”

This No. 1 qualifying spot is Hagan’s first since March, and it comes at a critical time in the Countdown to the Championship. Entering the weekend 137 points behind the leader, Hagan is looking to close the gap and increase his chances of winning another title. A victory on Sunday could allow him to sweep both Charlotte races this season, giving his championship hopes a significant boost.

“Knowing that we can run with these guys, and I think that we showed that Friday, that’s real,” Hagan continued. “We can do this still, so that was a great shot in the arm for us.”

Sunday’s eliminations will take place in hot conditions, with temperatures expected to hit 90 degrees. Hagan acknowledged the challenges ahead, noting that the team will need to adapt to the changing conditions: “Tomorrow’s going to be 90 degrees, so it’s back to probably pedaling the car some and figuring out how to get down the racetrack. But the lanes are really nice, both equal, so at the end of the day, I feel confident that we got a car that could go down the racetrack.”

The eliminations for the NHRA Carolina Nationals begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, with TV coverage on FS1, including a qualifying recap at 1:30 p.m. EDT and the final rounds starting at 3 p.m. EDT.