GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It wasn’t long ago that Funny Car standout Matt Hagan struggled at legendary Gainesville Raceway, the site of this weekend’s 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.
But the reigning world champ and star driver for Tony Stewart Racing has enjoyed an impressive turnaround at the historic facility, having won the last two years in Gainesville. The victory in 2022 was his first in Gainesville and the first overall victory for Tony Stewart Racing, while he opened 2023 with another Gatornationals triumph.
That was the first of six wins for Hagan, who ended the year with his fourth world title, also claiming the first title for Tony Stewart Racing.
A third straight Gatornationals win in his 11,000-horsepower TSR Direct Connection Dodge/SRT Hellcat to kick off the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season would also give the four-time world champ his 50th career win and a significant place in Gatornationals history.
Only five other drivers (John Force, Don Prudhomme, Warren Johnson, Jason Line and Eddie Krawiec) in NHRA history have won three straight years in Gainesville, adding another significant detail to the weekend. Hagan will also race with Stewart, who is making his Top Fuel debut in Gainesville, for the first time as a teammate, which adds plenty of intrigue and excitement as well.
“It would be really unbelievable to be able to win Gainesville a third time,” Hagan said. “It’s so hard to win any of these races and anything can happen. We’re going to go out there and work really hard to kick the season off. Gainesville has come around and been a better track to me the last few years. We have a lot of data to go off of, so we’ll go out there and see what we can do.
“I have confidence in Tony and his TSR dragster team just like my Funny Car squad. I’d love to win Gainesville for a third time.”
A fast start was certainly beneficial to Hagan a year ago and it wouldn’t be surprising to see another one in Gainesville in 2024. His team, led by longtime crew chief Dickie Venables, remains well intact and that consistency has played a huge role in Hagan’s success over the years.
The six wins and eight final rounds was a major accomplishment in the loaded Funny Car ranks last year and Hagan has his sights set on plenty of milestones in 2024, including a 50th career win and a possible fifth world championship.
Last year, he joined Force, Kenny Bernstein and Prudhomme as the only drivers to win four or more Funny Car world championships in NHRA history, but nothing will come easy in a class loaded with talent, including Ron Capps, Bob Tasca III, class newcomer Austin Prock, J.R. Todd, Chad Green, Daniel Wilkerson, Cruz Pedregon and Alexis DeJoria.
“We have a group that is well-oiled with a lot of chemistry, synergy and energy,” Hagan said. “I’m super confident in everything that my guys do. They’ve earned my trust over the years and I trust them with my life. That’s not taken lightly, I really mean that. I know that when we drag it up there, it is done up and put together as well as possible.
“We’re champions and we know what we have to do to work hard and get back on top. I’m excited for the season and (also) having Tony as my teammate.”