Stampede of Speed and Texas NHRA FallNationals Brings Out The Best in Funny Car’s Matt Hagan

ENNIS, TX – October 8, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Fresh off a win in St. Louis that has him right in the thick of the championship hunt, nobody is looking forward to returning to Texas Motorplex more than Funny Car standout Matt Hagan.

The four-time champ has enjoyed an incredible run at the legendary track, which plays host to the main event of the Stampede of Speed, this weekend’s 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals. Hagan is the back-to-back event winner of the crucial playoff race, but that’s only the start of his run of success in Dallas.

Hagan has advanced to the finals the last six years, dating back to 2019 when he picked up the victory. The veteran for Tony Stewart Racing has won five times overall at Texas Motorplex, which always bodes well for world title chances during the Countdown to the Championship.

Hagan closed the gap to 20 points on reigning world champ Austin Prock with his St. Louis triumph and with his track record of success at the Texas NHRA FallNationals, Hagan is eager to get back to work this weekend in his 12,000-horsepower Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat.

“It’s always a dog fight with the Countdown to the Championship. We’re very blessed to be in the hunt and have an opportunity to win,” Hagan said. “We have a real opportunity to win this thing. The biggest thing we can do is just be ready. (Austin Prock and his) team, they’ve won eight races, so they’re the ones we’re all chasing. We’ve done a good job at putting ourselves in the position to win this thing at the end with three races left. We have to have three great races. We need to qualify well and I need to do well on the tree and keep it in the groove. We have to rise to the occasion.”

In 2024, Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Hagan (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won the Wally and the coveted Texas Motorplex cowboy hat. For this year’s race, the winners will receive a special, one-time only navy cowboy hat to commemorate the special 40th anniversary of the event.

The event will be broadcast on FS1 and FOX, with eliminations taking place on FOX on Sunday, Oct. 12 at 2 or 4:30 p.m. ET, depending on local listings.

The race, the 18th of 20 this year, starts with a bang with two qualifying rounds on Friday and the highly-anticipated “JEGS Friday Night Live,” featuring the popular “Battle for the Saddle.” It puts more than $40,000 in bonus money on the line for drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle. The low qualifier under the lights on Friday night will net Top Fuel and Funny Car stars $15,000 each in bonus money, with $7,500 going to the quickest qualifier in Pro Stock and $5,000 in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

As part of the Friday night festivities, fans are encouraged to wear black and yellow as part of a special “Black and Yellow Bash,” adding another thrilling aspect to “JEGS Friday Night Live” and the weekend’s 40th anniversary celebration.

Hagan knows about Friday success in Dallas, too, taking the top spot in 2022 during “JEGS Friday Night Live” en route to a runner-up finish. Prock took the No. 1 spot last year with a track-record run of 3.813-seconds and has enjoyed a brilliant season, winning eight times. But Hagan is right in the mix after winning in St. Louis – his second victory this year and 54th in his career – and he’s joined in Dallas by a host of title contenders, including Jack Beckman, Ron Capps, Daniel Wilkerson and Paul Lee.

Hagan, though, has enjoyed his 2025 campaign, as first-year crew chief Mike Knudsen and the team have performed well – and have had plenty of fun in the process.

“It’s just fun to show up for work and it’s a great work environment. To have a group like this, it’s just great,” Hagan said. “It was nice to close that gap a little. We’re back in this hunt and what we have to do is just be consistent. I’m proud of my guys for stepping up and hopefully we can keep carrying this forward. It’s anybody’s ballgame out there and it’s going to get tight. We closed the gap and hopefully we can try and take advantage of that and have a chance to win our fifth championship.”

Ashley will need another Top Fuel win in Dallas to remain in the title chase. He’s 86 points behind leader Doug Kalitta, who will aim to stay on top against a field that also includes Shawn Langdon, reigning champ Antron Brown, Tony Stewart and Brittany Force.

Five-time world champ Coughlin won at Texas Motorplex last season when he defeated Greg Anderson, who claimed his sixth Pro Stock world title in 2024. This season has been dominated by Anderson and Dallas Glenn, who is the points leader. Glenn has six wins in 2025, including two playoff races, while Anderson is right behind after his St. Louis triumph.

Two-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champ Herrera won his second straight NHRA FallNationals last season over the six-time champ Matt Smith. Herrera moved to second in points following his St. Louis win, trailing teammate Richard Gadson by 29 points.

The Texas NHRA FallNationals will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which includes some of the sport’s top drivers and begins racing on Wednesday, Oct. 8. The event is preceded by a Division 4 race in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at the historic facility. The weekend will include the finale of the exciting Holley EFI Factory X category and the Jr. Dragster Shootout.

Fans will also be treated to the JEG’s Allstars event, which pits sportsman racers from across the country against each other for the ultimate drag racing battle, beginning on Friday, Oct. 10. The popular competition moved to the famed Texas Motorplex in 2023, the unique specialty race is back as a major highlight of the 2025 Stampede of Speed as one of most highly-anticipated sportsman events of the year.

Leading into the race weekend, fans can take part in several events as part of the massive 10-day Stampede for Speed festival. That includes the popular NHRA FanFest at Railyard Park in downtown Waxahachie (October 9), where fans can meet and get autographs from all the top stars in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and the JEGS Allstars participants.

At the track, fans will be invited to the Nitro Alley Stage in the pits for Nitro School, meet and greets, music and much more. Race fans at Texas Motorplex can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans can congratulate the event winners.

Fans with reserved tickets with a pit pass get access to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction. They can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers and more. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise and food.

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:15 and 7 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 10, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 12 and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. CT on Sunday, Oct. 12. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, leading into eliminations on FOX at either 2 or 4:30 p.m. ET (check local listings).

To purchase tickets to the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, call 800-668-6775 or visit tickets.texasmotorplex.com. For info about NHRA, visit www.nhra.com.

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With more than 100 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Source: National Hot Rod Association 

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