Matt Hagan, the renowned driver of the American Rebel Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car, is set to make his 329th career Funny Car start and his 14th appearance at the NHRA Midwest Nationals. Hagan, currently tied for third place in the Funny Car standings, is just 69 points behind the leader, Robert Hight.
In 2021, Hagan secured the win at the NHRA Midwest Nationals. World Wide Technology Raceway has been a special track for Hagan, where he has earned three No. 1 qualifiers in the past – in 2013 (4.001 ET at 320.20 mph), 2015 (3.883 ET at 330.47 mph), and 2021 (3.875 ET at 327.03 mph). Hagan has consistently been a strong contender at this venue, reaching the finals five times, with runner-up finishes in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2020.
Reflecting on his impressive journey, Hagan stated, “500 round wins is a huge milestone over your career. I can’t believe I’ve been able to be out here that long. I’ve been fortunate to surround myself with a good group of people the whole time, and that’s why I’ve been so successful. I’m blessed to have the same group of guys now that’s been together for so long. I know what they’re capable of, and I know what we can do out there on the racetrack. There’s a lot more round wins to come in the future.”
Excitement is building as Hagan proudly dons the American Rebel colors again in St. Louis. American Rebel is a company experiencing rapid growth and Hagan is excited about representing them. Hagan added, “Everyone should go online and check out all of their safes because they’re a great product. Andy Ross (American Rebel CEO) is a patriotic guy that symbolizes the American way. He’s a good guy to be around and we share a lot of the same values. I hope we can go some rounds for them on Sunday. Andy is a musician, and he was working on a jingle for me last week, so I can’t wait to hear it.”
This story was originally published on September 27, 2023. 
