EXCLUSIVE: Driver Matt Hagan talks all things racing ahead of NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, Fla — Racing fans will be gathering at the Gainesville Raceway this weekend for the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. I got the chance to talk with four-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion Matt Hagan ahead of this weekend’s race to talk about training, the scariest thing in his career, and what it feels like to go over 300 miles per hour.

“Man, it’s intense,” said Hagan on driving over 300 miles per hour. “The thing about those cars is that they never quit digging. As long as you got your foot on the pedal, it’s still pulling. Those things just never quit. Everybody thinks we see the most G-force at the end of the throttle. It’s actually in the middle of the race track when the clutch is trying to lock up one-to-one to the rear end, and it’s just trying to pick the front up out there. These things are making over 8,000, 10,000 pounds of down force, and it’s trying to pick the nose and the body up out there. That’s where my vision gets really blurry is in the middle of the race track. And then once it goes one-to-one, you can start to see a little bit more, the finish line, you can pick it out. The next thing you know, you’re throwing the parachutes and trying to slow down and stop. To go a thousand feet, it takes a half a mile to slow down. It’s just incredible to see what those cars do.”

You can hear more on Hagan’s training and the scariest moment in his career in the full interview.