Dodge
Hagan Takes TSR Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car to Semifinals Finish, Stewart’s Top Fueler Records Low E.T. at NHRA Gatornationals Opener
Auburn Hills, MI – Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) drivers Matt Hagan and Tony Stewart opened their 2025 NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series 
championship campaigns Sunday at the rain-delayed NHRA Amalie Gatornationals with the new red-and-blue 11,000-horsepower nitro-burning Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Funny Car and Top Fuel machines, respectively.
Despite losing two rounds of qualifying on Saturday to rain and a four-hour delay on Sunday, both TSR Dodge//SRT drivers put in strong performances during Sunday’s final eliminations with Hagan advancing to the event’s Funny Car semifinals and Stewart setting low elapsed time in the opening round in Top Fuel.
Earlier in the weekend, the Dodge brand announced a multi-year partnership extension with TSR to continue to field a Top Fuel dragster and Funny Car for the NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series, as Stewart, Hagan and Leah Pruett held a press conference to discuss the longtime Dodge alliance.
The Hagan team went through some changes during the winter with veteran Mike Knudsen taking over as the TSR Funny Car crew chief in 2025, with Phil Shuler as co-crew chief and Alex Conaway as the car chief. Recent testing had Hagan very confident entering the Gatornationals, an event he captured in 2022 and 2023. Continue reading
Stewart, Hagan Bring New Red-and-blue TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Nitro Machines to 2025 Season Opener at NHRA Gatornationals
Auburn Hills, MI – Debuting two eye-catching red-and-blue Direct Connection Dodge//SRT nitro-burning machines, Tony Stewart Racing 
(TSR) drivers Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan approach the 2025 NHRA Mission Drag Racing season opener, the NHRA Gatornationals on March 7-9, with eagerness and enthusiasm for the 20-race national tour.
Stewart, the NASCAR legend driving the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster, and Hagan, the four-time NHRA World Champion at the wheel of TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car, seek to begin the NHRA campaign with wins at Gainesville Raceway, following pre-season testing in their drag cars.
“Dodge is so proud to have Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan once again pilot our Direct Connection Dodge//SRT drag cars in NHRA competition,” said Matt McAlear, Dodge CEO. “Dodge holds a tremendous legacy in NHRA competition that reaches back for decades, and having two racing legends driving our Nitro cars is the perfect fit. Tony Stewart Racing brings Direct Connection Dodge//SRT performance to thousands of race fans, and our Dodge fans will be cheering them on to the winner’s circle throughout the year.” Continue reading
“New Dad” Stewart, Hagan Advance to Semifinals at NHRA Finals in TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Nitro Machines
Auburn Hills, MI – Racing legend Tony Stewart had a memorable day Sunday with the birth of his first child and advanced to the semifinals 
in his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster at the In-N-Out NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., while his TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT teammate Matt Hagan also scored a semifinal finish in the Funny Car division.
Stewart, a Top Fuel rookie, qualified seventh in the 16-car field on Saturday and then flew to Phoenix to support his wife, Leah Pruett, for the birth of their son, Dominic James, at 4:43 a.m. Sunday morning, before returning to the In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip at 8 a.m. for the final eliminations of the NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series finale.
After replacing his wife as the driver of the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT dragster in March when the Stewarts decided to start a family in 2024, the man known as “Smoke” proved to be consistent and quick off the starting line during the season. On Sunday, he scored victories over Billy Torrence and Gary Pritchett in the opening two rounds of Top Fuel action.
With little or no sleep, Stewart advanced to the semifinals to take on defending World Champion Doug Kalitta and held a slight advantage early in the matchup. However, Kalitta’s nitro-burning dragster won the race with a 3.678 to Stewart’s 3.738. Continue reading
Dodge TSR Drivers Stewart, Hagan Dealt Close First-round Exits at NHRA Nevada Nationals
Auburn Hills, MI – The world of racing is always a game of inches and that was the case Sunday at the NHRA Nevada Nationals in Las Vegas 
for Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Direct Connection Dodge//SRT drivers Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan with close first-round losses in the Top Fuel and Funny Car divisions, respectively.
Stewart, the NASCAR Hall of Fame racer from Indiana, drove his TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster to a strong 3.735 run against three-time Top Fuel champion Antron Brown in the opening round with cool conditions at the “Strip” at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the penultimate event of the 20-race NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series. Unfortunately, Brown’s 3.724 elapsed time nipped Stewart right at the finish line, ending the Dodge driver’s day early.
Stewart, who qualified sixth in the 16-car field at 3.703, now heads to the season finale at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals set for Nov. 14-17 in Pomona, California, and remains in the ninth position in the NHRA Top Fuel points standings in his rookie year in the Top Fuel category. Continue reading
Hagan Drives TSR Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car to 52nd Career Win at NHRA Texas Fall Nationals
Auburn Hills, MI – Matt Hagan, the reigning NHRA Funny Car World Champion, fought through a tough field Sunday to capture his 52nd 
NHRA career victory at the wheel of his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Johnson Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat in the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals, while TSR teammate Tony Stewart exited in a first-round loss in the Top Fuel division.
Hagan, the 41-year-old driver from Christiansburg, Virginia, enjoyed a stellar weekend at the Texas Motorplex by scoring his second consecutive Texas Fall Nationals win and fifth overall at the concrete-surfaced drag strip south of the Dallas Metroplex. In addition, the four-time NHRA World Champion recorded his quickest elapsed time of the year with a 3.823 in qualifying for the No. 2 starting position in the 16-car field.
