MATT HAGAN
American Rebel Light Beer Dodge//SRT Hellcat​

Funny Car Unofficial Points Standings: 1st​

Qualifying: No. 3 – 3.903 seconds at 327.35 mph​

  • Four-time world champion (2023, 2020, 2014, 2011)
  • Finished 2025 season runner-up
  • Won the NHRA Winternationals, NHRA’s 1000th Funny Car race and the Thunder Valley Nationals
  • 14 season streak with at least two wins
  • Has raced to 100 final rounds
  • Earned his 600th wound win during the first round of eliminations
  • Second win at Brainerd International Raceway (2021)
  • Fifth final round at the facility (2011, 2016, 2019, 2022)

Race Results:​

  • E1: 3.897 seconds at 326.00 mph def. Jim Campbell 9.727 at 112.27
  • E2: 3.944 seconds at 320.05 mph def. Chad Green 4.191 at 275.00
  • Semis: 3.942 seconds at 319.37 mph def. Austin Prock 4.764 at 237.84
  • Finals: 3.946 seconds at 320.13 def. Jordan Vandergriff 4.038 at 266.27

QUOTES:​


“This is very humbling because you never know what you’re going to get in Funny Car. You think you’re going to go out and pound on your chest, and it kicks you in the ass. I’m just very grateful that we have a great group of guys at TSR. We could have dialed a 3.94 or better every round and that is awfully consistent by Mike Knudsen, Phil Shuler, Alex Conaway and the whole crew. Hat’s off to them. At the end of the day, we definitely could have ‘bracket raced’ this car. Tony Stewart gave Mike the opportunity to head up our operation last year, and he learned from Dickie Venables over the years. Giving him the chance to really grow into the crew chief role. People don’t understand the ‘behind the scenes’ stuff with all of the day to day of preparing the cars, driving the big trucks, setting up the tents and pits, wrenching on the parts and everything involved with a team. And we are still going to test tomorrow (Monday). The unsung heroes are the guys wrenching on the car. You think about a track like Bristol at 140-degree track temp or Phoenix where it was blazing hot, and those guys are like working over a wood stove. And they work in black because of clutch dust and dirt. It doesn’t happen without them.

“You can’t be doing this without the sponsors too like Andy Ross at American Rebel Light beer, Jason Johnson at JHG and, of course, Dodge who I have raced with for some 19 years. That is unheard of especially from an OEM. They will develop new bodies and bring new pieces to the program. It just takes everyone. It’s a small village that makes this happen day-to-day. That includes Roy at hospitality, Sara, Alyse, Kelly, Chloe and all of the people that make this team special. Blood, sweat and tears at the end of the day makes it all worthwhile. You can’t buy the championship. Many millionaires have tried that for decades and it hasn’t worked. Tony Stewart has created that special environment, and everyone comes to work with a smile on their face. That is something I have never had in my career, and we have it at TSR now. It’s having a group that meshes well.”​

The post Matt Hagan Takes American Rebel Light Beer To Winners Circle appeared first on Matt Hagan Racing.

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