Hagan puts Rocky Boots Funny Car No. 2 with 3-second run

CONCORD, NC – Matt Hagan continued his remarkable season by registering the third 3-second run of his career Friday at zMAX Dragway to earn the No. 2 provisional qualifying spot in the Carlyle Tools Carolina Nationals presented by NAPA.

Only the second quickest Funny Car run in NHRA Mello Yello history by Cruz Pedregon at 3.980 seconds kept Hagan, the series points leader, from the top spot heading to Saturday’s last two qualifying sessions scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. before the following day’s championship eliminations, which begin at noon.

Hagan is the only one of Don Schumacher Racing’s four Funny Cars sitting in the top nine spots for the 16-car field.

In Top Fuel, seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher leads DSR with a best run of 3.776 seconds (320.58) to earn the provisional No. 2 spot behind current No. 1 qualifier Morgan Lucas with a time of 3.749. DSR’s Spencer Massey is seventh with a time of 3.795 (320.58).

This weekend’s event is the first in the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoff.