Matt Hagan emerged victorious at the 2023 Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, defeating reigning world champion Ron Capps in a dramatic final round. Hagan drove his Dickie Venables-tuned Haas Automation Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT Funny Car to his 45th career win and fourth Winternationals title, clocking in at 3.96 seconds.
Despite qualifying in 10th place, Hagan found his groove on Sunday and produced impressive performances, defeating Blake Alexander, Alexis DeJoria, and Terry Haddock in the semifinals. Hagan’s superb driving and Venables’ expert tuning ensured that he dominated the field during eliminations.
Hagan commended his crew chief for his excellent work, saying, “There are very few weekends that Dickie doesn’t impress me out there on the racetrack.” He also acknowledged the tough competition in the Funny Car division and credited his success to being prepared for each race.
Capps, a four-time Winternationals champion, and his crew chief Dean Antonelli put on a fantastic display, recording three straight three-second passes to secure Capps’ 142nd career final round appearance. However, Capps had to cut his run short after his car drifted towards the centerline, providing Hagan with the opportunity he needed to claim the win.
The victory marked the seventh triumph at the Pomona track for the Tony Stewart Racing driver, and he expressed his delight at the achievement. “It’s a fantastic feeling to win the race after starting in 10th place,” he said. “When I woke up this morning, I knew we had a little bit of a hill to climb, but as the day went on, and the car went down the racetrack, my confidence grew.”
Leah Pruett, driving her Rinnai Water Heaters Dodge Top Fuel dragster, was knocked out in the first round by Austin Prock. Meanwhile, No. 1 Funny Car qualifier Cruz Pedregon and his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Funny Car lost to Ron Capps in the quarterfinals. Alex Laughlin, in the Havoline Dodge Charger SRT Funny Car operated by Jim Dunn Racing, was also defeated in the quarterfinals.
The next event on the NHRA schedule is the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, taking place from April 14th to 16th. Fans can still purchase tickets on NHRA.com.
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Point Standings:
Funny Car –
| POSITION | DRIVER | POINTS | POINTS BEHIND LEADER | VEHICLE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Matt Hagan | 277 | 0 | Dodge Power Brokers Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT |
| 02 | Ron Capps | 251 | -26 | NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car |
| 03 | Alexis DeJoria | 213 | -64 | Bandero Tequila/ROKIT Toyota GR Supra |
| 04 | Robert Hight | 206 | -71 | Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS |
| 05 | Bob Tasca III | 203 | -74 | Ford Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang |
| 06 | Chad Green | 181 | -96 | Bond Coat Ford Mustang |
| 07 | J.R. Todd | 153 | -124 | DHL Toyota GR Supra |
| 08 | Tim Wilkerson | 138 | -139 | Scag Power Equipment Ford Shelby Mustang |
| 09 | Terry Haddock | 136 | -141 | Circle Racing Wheels Mustang |
| 10 | Blake Alexander | 126 | -151 | Head Inc./Pronto Auto Parts Ford Mustang |
| 11 | Cruz Pedregon | 120 | -157 | Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT |
| 12 | Alex Laughlin | 115 | -162 | Havoline/Jim Dunn Racing Dodge Charger |
Top Fuel –
| POSITION | DRIVER | POINTS | POINTS BEHIND LEADER | VEHICLE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Justin Ashley | 268 | 0 | Phillips Connect Vita C Shot Dragster |
| 02 | Steve Torrence | 223 | -45 | Capco Racing/Torrence Motorsports |
| 03 | Mike Salinas | 213 | -55 | Scrappers Racing dragster |
| 04 | Brittany Force | 204 | -64 | Monster Energy Top Fuel Dragster |
| 05 | Austin Prock | 201 | -67 | Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist |
| 06 | Leah Pruett | 195 | -73 | Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster |
| 07 | Shawn Langdon | 181 | -87 | DHL/Kalitta Air |
| 08 | Doug Kalitta | 167 | -101 | Mac Tools Dragster |
| 09 | Antron Brown | 162 | -106 | Matco Tools/Lucas Oil/Toyota Top Fuel Dragster |
| 10 | Tony Schumacher | 117 | -151 | SCAG Power Equipment Top Fuel Dragster |
Source: NHRA
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