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TSR Dodge//SRT Racers Pruett, Hagan Miss by Inches at Rain-Delayed Pep Boys NHRA Nationals

READING, PA – The adage, ‘It’s a game of inches,” couldn’t have been more appropriate for Dodge//SRT racers Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan Sunday in the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

The Tony Stewart Racing pair turned in impressive elapsed times in eliminations in the Top Fuel and Funny Car divisions, but both Pruett and Hagan were nipped at the finish line after strong runs in the rain-delayed first “Countdown to the Championship” event in the NHRA Camping World drag racing series. The finals were concluded on Monday morning.

Despite recording her quickest run of the 2023 NHRA national series at 3.677 seconds in the TSR Mobil 1/Dodge//SRT dragster, Pruett lost by inches to Doug Kalitta in the Top Fuel semi-finals. Pruett remains in the top-five in the current NHRA Top Fuel points standings with the tour traveling to the NHRA Carolina Nationals this weekend (Sept. 22-24).

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Hagan, Pruett Advance to Second Round Monday at Indianapolis; Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Drivers Set in “Countdown” 2nd & 4th

BROWNSBURG, IN – The tricky track conditions at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals made it difficult for the Top Fuel and Funny Car drivers and crews Monday in the 69th edition of the “Big Go” at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Battling the higher temperatures and humid air, the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) drivers, Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan, had impressive first round victories Monday in the Top Fuel and Funny Car eliminations, but both Dodge//SRT Direct Connection racers lost traction in the second-round action.

Hagan, the current track record holder in the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat, defeated Alex Laughlin in Monday’s opening round with a strong 3.914 to Laughlin’s 6.157 as the track surface became more difficult with additional heat in the afternoon. Hagan, the four-time 2023 NHRA national event winner, and his second-round opponent, Ron Capps, saw their cars lose traction early in their runs. But Capps clicked the win light first with a 4.582 to Hagan’s 5.146.

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Hagan Takes Runner-up in Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout Sunday in Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Funny Car at Indianapolis

BROWNSBURG, IN – Matt Hagan, the current track record holder at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and his 11,000-horsepower Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Hellcat Funny Car were a model of consistency in six runs this weekend in preparations for Monday’s final eliminations in the 69th Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Hagan, the three-time NHRA Camping World Funny Car Champion who ranks second in the current points, advanced to the final round of the special Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout event Sunday before taking the runner-up position with a 3.979 to Robert Hight’s 3.955.

But it was Hagan’s six consistent runs from Friday to Sunday which showed that his TSR crew, led by Dickie Venables, is ready for Monday’s eliminations in the hot and humid weather conditions. Matt’s qualifying rounds included a best of 3.912, 3.928, 3,967, 3.979, 3.982 and 4.040 in the heat of the day on Saturday.

The 3.912 lap gave Hagan the No. 4 qualifying position entering Monday’s 16-car finals as he will compete against Alex Laughlin in the first round. The 69th Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals will be televised on the FOX Network beginning at 2 p.m. EDT.

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69th Annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA US Nationals – Drag Racing’s ‘Big Go’ – Brings Prestige, Money and Tradition

Auburn Hills, MI – Every drag racer and team mark their “bucket list” for victories in their career. And at the top of that list is the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, scheduled to take place on Aug. 30 – Sept. 4 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

The U.S. Nationals, known for decades as the “Big Go,” is the “Granddaddy” of the straight-line sport as the biggest, longest running, richest and most prestigious event. Dating back to 1955, the greatest names in drag racing have converged on the U.S. Nationals with legends like “Big Daddy” Don Garlits taking “Wally” trophies in the classic event.

“You look at the NHRA national event schedule before each season and mark the most important races to win,” said Matt Hagan, three-time NHRA Camping World Funny Car champion. “And you always list Indy as No. 1. Of course, racing for Dodge, Direct Connection and Tony Stewart Racing, the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals should be at the top of our list. Winning Indy is our ultimate NHRA victory.”

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HUGE WEEKEND AT DODGE POWER BROKERS NHRA U.S. NATIONALS INCLUDES PEP BOYS NHRA FUNNY CAR ALL-STAR CALLOUT

INDIANAPOLIS – The world’s biggest drag race, the prestigious 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, has always been known for its special events for standouts in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and that will continue in 2023, as the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout is set to take place on Sunday, Sept. 3.

Eight Funny Car stars will race each other in a unique specialty race on Sunday, offering another huge highlight during the Big Go, which takes place Aug. 30-Sept. 4 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Robert Hight, defending Callout winner Ron Capps, Bob Tasca III, Matt Hagan, John Force, Alexis DeJoria, Cruz Pedregon and Tim Wilkerson make up the eight-car field for the one-day shootout at Indy with a distinctive callout format that promises big money and major bragging rights. It also gets a featured broadcast on the FOX broadcast network on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. ET.

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Leah Pruett Takes TSR Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Top Fueler To Final Round at Brainerd; Hagan’s Funny Car Out in First Round

BRAINERD, MN – Leah Pruett, driving the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Dodge//SRT Direct Connection dragster in her 200th NHRA Top Fuel start, fought her way through a tough Top Fuel field to take the runner-up finish in Sunday’s Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.

