Second year driver Matt Hagan, in the DieHard Dodge Charger Funny Car, took on the granddaddy of Funny Car drag racing and beat him to take home his second Texas Wally this year.

Hagan won his first Wally in Houston back in April.  

“It was definitely gut-wrenching (to race Force),” said Hagan, of his final round match-up in the 25th annual NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas. “It was just amazing that it came down to me and him there at the end. Just to pull it together, our team, to go up there and go down the race track after coming in here in 14th and having to do a pedal job to get into the race. We were just fighting our way all the way through here, and it's just been great.

Second year driver Matt Hagan, in the DieHard Dodge Charger Funny Car, took on the granddaddy of Funny Car drag racing and beat him to take home his second Texas Wally this year.

Hagan won his first Wally in Houston back in April.  

“It was definitely gut-wrenching (to race Force),” said Hagan, of his final round match-up in the 25th annual NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas. “It was just amazing that it came down to me and him there at the end. Just to pull it together, our team, to go up there and go down the race track after coming in here in 14th and having to do a pedal job to get into the race. We were just fighting our way all the way through here, and it's just been great.

“All the (team) guys have been flawless this year. They haven't made any mistakes, really, and when they don't make mistakes it really helps me and Tommy (DeLago, crew chief) go rounds because we make enough mistakes for everybody. It's a young team, I'm a young driver, Tommy's a young crew chief, and we're very hungry.

“I'm glad to be here, glad to be beating John Force.

En route to the sixth final round of his short career, Hagan defeated Jeff Arend with a 4.105-second elapsed time at 305.15 mph, Cruz Pedregon with a 4.062/306.74 and Ashley Force Hood with a 4.111/300.26.

As if it wasn't hard enough getting past the hot hand of Cruz and the always tough Ashley Force Hood, Hagan then was faced with staring Mr. Drag Racing straight in the eye.

“It's definitely intimidating (to race Force),” admitted Hagan, “but you have to block it out. He's just another guy. And he's had some success out here, and I hope we have that much success in my career.”

Hagan is now three for three in final round appearances this year, not counting the four-wide run at zMax Dragway in March. Two of those three victories have been in Texas, which prompted the Virginia cattle farmer he might should make the state his second home.

“I'm really loving Texas,” he said. “(I) might be buying some land down here because it feels like home.”

Without lane choice in the money round, Hagan edged out Force at the starting lights by a hundredth of a second, then cruised to the victory with another stellar 4.155/294.63 as Force lost traction, slowing to a 4.491/203.74.

"I left the line and never saw him,” said Hagan of the run. “I kept listening for him over there and I kept looking over. I was just saying, Come on! Turn that win light on! It finally came on.

“It's just overwhelming and exciting. I have so much respect for that whole John Force team over there and I kept looking over. When we won in Chicago, every one of those guys came over and shook our hands and told us what a great job we did. They're a first-class operation, just like DSR. We're a first-class operation and it's always great to race the best. It was just a great weekend. I was just saying, Come on! Turn that win light on! It finally came on.

Hagan moved into second place in the Countdown to the Championship point standings and is now slightly more than one round win, 25 points behind Force.

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