Last season, Matt Hagan was accustomed to going to NHRA’s winners circle as he had five nitro Funny Car wins.

Hagan, who finished the 2013 season second in the points, didn’t have things translate into 2014.

His fortunes finally changed Sunday at this season’s 12th race as he beat his Don Schumacher Racing teammate, Tommy Johnson Jr., to win the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 Nationals in Chicago.

Last season, Matt Hagan was accustomed to going to NHRA’s winners circle as he had five nitro Funny Car wins.

Hagan, who finished the 2013 season second in the points, didn’t have things translate into 2014.

His fortunes finally changed Sunday at this season’s 12th race as he beat his Don Schumacher Racing teammate, Tommy Johnson Jr., to win the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 Nationals in Chicago.

“I tell you what, we have been working at it this year,” said Hagan, who pilots a Dodge Charger. “It has been a very, very humbling year for us. Last year we came out and won five races and you kind of think you’re going to set the world on fire the following year. We started off strong and went to the final in Pomona, and then after that it just kind of fell off. We were really having some problems in our bell housing area and trying to find some clutch discs that weren’t too aggressive.”

This was Hagan’s 11th win of his career. He lost at the season-opening Winternationals, to John Force.

“These guys (his crew) has just been keeping after it and I know they have been beating themselves up bunch this year, but they are smart crew chiefs and they are starting to get a combination together, “said Hagan, who won the 2011 world championship. “We’re getting there, but we still have a long ways to go. The competition is just so tough out here in Funny Car. So, when this deal does come together and you get to turn on four win lights, especially for that Mopar Express Lane car, you just don’t want this (Sunday) to end. It was just phenomenal, and makes you realize how special these things are when they come together.”

Hagan defeated Jack Beckman, Bob Bode, and Ron Capps before ousting Johnson Jr. Beckman and Capps – like Johnson Jr. – are his DSR teammates.

Although this season hasn’t gone according to plan for Hagan, he never stopped thinking positively.

“We just have been on the backside of a lot of good drag races, and we have not had a little luck go our way,” Hagan said. “It’s nice to pull one down and get that pressure off of us. Once that pressure kind of goes away of trying to get that first win of the year things start happening and clicking a little bit more. You don’t feel like you have to push so hard. Sometimes you push stuff away instead of letting it come to you. When you’re strapped in that race car, it has to be about that light and keeping it in the groove.”

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