FUNNY CAR

Matt Hagan (Ron Lewis photo)

Matt Hagan is off to the best start to an NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season since his NHRA Funny Car career began in 2008: Two wins in two events.

The team led by crew chief Dickie Venables clocked low elapsed time of the weekend with a 3.975-second lap at 324.83 mph, the fifth quickest elapsed time and second fastest speed recorded by a Funny Car in NHRA competition, in the final round of Sunday to defeat Del Worsham's 4.010.

"That shows why we are champions," said Matt, the reigning and two-time world champion. "Dickie Venables has done a helluva of a job with this Rocky Boots/Mopar Funny Car and he just continues to prove why he is one of the baddest crew chiefs out there. The guy has a great hot rod underneath me and I'm just trying not to mess it up."

Hagan's runs in eliminations ranged from his best in the final round 3.975-second lap to a 4.072-second lap, the slowest of his weekend in the opening round.

Venables was seen giving a sigh of relief on the starting line after the Phoenix final round instead of a standard fist pump or high five.

"We put the same tune-up that we had in it for the final qualifying session on Saturday but you never know if the car is going to perform the same," he said. "It did, and it was a relief. We're off to a great start and I couldn't be happier."

Del Worsham (Ron Lewis photo)

Del Worsham’s DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car continued its tear of consistent 4.0-second runs. After running a 3.997 in his final qualifying pass on Saturday, Worsham lined up against John Hale in round one. His 4.037 second run bested Hale’s 4.183-second pass to send Worsham to the quarterfinals.

Two more great times (4.047 and 4.010) led the DHL team past foes Chad Head and Robert Hight to set up a final pair of Worsham and Matt Hagan. Unfortunately, another 4.010-second run was not enough to take out the 2014 NHRA Funny Car champion, who won his second Wally of the season.

Following his finish and a semi-final effort at the season’s first event in Pomona, Worsham moves to the top two in the NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car standings.