Drag racing mega-team owner Don Schumacher and Aaron’s announced today the extension of their partnership through the 2012 season, with primary sponsorship of 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car champion Matt Hagan’s Dodge Charter R/T.

“It’s really exciting to kick off the season as the champion with Aaron’s on our car,” Hagan said. “They have the ‘Lucky Dog’ and I sure hope he brings me some luck.”

Aaron’s  will be the primary sponsor on Hagan’s flopper at 13 NHRA national events this season, and primary sponsor of teammate Antron Brown’s Top Fuel Dragster at four events on the 23-race Full Throttle Drag Racing Series tour. At 17 total races, this extends the involvement of Aaron’s with Don Schumacher Racing by two events from their debut season in drag racing last year, when they spit time between Jack Beckman’s Funny Car and Brown’s Top Fueler.

“We enjoyed amazing success with our DSR partnership in our first year working together,” said Ken Butler, Aaron’s Chief Operating Officer.”We came so close to winning the Funny Car championship with Jack and the Top Fuel championship with Antron, and are really looking forward to what 2012 will bring us.”

According Schumacher, it was his sole decision to move the Aaron’s brand over to Hagan’s Funny Car. Beckman, who finished second to Hagan in the points standings last season, will carry the Valvoline NextGen colors this season.

“There are wonderful people at Aaron’s, and I’m glad they’re still with DSR,” Beckman said. “Don is brilliant with how he runs the biggest team on the NHRA tour and has been able to sustain it out here for a decade and win nine championships. He does the right thing for our sponsors and marketing partners.”

Diehard meanwhile, which remained one of drag racing’s most forward-thinking marketing partners even during this offseason, has stepped down to an associate sponsorship role after Hagan carried them to second and first place finishes in the standings in the last two seasons.