Could Matt Hagan's weekend have been any better?
OK, so he didn't set the national speed record. Otherwise, Hagan was just about perfect.
Hagan won the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at zMax Dragway, qualified No. 1, set the national elapsed-time record, became the first Funny car driver under four seconds and broke the track record for speed.
Yeah, the DieHard Dodge driver had a good weekend.
"I'm still floating that my name's on the wall over there," Hagan said, referring to officials painting his name and national record ET (3.995 seconds) on a track wall. "It's something else to sit in a race car that has that kind of potential to set a national record. I guess this is the third national record we've set with that car, and we've broken our own record every time. That's phenomenal to me. That's history-book stuff.
"To have a group around you like (crew chief) Tommy Delago and all the guys who beat this thing out and put it back together, it's phenomenal. It's truly a fairy-tale deal to set the record, win the race – and to get to go drink some beer here in a little bit."
Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Kurt Johnson (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawic (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also had fairy-tale weekends, winning in their respective classes as the Countdown to the Championship began in Charlotte.
Hagan's win was his first of the 2011 in what has been a bit of a disappointing season after battling eventual champion John Force all the way to the final race of 2010 for the Funny Car title.
But Charlotte was a terrific weekend for Hagan, topped off by a run of 4.130 seconds at 301.07 mph to beat points leader Mike Neff in the finals. Neff went 4.431 at 202.79 mph but still held on to the points standings.
"We definitely want to win all we can," Hagan said. "That's what I told my guys coming into this deal this weekend: 'If you guys do anything differently than what you've already done, then I'm upset.' That means we're not trying hard enough throughout the regular season. I think everybody went into this with the same mindset: Do what we do."
Brown and his Aaron's dragster team continue to do what they do, too, as Charlotte was his third victory in a row. He knocked out Don Schumacher Racing teammate Spencer Massey and the FRAM dragster in the Top Fuel finals with a pass of 3.784 seconds at 325.154 mph to Massey's losing 4.533 at 155.08 mph.
"Spencer had lane choice, but we said, 'We don't want to get too greedy. We want to go up there and throw one at it,'" Brown said. "The car stepped up with a .78. They broke, but it would've been a heck of a drag race. We basically left identical.
"This weekend was a hard-fought weekend. My crew and our whole team deserved it because they put in all the hard work, and I've just been having a blast out there."
Brown took over the points lead from Del Worsham, who had led the Top Fuel standings since the second race of the season.
"I think we're going to be right there," Brown said. "We're going to be a strong contender for this championship. We've got to keep digging because everybody's car is stepping up."
One team that definitely stepped up in Charlotte was Johnson and his Pro Stock Pontiac. Johnson scored his first victory since Brainerd in 2008, winning when No. 1 qualifier Jason Line red-lighted in the finals.
Still, Johnson's new car showed increased performance in Charlotte, running in the 6.5-second range in each round on Sunday.
"It's been a struggle for the last three years," said Johnson, who earned his 40th Pro Stock Wally. "It's been a battle. We've been working in the dyno room, and then we finally figured out we needed new cars. This car was totally different than anything we had. … Chassis are different now, and we've been adapting over the last few races.
"The thing's been picking up, and we hope we know what to do to the car. It proved itself today."
Johnson unveiled the new car in Bristol, where he failed to qualify, but the team has slowly been gaining speed. He made a pass of 6.545 seconds at 210.97 mph in the finals to take out Line, who went 6.528 at 212.06 mph after he left .003 seconds early.
Krawiec threw down the gauntlet this weekend in Pro Stock Motorcycle, talking the talk and then walking the walk. Like Johnson, his opponent red-lighted in the finals. Karen Stoffer's GEICO Suzuki turned the Christmas Tree red, .028 seconds early, but Krawiec still made a faster pass of 6.870 seconds at 196.42 mph to Stoffer's 6.888 at 194.74 mph.
Krawiec, who held on to the PSM points lead, came to Charlotte on a mission. He'd been upset over his riding this season and was determined to race well all weekend.
