A Banner Year for 2020 Funny Car Champ Matt Hagan
It’s safe to say no one’s year can compare to that of Matt Hagan’s. Just like his Top Fuel teammate, Hagan also kicked off his season after being awarded the title of ‘Funny Car Driver of the Decade’ by AutoWeek for his ability to masterfully maneuver his 11,000-horsepower Dodge Hellcat over the course of the 2010s.
Hagan began his 2020 campaign with a pair of pole positions at the first two races of the season. After the March – July COVID-pause, Hagan powered to victory at the first race back, successfully extending DSR’s Funny Car undefeated streak, a streak he himself had started in October 2019. He then went on to win the prestigious 350th victory for DSR before going wire-to-wire at the Dodge NHRA Finals presented by Pennzoil, where he not only won the event trophy but was crowned the 2020 NHRA Camping World Funny Car champion. With his event win, Hagan ensured DSR went undefeated on the year, and ‘swept the season,’ securing a total shut-out by the DSR Dodge Charger Funny Car pilots. By winning the ‘big’ trophy for the third time in his career, Hagan earned DSR its 18th championship overall, and the team’s sixth Funny Car title. With three Funny Car championships, Hagan ranks fourth (tied with Raymond Beadle and Robert Hight) for number of championships by an NHRA Funny Car driver.