MATT HAGAN TAKES POLE, SETS E.T. RECORD AT TIRE KINGDOM GATORNATIONALS

Matt Hagan drove the DieHard Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car to a track elapsed-time record in recording his second consecutive pole for the famed Tire Kingdom Gatornationals here at Gainesville Raceway

The 28-year-old Don Schumacher Racing driver’s 4.030-second pass at 309.84 miles per hour in Friday’s second qualifying session not only broke the E.T. record (4.060) he had set last year, but held up for the number-one spot in tomorrow’s eliminations. In addition, Hagan holds the track speed record set last year of 316.15 mph.

“When Tommy DeLago [crew chief] comes to play, he gets it nine out of 10 times,” said the cattle farmer from Christiansburg, Va. “He stepped right up to the plate and knocked it out of the park.”

Last year Hagan put the DieHard Dodge on the pole here on his way to a runner-up finish in the NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car championship. Today’s number-one qualifying effort was the seventh of his two-plus year career.

“We’re just having fun out there,” he said. “Everything wasn’t perfect, even on the top run. We shook the tires enough to blur my vision, but the car just ran great. We had a few things to iron out and we did.”