POMONA, Calif. (April 11, 2026) – Matt Hagan and the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car team won the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge during Saturday qualifying at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals while Top Fuel teammate Leah Pruett and her Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters team held on to the No. 1 qualifying position from their run Friday afternoon.
With a 3.94-second pass at 329.58 mph Hagan and the JHG team won their first #2Fast2Tasty Challenge of the season on Saturday evening defeating Paul Lee and his 4.198 at 236.71 in the final.
“The #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, its a race inside of a race, gotta love it. I just hope I haven’t used up all my adrenaline for the weekend. But it’s cool what Mission does—we call it the ‘Taco Challenge’ back in the pits. Being able to win some money for the crew guys and put a little extra in their pockets means a lot. At the same time, we’re really focused on the points. We’ve got a great race car this year, and I’m excited to see what we can do with it,” Hagan said. “Mike Knudsen is really starting to come into his own, and with Phil Shuler and Alex Conaway, we’ve built a real brain trust. They’re constantly learning and growing, and it’s honestly impressive to just stand back and watch them work. They make smart decisions and put together solid runs, even when conditions are tricky for other cars. We’re very blessed to be here and very thankful for everything on the Mission side. Now we’ve got to shift our focus to tomorrow—race day. There’s a lot on the line. The weather is unpredictable, but I’ll tell everyone it’s sunny in California… just maybe keep a poncho in your back pocket.”
Hagan ended qualifying at the Winterntaionals in the No. 4 position with his #2Fast2Tasty final round run. Hagan started the day defeating 2025 Rookie of the Year Spencer Hyde in the first round, redeeming himself from the semi-finals of the NHRA Arizona Nationals. Hagan ran a 3.997-second pass at 325.45 mph while Hyde coasted to an 8.442 at 67.87. Hagan and Hyde will have a rematch in the first round of eliminations on Sunday.
The post NHRA WINTERNATIONALS QUALIFYING: MATT HAGAN WINS MISSION FOODS #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE appeared first on Matt Hagan Racing.
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With a 3.94-second pass at 329.58 mph Hagan and the JHG team won their first #2Fast2Tasty Challenge of the season on Saturday evening defeating Paul Lee and his 4.198 at 236.71 in the final.
“The #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, its a race inside of a race, gotta love it. I just hope I haven’t used up all my adrenaline for the weekend. But it’s cool what Mission does—we call it the ‘Taco Challenge’ back in the pits. Being able to win some money for the crew guys and put a little extra in their pockets means a lot. At the same time, we’re really focused on the points. We’ve got a great race car this year, and I’m excited to see what we can do with it,” Hagan said. “Mike Knudsen is really starting to come into his own, and with Phil Shuler and Alex Conaway, we’ve built a real brain trust. They’re constantly learning and growing, and it’s honestly impressive to just stand back and watch them work. They make smart decisions and put together solid runs, even when conditions are tricky for other cars. We’re very blessed to be here and very thankful for everything on the Mission side. Now we’ve got to shift our focus to tomorrow—race day. There’s a lot on the line. The weather is unpredictable, but I’ll tell everyone it’s sunny in California… just maybe keep a poncho in your back pocket.”
Hagan ended qualifying at the Winterntaionals in the No. 4 position with his #2Fast2Tasty final round run. Hagan started the day defeating 2025 Rookie of the Year Spencer Hyde in the first round, redeeming himself from the semi-finals of the NHRA Arizona Nationals. Hagan ran a 3.997-second pass at 325.45 mph while Hyde coasted to an 8.442 at 67.87. Hagan and Hyde will have a rematch in the first round of eliminations on Sunday.
The post NHRA WINTERNATIONALS QUALIFYING: MATT HAGAN WINS MISSION FOODS #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE appeared first on Matt Hagan Racing.
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