Thu, 20 Nov 2014, 14:00 PM Hagan Clinches Second Career NHRA Funny Crown

Courtesy of Pat Caporali, Mopar Motorsports Photo copyright 2014 NHRA Races Mopar Express Lane Dodge to NHRA Finals Win

POMONA, Calif. --

for Matt Hagan celebrates win and second championship at Pomona.

The 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season finished just as it started for Matt Hagan, with the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car driver meeting rival John Force in a final-round battle at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona - except this time the twist was a storybook ending for the Team Mopar star. Hagan exacted revenge for his NHRA Winternationals loss to Force back in February by claiming victory at the 50th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals and putting the cherry on top of a day in which he clinched the coveted 2014 NHRA Funny Car crown, the second of his career.

Hagan's championship is the fifth in the last four years for the Mopar and Dodge brands, following his 2011 Funny Car title, teammate Jack Beckman's 2012 crown, and back-to-back NHRA Pro Stock championships by Allen Johnson (2012) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (2013). The Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) driver's Pomona triumph marks his second consecutive at the season-ending NHRA Finals and the 14th overall Funny Car victory of his career in 30 final-round appearances. Hagan ends 2014 with four victories on the season; Mopar-powered Dodge Charger R/T drivers combined to collect a total of seven wins.

With the new 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car set to make its debut at the NHRA Winternationals in February, the DSR team's current model Charger goes out on top with three NHRA Funny Car World Championships and a total of 69 NHRA Funny Car national event victories.

"Congratulations to Matt Hagan and Don Schumacher Racing from everyone at Mopar on the well-deserved NHRA Championship win," said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC's service, parts and customer-care brand. "To win the Funny Car crown and the season finale is a wonderful way to finish off our year-long celebration of the 50-year legacy of the 426 HEMI engine. We are very proud of the team's accomplishments and appreciate their hard work to give Mopar a fifth NHRA championship in the last four seasons."

Hagan, the No. 6 qualifier, watched from the cockpit as Force, in the pair ahead, won his own first-round match to pull closer in the title chase. Hagan answered the bell and advanced to the quarterfinals, posting the quickest pass of the round, 4.015/320.05, to eliminate Chad Head (5.083/167.63). Waiting in the second round was Hagan's DSR Dodge teammate, Ron Capps. After once again watching Force apply pressure by winning his match, Hagan held serve, knocking out Capps with a 4.081/314.83 to a 6.801/100.94.

In the semifinals, faced with yet another all-Mopar Dodge DSR battle against Tommy Johnson Jr., Hagan clocked a winning 4.065/315.86. With the 2014 title already clinched prior to his final-round battle against Force, Hagan added icing to the cake, racing the 16-time champ to the finish line first with a 4.076/310.77 to Force's losing 4.086/276.58. Hagan left first with a .049 reaction time, led until the 660-ft. mark, where Force edged ahead, then surged back near the stripe to claim the event win. The ending was fitting - for the fourth time in the last five years, Hagan and Forced duked it out for the NHRA Funny Car championship.

"It's not about how you start but how you finish," said Hagan, who began the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship back in the seventh spot but claimed three playoff wins on four final round appearances to end the season on top. "I just can't believe that it all came together in such a fairytale way. It's just an awesome deal to win the championship and then also win the race. This Countdown format is crazy. You have to be strong in the Countdown and have some good races there, and the rest takes care of itself.

"It means a lot to be a two-time champion. Honestly, it's about our team and all the guys that have worked so hard. It may have come down to just one day, but really it's the last six races that led us to this point. Making the right decisions, digging deep and doing a gut-check out there - at the end of the day it comes down to my crew chief and my crew guys that have busted their butts day-in and day-out to make it happen, and I can't be prouder of them. It was one common goal and ten guys working together, and at the end of the day we got to hold both trophies up. I told myself this morning that this is what we worked hard for all year long. I don't need to sweat it. I don't need to be nervous. Just trust in your stuff and race your race car and enjoy the moment.

"The championship was really what we were after. The race win was the icing on the cake. But it solidified that we had a great race car. To be the best you have to beat the best and everyone says he (Force) is the best and we beat him. It was nice to finish it out strong. We beat him here this time last year (at the 2013 NHRA Finals) and we did it again, so hats off to him. They had a great car, but we had the better one today."

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