{"id":61722,"date":"2022-05-16T07:16:22","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T11:16:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dodgegarage.com\/news-api\/?p=61722"},"modified":"2024-03-25T11:20:24","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T15:20:24","slug":"hagan-powers-dodge-charger-srt-hellcat-from-no-1-qualifier-to-runner-up-finish-at-virginia-nationals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/racing\/2022\/05\/hagan-powers-dodge-charger-srt-hellcat-from-no-1-qualifier-to-runner-up-finish-at-virginia-nationals.html","title":{"rendered":"Hagan Powers Dodge Charger SRT®<\/sup> Hellcat from No. 1 Qualifier to Runner-up Finish at Virginia Nationals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) made its fifth Funny Car final\nelimination round appearance in seven National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)\nCamping World Drag Racing Series events with pilot Matt Hagan driving his Dodge\nCharger SRT\u00ae<\/sup> Hellcat from the No. 1 qualifier position to a runner-up finish at\nthe Virginia Nationals in his 300th career start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Matt<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

After a three-year absence from Virginia Motorsports Park, the\nNHRA returned to Hagan\u2019s home track, located 190 miles from his stomping\ngrounds in Christiansburg, Virginia, where the Dodge\/\/SRT Funny Car driver\nwasted no time in setting the track speed record at 335.82 mph with his first\nlap, eclipsing the previous mark set in 2019 (John Force\/326.32 mph) by nearly\n10 mph. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Matt<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Smithfield Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat continued to improve with\nevery run as Hagan laid down solid passes of 3.914, 3.890, and a track record\nelapsed time run of 3.853 seconds to secure the No. 1 qualifier position, his\nsecond of the season and 45th of his career, and was rewarded with a\nfirst-round bye to kick off eliminations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Matt<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The three-time world champion worked his way past No. 9 seed Chad\nGreen in the quarterfinals and then watched No. 12 qualifier John Force\ndouble-step and foul out of their semifinal match-up to advance to his fifth\nfinal round appearance of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Matt<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Looking to add to the Wally trophies already earned this year at\nthe Gatornationals in Gainesville Florida, and Springnationals in Houston,\nTexas, the Funny Car points leader lined up for the final against No. 10 seed\nRobert Hight, who also has two wins under his belt and is stalking Hagan from\nsecond spot in the championship standings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Matt<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Hagan\u2019s Dodge\/\/SRT machine had the starting line advantage then\nbattled side-by-side with his opponent until mid-track when Hight edged ahead\nto turn on the win light. Hagan\u2019s third runner-up finish of the year, and 35th\nof his career, keeps him atop the Funny Car championship standings ahead of the\nrace winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cruz<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fellow HEMI\u00ae<\/sup>-powered Funny Car driver Cruz Pedregon put his Snap-on\nTools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car No. 4 on the eliminations ladder on\nthe strength of his final qualifying pass at 3.905 seconds at 323.27 mph. It\nwas the Cruz Pedregon Racing team\u2019s sixth top-five qualifying performance in\nseven national events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cruz<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Pedregon kicked off his race day against No. 13 seed Phil Burkart\nby driving straight down the grove with a respectable pass for the warm track\nconditions to take the round win. He was paired against Force for a\nquarterfinal battle, but when Pedregon\u2019s car immediately lost traction at the\nlaunch, his race day came to a quicker end than anticipated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Leah<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

TSR Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett recorded two solid qualifying\npasses to put her Mobile 1 Dodge\/\/SRT dragster No. 10 on the eliminations\nladder for Sunday\u2019s Virginia Nationals with a best lap of 3.754 seconds at 318.92\nmph, and set up a first round pairing against No. 7 seed Doug Kalitta. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Leah<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A quick 0.042-second reaction time gave Pruett the advantage on\nher opponent\u2019s 0.057-second start but almost immediately both began to smoke\nthe tires. Similar to what happened to her in the opening round at Houston\u2019s\nSpringnationals, she found herself in a pedal-fest against Kalitta. Hoping to\nregain traction, Pruett hit the throttle several times, even sending her ride\nsideways, as her opponent did the same, but unfortunately she was unable to get\nto the finish first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Leah<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The NHRA\u2019s next event, the New England Nationals, will take place June 3-5 at New England Dragway near Epping, New Hampshire,\u00a0 the eighth of 22 national events on the schedule this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n