Matt Hagan may be a rookie racer by NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing standards but his actions on and off the track, leading into and during the NHRA ACDelco Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., suggests otherwise.

Hagan learned in the days leading into the third stop on the twenty-four race NHRA tour that he was replacing major sponsorship on his Don Schumacher Racing Dodge Charger Funny Car.

Instead of letting the scenario of losing major backing serve as a major distraction, the Christiansburg, Va. native, instead hunkered down and promoted his family’s Shelor Motor Mile (Shelor.com) dealership now adorning the side of the 8,000-horse flopper, all the while letting the racing community know the space on his car was for rent.

That kind of action is certainly not the trademark of a rookie. Matt Hagan may be a rookie racer by NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing standards but his actions on and off the track, leading into and during the NHRA ACDelco Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., suggests otherwise.

Hagan learned in the days leading into the third stop on the twenty-four race NHRA tour that he was replacing major sponsorship on his Don Schumacher Racing Dodge Charger Funny Car.

Instead of letting the scenario of losing major backing serve as a major distraction, the Christiansburg, Va. native, instead hunkered down and promoted his family’s Shelor Motor Mile (Shelor.com) dealership now adorning the side of the 8,000-horse flopper, all the while letting the racing community know the space on his car was for rent.

That kind of action is certainly not the trademark of a rookie.

Neither is qualifying seventh in a stout sixteen-car field and systematically eliminating half of John Force Racing’s Funny Car team knocking off former rookie of the year winners Robert Hight and Ashley Force Hood.

A loss to former world champion Tony Pedregon was all that kept the rookie driver from his first NHRA final round. 
 
“We were right there this weekend and I could taste the final round,” Hagan said. “I just left a little bit on the tree and I think we might have left a little bit out there.”

If you ask Hagan about the trying week headed into the event he’ll tell you that it was a tough one but life is tough. He’s a forward thinker and his driving style doesn’t differ much from that principle.
 
“We've had a lot of issues to deal with, with our sponsorship,” Hagan confirmed. “So, not only learning to drive the car, I've got to worry about stuff like that too. It really plays mind games with you a little bit. But, you when get down in that car and you strap in there, you just try to do the best you can do.”

In the technical sense of the word Hagan is no rookie, having been a Funny Car racer last season on the IHRA tour. He was a championship runner down to the last race but in the end oil down penalties against the team cost him valuable championship points which could have netted a title.

Hagan believes last year’s experience has played a large role in his success three races into his association with DSR. He qualified in Pomona, reached the quarters in Phoenix and the semis in Gainesville.

“I was sitting in the car thinking about it,” Hagan recollected. “We had a couple of oil downs in front of us and I had lot of time to just sit there and go through my head what I need to do and go through my routine.”

Hagan was a three-time national event winner in IHRA competition.

“Having that under my belt last year I think really helped me get into the groove of things,” Hagan said. “I'm not making the same mistakes I made last year. I don't think I would want to do it any other way. It [IHRA] was a good way to introduce myself into fuel racing and we got the attention of a lot of people.”

He can only hope 2009 brings the same attention from the media, who  elect the NHRA rookie of the year winners. His Gainesville success sends an early warning that he leads fellow nitro racer Spencer Massey, last year’s IHRA Top Fuel champion and current driver for Don Prudhomme, in the popular opinion poll.

“I would like to think so, but I try to put that out of my mind,” Hagan said. “We are just out there to do the best we can. Not to take anything away from those guys running Top Fuel, man these Funny Cars are a handful to handle. Not saying a Top Fueler's not, they run really fast, but the Funny Cars – they’re animals out there. When we can go out there and do what we did this weekend it really proves what are team is made of and the capability that we are going to have this year.”