Time after time Matt Hagan heard John Force’s spiel.

Force would talk about how he was spending time in the gym, working to get stronger to beat this kid, a hulk of a young man with the physique of a linebacker. The now fifteen-time champion Force often referred to himself as an aging NFL quarterback avoiding a sack from a huge and younger defensive player.

The first two or three times can be inspirational said Hagan. However, when the picture is painted during nearly every interview, “It gets old.”

Next season Hagan plans a major role reversal.

Time after time Matt Hagan heard John Force’s spiel.

Force would talk about how he was spending time in the gym, working to get stronger to beat this kid, a hulk of a young man with the physique of a linebacker. The now fifteen-time champion Force often referred to himself as an aging NFL quarterback avoiding a sack from a huge and younger defensive player.

The first two or three times can be inspirational said Hagan. However, when the picture is painted during nearly every interview, “It gets old.”

Next season Hagan plans a major role reversal.

Now he’s the one in the gym every day, working out and shedding body weight like clothing, with the intent of winning a championship burned into his eyes. This time he plans on Force chasing him all year long.

“I’m already down 14 pounds and I’m going to keep working,” said Hagan, speaking immediately following a workout. “I plan on coming back lean and mean.”

Losing the weight and working out is more than just running a lighter race car or making his Diehard Dodge Charger run quicker and faster.

“For me it’s a life change,” Hagan continued. “It’s something that I want to get in shape and be light as possible. I want to fit both mentally and physically when I get in that race car.”

Hagan is currently tipping the scales at 217 and within a month expects to be even lighter, possibly down to 205.

“I’m going to be 6’1” no matter what I do so I’m never going to shrink my bone structure but obviously I could be as light as possible,” he explained. “But I don’t really care how light I get as much as being in shape and fit and mentally sharp.”

Mental sharpness is something Hagan can use after losing the 2010 season in the manner he did. The sophomore NHRA Funny Car driver entered the Auto Club NHRA Finals as the point leader, only to lose a crucial first round race against Bob Tasca, a John Force associate.

Hagan leveled claims the Ford drivers had played “games” in their quest to shake his game plan on championship day. He’s since considered the experience as learning and will be ready, even though it was later discovered parts attrition was a greater enemy on the fateful run.

However, when you lose a title as Hagan did, it messes with your confidence. While a stinging loss can have an adverse affect, it can also have an inspirational effect. He’s never been more determined in his life.

Stinging losses, those are nothing new for Hagan. He still has a fresh memory as a sophomore high school football player lining up as a nose guard opposite of a senior sporting a full beard. The more experienced player, whom Hagan referred to as a man amongst boys, taught him a lesson about giving it your best only to come up short in the end.

In a way, Hagan believes, the stinging two-point loss to Auburn High School (Blacksburg, Virginia) would in an indirect way prepare him for his championship loss to Force.

“It’s definitely something I think about every single day of my life,” Hagan admitted of losing the championship. “As I said in my blog [on NHRA.com] it’s like a death, it takes time to get over. It’s something you worked for all year long and you’ve built up in your mind that you’re going to do. It’s like when Tiger Woods sinks a putt I’m sure that he’s already seen himself do it before he went up there to do it. So for me I already envisioned the way I wanted things to go and I thought through how I was going to do things.

“When that didn’t come into play and didn’t happen, it was devastating so it takes time to get over that. But it also put a burning in my gut that I want to throw that weight up hard and run that thing hard, I want to run harder on the treadmill and I want to do P90X a little longer. It makes me want to give that extra to make sure that I get it done next time.”

The message is clear, Hagan is gunning for a title in 2011.

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