Matt Hagan has enjoyed success in his relatively young drag racing career.
In his seventh full season as a professional Funny Car racer, the 32-year-old Hagan is the reigning National Hot Rod Association champion, winning the 2014 Funny Car Drag Racing Series.
He has 16 career wins.
In the early 2015 season, Hagan already has two victories under his belt in as many events.
But even with all of the wins, all the championships and all the accolades, Hagan remains humble.
"I can remember when I couldn’t give an autograph away," Hagan said. "Now I’m grateful that someone wants my autograph. I don’t know. I guess I’ve had such a huge amount of success in such a short amount of time, maybe I haven’t forgot where it comes from."
Now, Hagan has his next opportunity to compete at the 2015 Gatornationals this weekend in Gainesville.
Thousands of drag racing lovers will fill the stands at Auto Plus Raceway, providing a wild environment for fans and racers alike.
"People go crazy for Gainesville," Hagan said. "It’s a packed house. We’ll be racing in front of thousands of fans next weekend coming up. It is really cool to do your burnout (and) look around in the stands. It’s slammed. For me, it gets my blood pumping."
Gatornationals is the third meet of the season for Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock racers, each of which begins qualifying rounds today.
It is also the first event of the Pro Stock motorcycle season, which started action on Thursday, and the first meet on the East Coast of the United States — the first two NHRA events of the year were held in California and Arizona.
For Hagan, a native of Christiansburg, Virginia, competing in the Gatornationals brings back some memories — Gainesville is where he started his pro racing career.
And while Hagan has found early success this season, a win in Gainesville would be a pivotal moment in his career.
"I want to win it, man," he said. "I want to win them all. I’m kind of greedy when I say that. It’s true. If you go out there and you don’t have that desire and drive to win, you shouldn’t be sitting in the seat anyway."
Like Hagan, Top Fuel drag racer Tony Schumacher has started the season on a high note and looks to continue that success in Gainesville this weekend.
Schumacher won his first meet of the season at the CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals in Phoenix by driving the quarter-mile track in 3.720 seconds — the ninth-fastest time in Top Fuel history.
It was the 78th win in his career.
He has four career wins at the Auto Plus Raceway in Gainesville, a track many dub one of the fastest in the country.
But Schumacher doesn’t invest too much time in those wins.
"It’s great history," Schumacher said. "Honestly, I have no better chance of winning Gainesville this weekend than I do of winning Atlanta, which I’ve never won before."
To the racers competing in Gainesville this weekend and in the remaining 15 events of the season, this is a lifestyle.
The wins and losses come and go.
But the culture remains constant.
"It’s been really humbling to me," Hagan said.
"I feel like if we can get these fans involved ... Drag racing, NHRA drag racing, is truly a phenomenal sport. It sells itself once you get onto the racetrack. But we’ve got to get these kids there, get these families there, and the rest of it will take care of itself."
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
Funny Car driver Matt Hagan races down the quarter-mile track at the CarQuest Auto Parts Nationals in Phoenix.
