Hagan Drives ‘Magneti Marelli Offered By Mopar' To 4-Wide Nhra National Win
Company press release.
• Don Schumacher Racing's Hagan takes 'Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar' to winner's circle at Four-Wide Nationals• Win by Hagan extends Mopar's win streak to six titles in five NHRA events in 2013
• Hagan back on track with first win since his 2011 NHRA Funny Car Championship season
• Hagan takes the Funny Car Championship points lead by 50 points
• Mopar Express Lane driver Johnson drops to second place in Pro Stock points standings after red light in round two quad elimination
April 21, 2013 , Concord, N.C. - Matt Hagan drove his 'Magneti Marelli Quality Autoparts Offered by Mopar' Dodge Charger R/T straight to victory lane at the fourth annual Dollar General NHRA Four-Wide Nationals for his first title win of the season and his sixth career Funny Car victory with Don Schumacher Racing. 'This was a big win for us,' Hagan said of his first title since the 2011 season finale to earn the NHRA Funny Car World Championship for Mopar. 'It's been a year since we won, or longer. It's been too long, and that feeling is just great to have back. Obviously we don't want this to go away.' 'Congratulations to Matt Hagan from all of us at Mopar on his win today at the Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte,' said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC's service, parts and customer-care brand. 'Matt has had a strong start to the season and it's great to see the 'Magneti Marelli Quality Auto Parts Offered by Mopar' branded Dodge Charger in the winner's circle. We look forward to watching Matt, as well as his Don Schumacher Racing teammates contend for wins in defense of the Funny Car Championship title for a third consecutive year.' Hagan had three consecutive 4.0-second passes during Sunday's unique four-wide eliminations on his way to earning the 'Wally'. He emerged the winner in the first round with an elapsed time run of 4.057 seconds (314.09 mph) and moved on to the next quad match up along with Mopar teammate Jack Beckman who had qualified third. They did so by defeating their other DSR teammate Ron Capps and Dale Creasy.
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In the next round, Hagan was once again quickest with an e.t. of 4.075 seconds (313.29 mph) while Beckman hazed the tires and did not advance to the championship round. For the four-wide final, the 'Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar' machine served up a 4.071 seconds (315.34 mph) run to beat Blake Alexander, while Tim Wilkerson and No.1 qualifier Chad Head both lost traction early in their runs. With the win, Hagan jumps from fourth place into the lead in the category by 50 points, marking the first time he has led the standings since winning the 2011 Championship. The event's purposely built four lane zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway, provided a bit more of a challenge to Mopar's Pro Stock contingency. All four HEMI-powered Dodge entries had their elimination rounds end in disappointment as none made it past the second quad. The first to fall was No.2 qualifier Jeg Coughlin Jr. who had great 0.005-second reaction time to take the lead off the start in the JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger until it suddenly got loose and he lost his chance to advance. Teammate Vincent Nobile had a similar fate after also coming out the gate first, but was beaten to the line by both Mike Edwards and fellow Mopar driver V. Gaines. Coming off wins at the previous two National events, Allen Johnson drove his Mopar Express Lane Dodge to the finish in second place to make it through the first round. Johnson and Gaines second round quad eliminations appearance didn't go quite as planned as both saw their red lights come on, disqualifying their run at making the final four. 'It's disappointing not to make it to the final and it hasn't been our best weekend but the four wide is fun for the fans and mixes things up a bit,' said Johnson. 'It's kind of unusual for me to foul out and for both me and V. (Gaines) to both do it at the same time is really odd. It's just not something we normally do. The good news is the Mopar Express Lane Dodge isn't too far back in the points in second spot.' The Pro Stock Four-Wide National title was won by Mike Edwards who takes over the points lead. Runner-up finisher Erica Enders-Stevens slips into third sport behind Johnson. The final-four semi-finalists were Shane Gray and Greg Anderson. Next on the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule is the 26th annual NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Royal Purple Raceway in Houston, Texas, on April 19-21. 2013 NHRA Championship Points Standings (after 5 races): PRO STOCK (season wins in parentheses) 1. Mike Edwards (1) – 494 2. Allen Johnson (2) - Dodge Avenger – 410 3. Erica Enders-Stevens (1) – 396 4. Jeg Coughlin Jr. - Dodge Avenger – 369 5. Vincent Nobile (1) - Dodge Avenger – 309 6. Jason Line – 303 7. V. Gaines- Dodge Avenger – 284 8. Greg Anderson – 269 9. Shane Gray – 227 10. Rodger Brogdon – 200 FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses) 1. Matt Hagan (1) - Dodge Charger R/T –399 2. Cruz Pedregon (1) – 349 3. Courtney Force (1) – 347 4. Johnny Gray (1) - Dodge Charger R/T – 311 5. Ron Capps (1) - Dodge Charger R/T – 309 6. Robert Hight – 271 7. Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger R/T – 263 8. Del Worsham – 259 9. Tim Wilkerson – 247 10. Bob Tasca III – 240 About Mopar Motorsports Mopar's commitment to professional motorsports competition was established in the 1950s when a partnership ignited with drag racing pioneer Don Garlits, resulting in the breaking of numerous speed and performance barriers in HEMI®-powered vehicles over the next several decades. In 2013, Mopar looks to defend its two NHRA 2012 World Championship titles in Pro Stock and Funny Car categories, and celebrates 25 consecutive years as title sponsor of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Colorado. While Mopar remains involved in a various professional motorsports series, it continues to honor its roots by being a proud supporter of amateur racing within the NHRA with its sponsorship of the HEMI Challenge and Mopar Sportsman Cup. Mopar-first Features Mopar has introduced numerous industry-first features including: - Vehicle-information apps: first to introduce smartphone vehicle-information applications, a new channel of communication with consumers - Electronic owner manuals: first to introduce traditional owner manuals in a DVD and brief user-guide format and first to offer complete vehicle-information kits in Spanish - Wi-Fi: first to offer customers the ability to make their vehicle a wireless hot spot - Wireless charging: first to introduce in-vehicle wireless charging for portable devices - Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS): first to market with a new interactive vehicle tracking device that sends owner a text when vehicle is driven too fast or too far based on pre-set parameters - 2011 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak: first to introduce a 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag-race package car - Brand-specific customer care telephone lines: first to offer Sunday service hours for customers - WiTECH: first to support vehicle diagnosis and software updates leveraging off-the-shelf personal computers and a dedicated wireless tool network About the Mopar Brand Mopar is Chrysler Group LLC's service, parts and customer-care brand. With the creation of the Chrysler Group and Fiat S.p.A. partnership, Mopar is extending its global reach, integrating service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance dealer and customer support worldwide. Combined with Fiat S.p.A., Mopar's global portfolio includes more than 500,000 parts and accessories that are distributed in more than 130 countries. Mopar is the source for all genuine parts and accessories for Chrysler Group and Fiat S.p.A. brands. Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler Group and Fiat S.p.A. vehicles — a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at www.mopar.com. More than 75 Years of Mopar Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for antifreeze product in 1937. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s — the muscle-car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth 'package cars' equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of 'special parts' for super-stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use. The brand has expanded to include technical service and customer support. About Magneti Marelli Based in Italy (Corbetta, Milan), Magneti Marelli was established in 1919. The company is a subsidiary of Fiat Group and has a presence and reputation in racing, including Formula 1 and World Rally Championship (WRC) and now the NHRA. With 2012 revenues of $7,5 billion and approximately 36,900 employees, Magneti Marelli designs and produces advanced automotive systems and components. The company has 83 production facilities, 12 research and development centers and 26 application centers in 19 countries. The group supplies leading automakers in Europe, North America, South America and the Far East. Magneti Marelli USA coordinates the activities of all Magneti Marelli divisions in the NAFTA region from its North American headquarters, located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Magneti Marelli has established a significant presence in the world of aftermarket and service networks in the US, thanks to the partnership with MOPAR Mopar Express Lane Service Mopar Express Lane service, offered at participating Chrysler Group dealerships, provides a dedicated service lane for fast oil changes, and much more, in order to maximize customer convenience for all make and model vehicles. Available services include oil and filter changes, multi-point vehicle checkup, tire rotation with brake inspection, air and cabin filter replacement, wiper blade replacement, headlight and light bulb replacement and battery testing. Mopar Express Lane service is a consumer's best choice for vehicle maintenance, with highly-skilled Chrysler Group dealership technicians ready to get to work and get you back on the road in no time. No appointments. No waiting. No worries.
