Hagan Kicks Off the DSR Pre-race Epping Report
BROWNSBURG, IN – Matt Hagan will be on a mission during this weekend’s New England NHRA Nationals in Epping, N.H.
That mission is to score an event win at New England Dragway with the Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots team.
“It’s time to win, there’s no doubt about that,” said Matt. “Our performance in Bristol really got confidence back in our team which was huge. It’s no secret that we’ve just kind of been hit or miss this year and we’re going to hit our stride soon.
“I have all the confidence in the world in Dickie (Venables) and this team and I feel like we’re close to getting that first win.”
The team started the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season on a high note with a runner-up finish at the season-opener in Pomona, Calif., but since then have advanced to the semifinals only twice – including Sunday at Bristol, Tenn., – and suffered five first-round losses.
The Mopar team is 10th in Funny Car points standings but less than 80 points, or four rounds of racing, out of fifth.
“We’re 10th and we need to make up some ground. We need to go rounds and pick up a trophy here in this four-race stretch. It’s definitely doable. We’re all close in points so it’s possible to make a big jump.
“This is a tough part of our schedule with four in a row. It’s just non-stop for the guys and they can’t get down. We got some momentum going and that’s important. They’re all excited to go to the next one and try to turn on some win lights.”
Although the most recent event in Bristol, Tenn., was close to Matt’s hometown and he had a big cheering section, the fans at New England Dragway have him excited.
“I’m really looking forward to Epping. It’s a great area. It was packed last year. I really hope to see that again.”
– You’d never know from the way Jack Beckman seems to always have a smile on his face and the upbeat way he interacts with his legion of fans at NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events that the two-time NHRA world champion is mired in most disappointing stretch of his career.
The winner of 10 event titles and the 2012 NHRA Funny Car world championship for Don Schumacher Racing has not won an event title since three races were left in the 2012 season. That’s 37 events since the last time he hoisted an NHRA Wally trophy.
His Valvoline MaxLife Dodge Charger R/T team led by Rob Flynn has advanced to one championship round and one semifinals through 10 races this year, but Sunday at Bristol Dragway marked the fifth time the team has lost in the first round this season.
That dropped him to 11th in points and marks the first time he has been ranked outside the top-10 since the second race of the 2013 season and only the third time in the past four seasons.
“No excuses, we’ll move on to Epping and get better,” he said. “We have three more (races) in the next three weekends and six in the seven weeks, we just need to get some round wins.
“By the time we get done with that stretch it’s going to separate who is going to be near the top of the standings and who is going to be fighting for one of the last 10 spots in the Countdown to the Championship.
“We will not be one of those teams at (the U.S. Nationals at) Indy on Labor Day fighting to get into the top-10 when the Countdown field is finalized.”
The second annual NHRA New England Nationals begins Friday and the NAPA team knows the next three races over three weeks are critical to how it enters the six-race Countdown to the Championship.
Last weekend marked the 10th event of the 24-race season but the Rahn Tobler-led team that qualified an impressive third at Bristol Dragway was foiled by a tricky, hot racetrack on Sunday that helped sideline the NAPA Dodge in the first round of eliminations.
“It was disappointing and this season it seems like something always comes up that keeps us from going deep into eliminations on Sundays,” said Ron, who owns 41 NHRA Wally trophies.
“But I have all the confidence in our NAPA team and we’re getting close to getting this turned around.”
Sunday’s opening-round loss made it 17 straight Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events that ended without Ron pulling into a winner’s circle. His fourth loss in the opening round this season contributed to him dropping two spots to seventh in the season standings.
The highlight of the Bristol weekend for Ron was seeing John Collins, the former assistant crew chief for the NAPA team, win the Funny Car title with Don Schumacher Racing’s Make-A-Wish team.
“That was so cool to see J.C. win his first Wally as a crew chief. He’s worked hard and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
A year ago at Epping, Ron qualified fourth and advanced to the semifinals.
“I know the track will be good and it will be a lot cooler than it was at Bristol,” he said of a New England forecast for highs in the mid-70s compared to temperatures more than 10 degrees higher last weekend.
“It will be great to race in New England for the second time. I look forward to seeing a lot of people from our NAPA family I already know from that area, and it will be fun to have them as our guests in the NAPA Club Nitro pavilion at the track.”
Massey seeking repeat performance with Battery Extender dragster during New England NHRA Nationals this weekend in Epping
– Spencer Massey is the only Top Fuel driver in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series that has a Wally trophy from New England Dragway in Epping, N.H.
And this weekend during the second annual New England NHRA Nationals, he intends on keeping it that way.
In the inaugural event last season, Spencer and the Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher team qualified No. 5 and captured the event title. It wasn’t his first win at the New Hampshire facility; he also won there in 2010 in a different drag racing series.
“I got the first NHRA Wally from Epping and maybe this is selfish but I want the next one too,” said Spencer, who has two titles this year. “It would be cool to be the only Top Fuel driver that’s won there, so we’re going to do what we can to make sure that happens.”
The Battery Extender team led by crew chiefs Phil Shuler and Todd Okuhara proved at the previous NHRA Mello Yello event that they have a competitive 10,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragster.
“We have a good car right now,” Spencer said. “We just kind of got bit in Bristol without lane choice and our teammate had a great run. We had a great qualifying outing there and that’s important.
“In Epping, we’ll look to make four consistent qualifying runs so we will have more data for race day. It’s important not to get behind in qualifying and be in the top half of the field to get lane choice for Sunday.
“It’s a tough track at Epping, for sure. But we did well there last year and we’ll try to do the same this year.”
The Battery Extender team spent Monday at Bristol Dragway servicing the car before making the trek northeast for this weekend’s New England NHRA Nationals.
“The guys were out at the track Monday getting everything serviced and ready to go again. This will be the second race in a four-race swing and we’ve got a long way to go. We just need to go rounds and get our car more consistent and maybe grab another Wally.”
The following are Spencer’s statistics and NHRA Top Fuel points standings after 10 Mello Yello series events.
