The 2022 season didn’t end the way nitro Funny Car star Matt Hagan wanted.

Instead of celebrating his fourth NHRA world championship – to go with the ones he captured in 2011, 2014, and 2020 – he had to settle for a third-place finish in the points 95 points back of champ Ron Capps.

“From a personal standpoint, I think we did well, but we were expected to do well. You know what I mean?” Hagan said. “Nothing really changed for us as far as from DSR (Don Schumacher Racing) to TSR (Tony Stewart Racing) other than a brand-new owner.

“I feel like I didn’t meet my personal goals. I wanted to win six or eight races this year, and we won four. That’s kind of like our typical average season as far as we usually hit four or five races. I expected us to do a little bit better than we did, but that’s drag racing. There were only five winners in Funny Car all season.”

Hagan’s season didn’t end at the top of the mountain, but he won four races – Gainesville, Fla., Houston, Epping, and the fall race in Las Vegas – and he also had four runner-up finishes. His elimination-round record was 42-18. Hagan’s championship hopes were dashed when he was upset by Steven Densham in the first round at the season-ending race in Pomona, Calif., on Nov. 13.

“It’s kind of like when you put that in perspective, there’s a lot of people who went a whole season and didn’t pick up a trophy,” Hagan said. “A lot of big names and big money, and big sponsors that didn’t win all year long. It’s tough to be disappointed with four (wins) and a No. 3 overall finish, but I hold ourselves to a higher standard than that. And I think Dickie (Venables, his crew chief) does, too. I think that we were both disappointed with the way the season finished with the last race. Going out first round right there and then watching Robert (Hight) lose second round, and we could have really had an opportunity to … win this thing again, but we were sitting there watching.

“I think it was a big learning season for Tony, and I feel like my guys were in a really good head space and a good position to come in and be happy to work every day. And Tony, his work environment that he provides for me and Dickie, and all my crew guys, has just been nothing short of amazing. Tony really takes care of his people. And that’s huge. There’s not been a single thing that me or Dickie, have asked Tony for that he hasn’t said yes to. That’s huge in itself. Because sometimes you get in that do more with less kind of (thing).”

Hagan went on to continue to praise Stewart.

“I think it was a good season overall,” Hagan said. “I think we were in a learning situation with our new owner and seeing how he handles things and situations. But the guy’s been nothing but amazing to work with. I’m just super happy to have him as a boss and just a good guy who cares about his people. Just the guy you want to go out here and win for, a guy you want to do things for. For me, man, I mean, I don’t feel like I hit my personal goals with the wins that we wanted to, but I think that we had a solid season. Four races are nothing to hang your head (down) on, but at the end of the day, I feel like we should have been up there doing what Robert was doing. He won eight races.

“There’s no reason that our car can’t challenge that. I just feel like we fell off from the Western Swing and just struggled to get back through the heat of the summer. Once we got back into the cool deal. All these cars run well; we run well. But my wish list this year is to go out here and drag it across the road to Indy when it’s nasty and greasy and find a 3.95 to a 4.05 tune-up. In those conditions where it’s just nasty and greasy, and it’s hot. I feel like on my wish list, we need a car that will go down a dirt road. During the middle of the summer.”

Hagan said that’s the fine line between balancing the cool weather to the hotter weather.

“It’s just tough because Dickie makes big power, and it’s hard to pull big power back,” Hagan said. “During the offseason, I’m sure we’re going to try to make a lot more power. But it’s just one of those things where when it gets nasty and greasy, and conditions we haven’t seen a whole lot, it’s just like, that’s where I think Robert kind of separated himself. And why he was able to win so many races is they didn’t really fall off in the heat of the year.”

Hagan was campaigning his Dodge Brokers Funny Car in 2022, and that sponsorship will not change in the coming season.

“Yeah, (that’s a) multi-year contract, so that’s all looking good,” Hagan said. “We’re excited about that. Dodge has been such a key part of my career for the last 15 years, really. It’s just nice to know that they’re happy. Their social media stuff is great. Tony’s done a great job of promoting, using his likeness to promote for Dodge. We’ve definitely topped all the numbers and exceeded what they expected.”

Speaking of Stewart, he made his drag racing debut at the fall race in Las Vegas, driving the McPhillips Racing Top Alcohol Dragster to the final round before losing to Madison Payne on Oct. 30.

Stewart, a versatile racer who owns driving championships across NASCAR, INDYCAR, and USAC, along with hundreds of victories on oval tracks, dirt tracks, and road courses, didn’t surprise Hagan with his performance.

“No, man. The guy’s not bad at anything,” Hagan said. “Even if you’re playing Tetris with the guy, he’s good at it. It’s just like, ‘Bro, what are you bad at? Let’s try that. Let’s challenge yourself.’ He’s just a natural. I think he’s very methodical about what he does. He picked a good team to be with. The cars run good, and that’s no different than anything. You surround yourself with good people and good things happen. But I think that Tony himself is just a natural competitor. I think that you’re going to see him do more and more. At the end of the (NHRA) banquet, he told me he would make a full pull in my Funny Car, so I’m excited about that.

“(Ron) Capps put him on the spot up there at the banquet, and he is like, ‘All right.’ He was like, ‘I’ll make a run in it.’ I’m pumped about that. I think he’ll throw rocks at that dragster once he gets in a Funny Car.”