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Gainesville: Matt Hagan preview

HAGAN FOCUSED ON FIRST WIN IN GAINESVILLE CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (March 11, 2010) - Matt Hagan and the DieHard Dodge Charger Funny Car team are focusing on earning their first victory as a second-year team at this weekend's 41st annual NHRA ...

Edited: Mar 12, 2010, 3:35 AM

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HAGAN FOCUSED ON FIRST WIN IN GAINESVILLE

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (March 11, 2010) - Matt Hagan and the DieHard Dodge Charger Funny Car team are focusing on earning their first victory as a second-year team at this weekend's 41st annual NHRA Gatornationals.

Hagan came on strong in the first two events of the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, qualifying fifth in Pomona (Calif.) and second in Phoenix, where he also set top speed. He finished in the quarterfinals in both events. The 27-year-old Angus Cattle farmer can taste that first win.

"We definitely have a front-running car," said Hagan. "To go out there and qualify that well has been a great start to the year. Now we just have to go out there and race well on Sunday.

"I'll trade all my qualifying points in for race-winning points on Sunday. We've proven we can qualify well and be in the front of the pack; it's time to go out there and show everybody that we can start going rounds and winning some races.

"I'm super-excited about racing at the Gatornationals this weekend, and I know that Tommy (DeLago, crew chief) is working hard to get us in the winner's circle. I'm looking forward to having some great weather and hopefully some great races.

As for having shed his rookie status, "I think I've proven that I can handle a race car," he said. "It's just a matter of going out there and getting the reputation of being able to do the same thing every time, and be relaxed in the car. I think I can stand face to face with anybody out there.

"We definitely were in many different situations last year and I got to experience a lot of new things, like what goes on in the car, good and bad. So, I feel pretty comfortable in the car and I'm confident in myself that I can go out there and do what we need to do to win.

"It would be huge for me to win in Gainesville. It's pretty close to home and it's such a historic race. A lot of my family will be there, and it would be awesome to get that first race win in front of them."

-source: dsr

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