MATT HAGAN ON PROVISIONAL POLE

AFTER DAY ONE OF QUALIFYING FOR GATORNATOINALS

Matt Hagan drove the DieHard Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car onto the provisional pole after the first day of qualifying for the 42nd annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals here at Gainesville Raceway

The 28-year-old cattle farmer from Christiansburg, Va. blasted to the top spot on the strength of a 4.030-second/309.84-mile-per-hour pass. He had opened the day with a 4.096/290.51 run in the first session.

“Tommy [DeLago, crew chief] and the guys are doing an awesome job!” exclaimed the Don Schumacher Racing driver.  “We were really quick in Pomona during the first race of the season and they just keep putting the right combination together.”

Hagan made the quickest runs in three of the four elimination rounds in the first race of the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season before losing in a close final round battle with Robert Hight.

“That one was on me,” he said. “I had changed my routine from the way I had been driving and it cost me in the finals. I’m back to doing things like I did last year and the results, so far, are good.”

Hagan’s pole position here is a familiar one – last year the runner up in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car championship qualified first for the Gatornationals and set low elapsed time, 4.060, and top speed, 316.15, for the event.

“This is an important race, the East Coast opener,” he said. “I really want to do well here for DieHard, for Don [Schumacher], Tommy and the guys.”

Two more rounds of qualifying for Sunday’s race begin at 11 a.m. tomorrow with Pro Stock Motorcycle, followed by Pro Stock Car, Top Fuel and Funny Car.