Hagan Drives New 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger to First No. 1 Qualifier with Three Second Run at Phoenix
· DSR pilot Hagan drives the 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger to its first No.1 Qualifier position and its first official sub-four second pass at NHRA Nationals near Phoenix
· Hagan sets track record and fifth quickest run in Funny Car history with 3.978 second / 320.28 mile per hour run in new 2015 Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T on final qualifying lap
· Tommy Johnson Jr. rounds out top five in qualifying to battle DSR Mopar teammate Jeff Beckman in first round of eliminations
· Capps looking for another trip to a final elimination showdown in his new Dodge Charger R/T
· Allen Johnson to defend Phoenix Pro Stock title win from fourth place spot on ladder with the “Magneti Marelli Quality Auto Parts Offered by Mopar” Dodge Dart
Chandler, Arizona (Friday, Feb. 21, 2015) – Don Schumacher Racing driver and reigning NHRA world champ Matt Hagan helped add a few more “firsts” to 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car’s list of achievements by taking his new ride on its first official three-second run to earn its first No.1 Qualifier honor with his final qualifying pass at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park for the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Nationals near Phoenix.
Following a full year of development, the new 2015 Mopar Express Lane/ Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T with Hagan at the helm earned its first victory in its inaugural race at this year’s season opener in Pomona. Now in just its second NHRA event, Hagan and his DSR crew continue to make positive gains with the new Mopar.
Hagan posted three strong qualifying laps to sit provisionally fifth, but left the best for last by laying down a track record 3.978 second / 320.28 mile per hour run to take the coveted top spot for Sunday’s eliminations ladder. It was the 12th pass under the four-second threshold by a Dodge Funny Car and the fifth quickest run in the category’s history. Earning the pole position has the Mopar Express Lane driver motivated to make another trip to the winner’s circle as soon as possible in defense of his 2014 championship.
“It speaks volumes of why we are a championship team,” said Hagan. “It’s always tough to win from the No. 1 spot. Obviously there’s going to be some struggles along the way this year but this team just continues to grow and continues to impress me and continues to awe me.
“Our guys have just been phenomenal, Dickie Venables and (assistant crew chief) Mike Knudsen, these guys are putting one helluva car underneath me and I’m very blessed to be able to drive the wheels off of it. That thing was just really digging and posted some great numbers. This team continues to grow and we are really coming together and have great chemistry. I am very excited what this year has to hold for us and I think we are going to win a lot of races this season.”
Hagan will see Jeff Diehl as his opponent in the opening round of eliminations.
DSR teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. also had a good day in his new Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T by posting the quickest pass in the third qualifying session to earn three bonus points with a 4.003 sec /315.27 mph effort to put him fifth on the eliminations ladder. He was enthusiastic about seeing his team’s efforts rewarded with strong runs.
“In the third qualifying session it was warmer track conditions, warmer weather conditions – and to go out and run a four flat and low ET of the round, it was almost a statement run,” Johnson said. “Everyone likes to run well when the conditions are great, but I think it makes more of an impact when you run that well when the conditions are not the best. We had a strong showing there in Q3 and came back in Q4 and backed it up with another good run. We just have had a very consistent car and it is running well. We’re very happy.”
Johnson’s teammate Jack Beckman had the third quickest time of that same session to earn a bonus point in his very first clean qualifying lap of the season in his new Mopar. Beckman missed making the field in the first event of the season after the team struggled to get the Infinite Hero car sponsored by Terry Chandler to the thousand foot mark on three qualifying passes at the first event of the year. After two failed attempts in Friday qualifying at Phoenix, the relieved DSR driver was pleased to have finally gotten in a strong run.
“Getting in the first run Saturday, it wasn’t that it was do or die, it was just critical to get this car to the finish line,” Beckman said. “We know we’ve got the ability to run quick everywhere, we just had a lot of gremlins jump up and bite us. On the last qualifying run we had the luxury to push it a little bit and now we have to go into race mode.
“Unfortunately we’re not going to have lane choice and we are racing a team car that has been exceptionally quick out here,” added Beckman whose 4.047/309.63 run put him 12th overall in qualifying to pit him against Johnson in the first round. “I gotta tell you, if I’m a bettor, I’m betting on this team. Terry Chandler will have a car in the second round, guaranteed.”
Ron Capps, who drove his new Dodge Charger R/T to a runner-up finish in the season opener, could very well meet up with Hagan for a rematch of that final on Sunday as they are on opposite ends of the ladder. He’s especially energized by the improvements he feels his team has made in just a few runs with the new car.
“What’s really cool is, sometimes you have to step back and look at the big picture,” said Capps who had the third quickest time of the last session with a 4.020/316.30 to earn a bonus point and the sixth spot on the qualifying sheets. “It would have been nice to go for the 3.98, 3.99 runs. Even though we went to the final at Pomona, the engine wasn’t as happy as (Crew Chief Rahn) Tobler wanted it. Saturday morning for the first run he put a brand new fuel pump on it which is a very difficult thing for a crew chief. That’s the heart of the engine and what they do with their tune-ups. To make that big change with the fuel pump, all of the sudden the car is back to where I remember it was last year, just a lot of power, a lot of torque and running good numbers.”
Capps will see Chad Head as his first opponent of the day.
Two more Dodge Funny Car entries also made the field with John Hale qualifying 14th to face Del Worsham and Shane Westerfield in the 15th spot to meet Courtney Force in the first round.
Defending Pro Stock winner Allen Johnson is feeling confident about the work that his Johnson & Johnson team has put in this weekend through their four qualifying runs with the
“Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Dart. AJ ran the fourth quickest time of the third qualifying session with a 6.572 second run (211.20 mph) and the fifth best pass of the final lap with a 6.577/210.18 to remain fourth on the eliminations ladder on the basis of his 6.551/211.36 run Friday in Q2. He’ll have lane choice over Jimmy Alund for the first round.
“I feel like we were really consistent through qualifying this weekend,” Johnson said. “We have been making some good runs with our Dodge Dart and even if we may have been a bit conservative in our approach, that’s what it is going to take tomorrow. We just need to stay in the top four or five runs like we have and we have a good shot at defending our title here at Phoenix.”
V. Gaines put his Dodge Dart 12th on the ladder with Friday’s 6.620/209.95 pass and will see Chris McGaha as his first round opponent, while the Deric Kramer (6.643/208.65) sits 15th and will line up his Dodge Dart against Rodger Brogdon for the opening round.
ESPN2 will provide television coverage of the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, the second event on the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series schedule, with a two hour qualifying broadcast on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 1 a.m. ET, and again at 6 p.m. ET. The eliminations broadcast is scheduled for Sunday evening from 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. ET.