"It basically comes down to the fact that I feel I am a champion, I know I am a champion," Krawiec said. "I want to be another champion. I don't want anybody to beat me. I don't want to lose. I want to win this whole deal, and that's what I'm here to do.
"Honestly, I want to crush everybody, and that's the way that I look at it. I have the bike that can do it, but the rider wasn't always there. But now, the rider's going to be there. That's going to be the change in our program."
The next stop on the NHRA Full Throttle Series is the AAA of Texas NHRA Nationals Sept. 23-25 at Texas Motorplex.
SUNDAY'S RESULTS
TOP FUEL: ROUND ONE -- Rod Fuller, 3.815, 324.67 def. Terry McMillen, 3.889, 315.86; Doug Kalitta, 3.868, 312.13 def. David Grubnic, 5.644, 114.19; Antron Brown, 3.824, 319.29 def. T.J. Zizzo, 3.908, 315.34; Larry Dixon, 3.790, 323.97 def. Shawn Langdon, 3.876, 318.62; Tony Schumacher, 3.775, 327.90 def. Morgan Lucas, 3.869, 314.90; Spencer Massey, 3.779, 327.74 def. Dom Lagana, 3.926, 309.13; Bob Vandergriff, 3.853, 320.28 def. Del Worsham, 4.231, 225.37; Brandon Bernstein, 3.815, 322.65 def. Clay Millican, 5.845, 108.63; QUARTERFINALS -- Brown, 3.830, 320.66 def. Vandergriff, 3.862, 316.45; Dixon, 3.816, 322.96 def. Bernstein, 3.827, 322.65; Massey, 3.815, 316.60 def. Kalitta, 3.865, 315.93; Schumacher, 3.798, 323.43 def. Fuller, 4.238, 203.92; SEMIFINALS -- Massey, 3.786, 324.05 def. Dixon, 3.816, 317.57; Brown, 3.795, 322.73 def. Schumacher, 3.802, 320.05; FINAL -- Brown, 3.784, 325.14 def. Massey, 4.533, 155.08.
FUNNY CAR: ROUND ONE -- Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger, 4.092, 316.01 def. Paul Lee, Chevy Impala SS, 8.312, 79.30; Jim Head, Toyota Solara, 4.154, 295.46 def. Melanie Troxel, Solara, 5.877, 124.68; Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.018, 322.27 def. John Smith, Chevy Monte Carlo, 6.564, 103.85; Mike Neff, Ford Mustang, 4.490, 255.92 def. Tony Pedregon, Impala SS, 4.973, 224.58; Jeff Arend, Solara, 4.103, 311.77 def. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.999, 179.85; Johnny Gray, Charger, 4.354, 238.43 def. John Force, Mustang, 5.751, 122.49; Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.121, 306.88 def. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 5.171, 152.42; Cruz Pedregon, Solara, 4.329, 265.69 def. Robert Hight, Mustang, 6.431, 104.66; QUARTERFINALS -- Gray, 5.055, 255.82 def. Head, 5.238, 272.83; Hagan, 4.054, 316.38 def. C. Pedregon, 4.108, 305.98; Neff, 4.076, 312.35 def. Wilkerson, 4.133, 306.95; Beckman, 4.083, 318.99 def. Arend, 5.223, 146.54; SEMIFINALS -- Neff, 4.080, 309.91 def. Gray, 4.118, 311.20; Hagan, 4.032, 318.69 def. Beckman, 4.090, 317.79; FINAL -- Hagan, 4.130, 301.07 def. Neff, 4.431, 202.79.
PRO STOCK: ROUND ONE -- Erica Enders, Chevy Cobalt, 6.568, 210.80 def. Warren Johnson, Pontiac GXP, 6.617, 209.43; Vincent Nobile, Dodge Avenger, 6.558, 211.20 def. Larry Morgan, Ford Mustang, 6.748, 180.65; Kurt Johnson, GXP, 6.561, 210.21 def. Buddy Perkinson, Mustang, 6.608, 209.46; Shane Gray, GXP, 6.607, 209.01 def. Greg Anderson, GXP, 6.571, 205.47; Jason Line, GXP, 6.524, 212.43 def. V. Gaines, Avenger, 11.339, 78.87; Greg Stanfield, GXP, 6.592, 209.39 def. Allen Johnson, Avenger, 14.132, 61.39; Steve Kent, GXP, 6.569, 210.11 def. Ronnie Humphrey, GXP, 6.586, 210.67; Mike Edwards, GXP, 6.585, 210.60 def. Rodger Brogdon, GXP, 6.669, 209.75; QUARTERFINALS -- Kent, 6.556, 210.14 def. Edwards, 6.895, 163.77; K. Johnson, 6.579, 209.82 def. Stanfield, 6.597, 209.01; Nobile, 6.575, 210.57 def. Gray, 6.594, 209.20; Line, 6.525, 212.09 def. Enders, foul; SEMIFINALS -- K. Johnson, 6.550, 209.82 def. Nobile, 6.586, 210.87; Line, 6.521, 211.63 def. Kent, 6.559, 210.08; FINAL -- K. Johnson, 6.545, 210.97 def. Line, foul.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: ROUND ONE -- Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.902, 192.25 def. Angie Smith, Buell, foul; Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.911, 193.65 def. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.937, 188.60; Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 6.945, 193.07 def. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.094, 193.35; Shawn Gann, Buell, 6.918, 192.19 def. Chip Ellis, Buell, 6.942, 191.65; Michael Ray, Buell, 6.922, 191.02 def. Hector Arana, Buell, broke; Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.836, 196.33 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.983, 191.00; Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.825, 195.79 def. Justin Finley, Suzuki, 6.911, 192.55; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.837, 193.05 def. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 6.953, 186.56; QUARTERFINALS -- Ray, 6.974, 183.94 def. Gann, foul; M. Smith, 6.864, 191.89 def. Hines, foul; Krawiec, 6.810, 196.79 def. Arana Jr, broke; Stoffer, 6.830, 195.82 def. Underdahl, 6.924, 193.90; SEMIFINALS -- Stoffer, 6.857, 194.83 def. M. Smith, 6.911, 189.52; Krawiec, 6.813, 196.76 def. Ray, 6.944, 189.95; FINAL -- Krawiec, 6.870, 196.42 def. Stoffer, foul.
FULL THROTTLE POINTS
Top Fuel: 1. Antron Brown, 2,187; 2. Spencer Massey, 2,171; 3. Del Worsham, 2,149; 4. Larry Dixon, 2,142; 5. Tony Schumacher, 2,132; 6. Doug Kalitta, 2,095; 7. Brandon Bernstein, 2,084; 8. Shawn Langdon, 2,051; 9. Morgan Lucas, 2,036; 10. David Grubnic, 2,032.
Funny Car: 1. Mike Neff, 2,209; 2. Matt Hagan, 2,187; 3. Jack Beckman, 2,156; 4. Cruz Pedregon, 2,113; 5. Robert Hight, 2,103; 6. Ron Capps, 2,082; 7. Jeff Arend, 2,064; 8. John Force, 2,063; 9. Bob Tasca III, 2,055; 10. Tim Wilkerson, 2,052.
Pro Stock: 1. Jason Line, 2,186; 2. Greg Anderson, 2,155; 3. Vincent Nobile, 2,132; 4. Mike Edwards, 2,125; 5. Erica Enders, 2,103; 6. Allen Johnson, 2,080; 7. Greg Stanfield, 2,071; 8. Rodger Brogdon, 2,062; 9. Shane Gray, 2,061; 10. Ron Krisher, 2,010.
Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1. Eddie Krawiec, 2,237; 2. Karen Stoffer, 2,174; 3. Matt Smith, 2,121; 4. Andrew Hines, 2,113; 5. LE Tonglet, 2,111; 6. Hector Arana Jr, 2,103; 7. Hector Arana, 2,066; 8. Jim Underdahl, 2,055; 9. Jerry Savoie, 2,052; 10. Michael Phillips, 2,042.
