Sun, 27 Sep 2026, 17:12 PM Funny Car Final, Round 4 Eliminations

By Rick Green

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - Results of final, round 4 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   14 Matt Hagan                              6 Paul Lee                     
E4   ****WINNER****  0.047  3.922 327.75                     0.022 No Time      
 Prior rounds:
E3    (J Todd      ) 0.030  3.916 331.86      (A Prock     ) 0.078  3.883 329.91
E2    (R Capps     ) 0.054  3.941 328.23      (A DeJoria   ) 0.026  3.923 328.95
E1    (D Richards  ) 0.037  3.916 329.19      (C Pedregon  ) 0.058  3.931 325.85
 Qualified:             #8  3.935 330.88                        #7  3.934 325.14

Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 36 percent, barometer 29.80 inches, adjusted altitude 2,334 feet, track temperature 112 degrees.

The last time Matt Hagan went to four Final rounds in a row was in 2022 (Phoenix, Gainesville, Las Vegas 4-Wide and Houston). He has never been to four consecutive Final rounds at "traditional races."

This is the 16th time in Funny Car history that the No. 7 and No. 8 qualifiers have met in the Final round.
Paul Lee's 16 losses to Hagan are the most for him against any opponent.

Hagan is 16 - 2 against Lee in prior events and this is the first time they have faced each other in a final round.

Lee with the starting line advantage and then got real loose. The car made a move toward the wall, he never hit the wall, but did cross the outer boundary line.

Hagan kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight for the win. He wins his fourth Wally this season and 59th of his career.