Pruett, winner of this year’s Summit Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio, was seeking her 12th career Top Fuel national victory as she defeated former NHRA World Champions Tony Schumacher, Brittany Force and current Top Fuel points leader Justin Ashley in reaching the coveted final round against Antron Brown.

After qualifying fifth with a 3.777, Pruett clocked consistent runs Sunday with a 3.820 against Schumacher, 3.750 against Force and 3.733 opposite Ashley. In the final round, it was a close race with Brown’s 3.715 to Leah’s 3.757.

Pruett’s third final round appearance of the year moved her closer to clinching a position in the “Countdown to the Championship” which features the top-ten Top Fuel drivers in points battling for the NHRA title in the final six events of the 2023 campaign. Leah currently holds the fifth spot in Top Fuel points.

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Matt Hagan Takes Runner-up Finish at Menards NHRA Nationals

TSR Dodge//SRT Hellcat Driver Extends Funny Car Points Lead

TOPEKA, KS – Matt Hagan and his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Funny Car team continued their consistent performances in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series after scoring a runner-up finish in his TSR American Rebel Dodge//SRT Hellcat at the Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park.

Hagan, entering his sixth final round of this year’s NHRA campaign, cut an incredible starting light of 0.024 seconds in the final round in the rain-delayed Heartland Motorsports Park event and only low elapsed time of the entire race by rival Bob Tasca III kept him for his fifth NHRA national event win of the season.

Tasca’s 3.885 bested Hagan’s 3.965 for the Topeka win in the event’s final NHRA national race, as the 2024 NHRA schedule welcomes Flying H Dragstrip in Odessa, Mo., to replace the Topeka event. The victory margin was just 0.0496 seconds.

Led by crew chief Dickie Venables and his stellar TSR crew, Hagan drove through the 16-car Funny Car field with round wins over Alex Laughlin, Tim Wilkerson and J.R. Todd before facing Bob Tasca III in the Funny Car final.

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STAGE IS SET FOR NHRA STARS TO SHINE AT PRESTIGIOUS DODGE POWER BROKERS NHRA U.S. NATIONALS

INDIANAPOLIS – Loaded with prestige, the world’s biggest drag race, the 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, returns to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Aug. 30-Sept. 4 to close out the 2023 regular season in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

For nearly seven decades, the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals have represented drag racing’s pinnacle, and there’s nothing like winning a Wally on Labor Day Monday. The Big Go will be just as legendary in 2023, with stars like John Force, Tony Stewart Racing’s Matt Hagan and Leah Pruett, defending world champs Brittany Force, Ron Capps, Erica Enders and Matt Smith all competing for wins in Indy.

Single-day tickets for the Top Eliminator Club are also on sale, putting fans even closer to the action. Offering the best seats in the house and a premium experience, the Top Eliminator Club includes number of exclusive benefits for the historic event.

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Hagan Extends Funny Car Points Lead with Semifinals Run at Sonoma

Pruett Remains in Top Fuel Top 5 points standings 

SONOMA, CA – Four-time 2023 NHRA Camping World Funny Car race winner Matt Hagan looked to be on a path to a fifth victory Sunday at Sonoma Raceway in the annual DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals driving his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Johnson Horsepower Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car.

Hagan, the three-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion, took his Dodge//SRT Hellcat to a semifinal finish and extended his current points lead to 19 markers as the NHRA Camping World drag racing series heads to Topeka, Kan., for the Menards NHRA Nationals Presented by PetArmor on Aug. 11-13.

Hagan, who has captured the Gatornationals, Winternationals, Four-Wide Nationals and Mile-High Nationals already this year, qualified fifth in the Funny Car field at Sonoma and defeated Jason Rupert with a 3.997 and Seattle winner Tim Wilkerson with a 3.955 for the quickest run of the second round.

However, in the semifinal battle against J.R. Todd, Hagan came up on the losing end with 3.999 to Todd’s 3.965. Todd went on to win the Funny Car class Sunday at Sonoma.

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Short Day for Hagan, Pruett Sunday at NHRA Northwest Nationals

Hagan Keeps Funny Car Points Lead, Pruett Stays 3rd in Top Fuel

KENT, WA – Coming off the excitement of winning last week’s Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals, Matt Hagan was on an “emotional high” entering this weekend’s Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals with his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car.

Unfortunately, Hagan’s winning streak the previous week at Denver ended quickly Sunday when the three-time NHRA World Funny Car champion smoked the tires in the first round of eliminations at Pacific Raceways. Hagan, a four-time 2023 NHRA national event winner, lost to eventual race winner Tim Wilkerson, 3.928 to 5.068.

Despite the early round defeat, Hagan remains the Funny Car points leader with a 17-point advantage as the NHRA Camping World drag racing series travels to Sonoma Raceway in Northern California next weekend,July 28-30, for the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

“There are some weekends where things are just off, and this was one of them,” said Hagan. “It makes you appreciate when things go well. I hate that we didn’t have a great weekend for Dodge between Leah and myself. It was a tricky race track out there. One thing I do know is that I have one of the smartest crew chiefs out there in Dickie Venables. He’ll figure out whatever is wrong, and it won’t be long before we’re back on top having a good run at it. We usually do pretty well in Seattle, so it was surprising a little bit. I’m excited about going to Sonoma now.”

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