Hagan Takes Runner-up in Funny Car All-Star Callout
Sunday in Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Funny Car 

 

September 3, 2023 , Brownsburg, IN -  Matt Hagan, the current track record holder at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and his 11,000-horsepower Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Hellcat Funny Car were a model of consistency in six runs this weekend in preparations for Monday’s final eliminations in the 69th Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Hagan, the three-time NHRA Camping World Funny Car Champion who ranks second in the current points, advanced to the final round of the special Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout event Sunday before taking the runner-up position with a 3.979 to Robert Hight’s 3.955.

But it was Hagan’s six consistent runs from Friday to Sunday which showed that his TSR crew, led by Dickie Venables, is ready for Monday’s eliminations in the hot and humid weather conditions. Matt’s qualifying rounds included a best of 3.912, 3.928, 3,967, 3.979, 3.982 and 4.040 in the heat of the day on Saturday.

The 3.912 lap gave Hagan the No. 4 qualifying position entering Monday’s 16-car finals as he will compete against Alex Laughlin in the first round. The 69th Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals will be televised on the FOX Network beginning at 2 p.m. EDT.

“It has been a long week here in Indy with Dodge events early in the week and then three days of qualifying,” said Hagan, the four-time 2023 NHRA national event winner. “But I’m very pleased with our six runs during qualifying as we didn’t smoke the tires once. And it prepares us for the always-tough Monday eliminations. I feel that Dickie and the crew have done a great job in the hot and humid conditions that seem to come every year at the U.S. Nationals. It would be so great to win another Dodge-backed event like we did in Denver with the Dodge Mile-High Nationals. I feel good about our Dodge Hellcat Funny Car right now.”

Leah Pruett, Hagan’s TSR teammate, qualified sixth in the Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Top Fuel dragster with a solid 3.730 in the tight 16-car lineup set for final eliminations at 10 a.m. EDT.

Pruett was pleased with her performance in a 120-plus degree track surface Sunday afternoon as she clocked 3.790 in the mid-afternoon qualifying session. The former Factory Stock Showdown champion at the U.S. Nationals will take on Austin Prock in the opening Top Fuel round.

“Conditions are always very difficult here at Indy for the U.S. Nationals,” said Pruett, the 2023 Summit Nationals Top Fuel champion. “It’s hot and humid, and it’s easy to lose traction with that type of weather. So that Sunday afternoon run with the 3.790 was very impressive, and I know our crew guys have been working hard to get this Dodge//SRT Direct Connection dragster prepared for the tough Monday rounds.”
  
The 69th Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals has opening ceremonies at 8:30 a.m. EDT with first round of Top Fuel set for 10 a.m. EDT. The Fox Network telecast will begin at 2 p.m. EDT Monday.
 
@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram
The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

Dodge//SRT
For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with a lineup that delivers unrivaled performance in each of the segments in which the brand competes while moving forward to a future that includes electrified muscle in the form of the next-generation, all-new Dodge Charger.

The next-generation Dodge Charger electrifies a legend, with the Charger retaining its title as the world’s quickest and most powerful muscle car led by the all-new, all-electric 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack. The all-new Dodge Charger will also offer performance choices via multi-energy powertrain options, including the 550-horsepower Dodge Charger SIXPACK H.O., powered by the 3.0L Twin Turbo Hurricane High Output engine.

Dodge also keeps its foot on the gas as a pure performance brand with the 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the most powerful SUV ever, and best-in-class standard performance in the compact utility vehicle segment with the Dodge Hornet.

In 2022, the Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market), making it the only domestic brand ever to do so three years in a row. In 2020, Dodge was named the "#1 Brand in Initial Quality," making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). 

Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news, including daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis (NYSE: STLA).
  
Mopar
Mopar is the global name for Stellantis genuine parts and authentic accessories.

A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over more than 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Complete information on Mopar is available at www.mopar.com and the newly redesigned Mopar blog at www.blog.mopar.com. 

Follow Dodge, Mopar and Stellantis news and video on:

Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Dodge brand: www.dodge.com
DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com
Mopar brand: www.mopar.com
Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge and www.facebook.com/mopar
Instagram: @DodgeMoparMotorsports, @DodgeOfficial and @OfficialMopar
Twitter: @Dodge, @OfficialMopar and @StellantisNA
YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge, www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA