Matt Hagan is in the driver’s seat in funny car

Matt Hagan and John Force, vying for the 2010 National Hot Rod Assn. funny car championship, squared off in a qualifying run Saturday at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, and what a race it was.

Force was quickest with a time of 4.077 seconds over 1,000 feet with a top speed of 305.70 mph. Hagan finished in 4.094 at 301.67.

The title will be decided Sunday. But the way the brackets break out, if they square off again, Hagan will have the title all but wrapped up. The 27-year-old driver from Virginia, in his second full season in funny car competition, has a 38-point lead over the 61-year-old Force, who has won a record 14 NHRA titles.

The are four rounds in the 16-car Full Throttle Series final eliminations, and Hagan and Force, in separate brackets, can’t meet before the final round. By then, Hagan will have won three rounds and have accumulated enough points so that the only way Force could win the championship in that case would be to set a national record. A record is worth 20 points, same as a round win in the finals.

Force doesn’t think a national record is possible.

“Not on this track,” he said. “It would take a miracle.”

Hagan agreed.

“It’s too hot and there is too much slippage,” he said.

But if Hagan slips up during an early round and loses, that will open the door for Force.

“I wish we were meeting earlier,” Force said. “I’d like to get it over with.”

Hagan, who credits crew chief Tommy DeLago for his success this season, cautiously likes his chances of winning the title.

“For us, it’s first and goal at the 10,” he said. “We just have to deliver.”

Force also used a football analogy to describe the competition between the youngster and himself.

“At his age, he should be chasing around Brett Favre instead of this old man.

“If he beats me, I’ll shake his hand. He’s really a good kid. But I’ll be back next season going for that 15th title. I’m not going anywhere.”

In top fuel, Tony Schumacher remains in contention, but just barely. After turning in the fastest qualifying run Saturday — 3.794 seconds at 322.88 mph — Schumacher trails leader Larry Dixon by 82 points. Dixon would have to go out in the first round and Schmacher would have to win all four rounds and also set a national record to win his seventh consecutive title and eighth overall.

All Greg Anderson had to do to clinch his fourth NHRA pro stock title Saturday was qualify in the top 16 and secure a spot in Sunday’s final. Mission accomplished.

Anderson qualified fourth with a run of 6.554 seconds and top speed of 211.39 mph.

“I’ll go out there with a smile on my face and not worry about a thing,” Anderson said. But he also said that he will try and win and “go out with a bang.”

Anderson, 49, entered the six-race “Countdown” playoff in fourth place and won three of the first five events to all but clinch his fourth pro stock title but first since winning three in a row from 2003 to 2005.

Anderson said this one was particularly sweet because of all he had to overcome. Team owner Ken Black suffered a stroke in December and a month later his Charlotte, N.C. home nearly burned down in a fire accidently caused by a neighbor.

Black is recovering, the home has been rebuilt and Anderson has another championship.

“I’ll never forget this one,” he said.

sports@latimes.com