The Texas Fall Nationals triumph was his third NHRA national event win of the 2024 tour with earlier victories at Charlotte (April) and Joliet (May), and Hagan’s 98th career NHRA final round appearance, all in Dodge//SRT racecars. Continue reading
Dodge//SRT Drivers Stewart, Hagan Exit Early at NHRA Midwest Nationals
Auburn Hills, MI – Tony Stewart missed advancing by inches on Sunday in his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster in 
one of the closest finishes of the season at the NHRA Midwest Nationals near St. Louis on Sept. 29, while teammate Matt Hagan also had a short day in final Funny Car eliminations.
Stewart, the NASCAR Hall of Fame owner and driver, went up against veteran Shawn Reed in the first round of eliminations and his 11,000-horsepower racecar was nipped by ten thousandths of a second (0.0001) at the finish line in losing by just three inches. The Indiana driver recorded a 3.755 to Reed’s 3.773, but it took a holeshot by his opponent off the starting line to score the win.
Due to heavy rain in the St. Louis area from Hurricane Helene, Friday’s qualifying sessions were canceled and only two Saturday rounds set the starting fields for Sunday’s eliminations where Stewart secured the eleventh spot to Reed’s sixth position. Continue reading
Hagan Posts Top Qualifying Spot, Advances to NHRA Charlotte Final in Tony Stewart Racing Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car
Auburn Hills, MI – Defending NHRA Mission Funny Car World Champion Matt Hagan, seeking his second straight zMAX Dragway victory, 
drove his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Johnson Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat to a final-round finish Sunday at the NHRA Carolina Nationals, while TSR teammate Tony Stewart exited early in the first round of Top Fuel eliminations.
Hagan, who captured the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals event win in Charlotte last April, and his championship-winning TSR crew had their nitro-burning Dodge//SRT Hellcat machine running strong all weekend with qualifying runs of 3.832 (season best) and 3.865 to secure the No. 1 starting spot entering Sunday’s final eliminations. It was Hagan’s second top-qualifying position of the season after claiming the No. 1 spot at Pomona in March.
The four-time NHRA world champion scored round victories against Dave Richards and Bob Tasca III before facing current NHRA Mission Funny Car points leader Austin Prock in the final round in very hot, humid weather conditions with track temperatures close to 130 degrees. It was Hagan’s 92nd career final round appearance in the Funny Car category. Continue reading
Stewart Goes to Top Fuel Quarterfinals in NHRA Reading Event, Hagan Out Early in Funny Car as NHRA “Countdown” Gets Underway
Auburn Hills, MI – After another strong qualifying effort, Top Fuel “rookie” Tony Stewart, a champion in NASCAR, IndyCar and USAC 
competition, drove his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Rinnai Dodge//SRT dragster to the quarterfinals Sunday at the NHRA Reading event.
After campaigning in the first 14 races to secure a Top Ten points position for the NHRA “Countdown,” both Stewart and his TSR teammate Hagan came through qualifying with stout showings, as the NASCAR Hall of Famer took the TSR Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster to fourth while the four-time World Funny Car Champion drove his TSR Operation Healing Forces Dodge//SRT Hellcat car to sixth in the 16-car field.
Stewart continued his three-race stretch of solid qualifying runs with another top four starting spot at 3.741 entering Sunday’s final eliminations, while Hagan, a former Maple Grove NHRA national race winner, recorded a strong 3.897 pass for sixth.
Stewart, who continues to have one of the best reaction times in the Top Fuel division, proved it in round one of eliminations Sunday when he matched up against Billy Torrence. Tony left the starting line first and never looked back with a winning showing to advance to the quarterfinals against former World Champion Shawn Langdon. Continue reading
Stewart Takes 50th Anniversary Direct Connection Top Fuel Dragster to Semis at U.S. Nationals, Joins Hagan in Securing Berth in NHRA Playoffs
Auburn Hills, MI – Tony Stewart has become a major factor in his “rookie” NHRA Top Fuel season, notching another impressive 
performance at the 70th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on September 2, 2024. Sporting special 50th anniversary Direct Connection graphics on his Top Fuel dragster, Stewart recorded his second consecutive No. 2 qualifying position in a tough 19-car field and advanced to the semifinals amid a star-studded lineup that included five former NHRA world champions.
Stewart and his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Direct Connection Dodge//SRT dragster jumped to the top of the Top Fuel qualifying charts with a sensational 3.707 and 331.04 mile per hour run before Brittany Force nipped his time for the pole with a 3.693. The Indiana driver came back in hot conditions (130-degree track surface) to post a 3.79 run in qualifying.
In final eliminations on Monday, Stewart continued his strong on-track showings with a 3.723 in defeating Doug Foley in the first round and posted a 3.747 in taking out Justin Ashley in round two. His 3.747 run just missed gaining lane choice for the semifinals against former world champion Steve Torrence. In the U.S. Nationals semifinals, Stewart and Torrence left the starting line together but Stewart’s dragster lost traction down the track and Torrence advanced to the final round. Continue reading
Tony Stewart Racing Celebrates Dodge Direct Connection 50th Anniversary
With Special NHRA U.S. Nationals Livery for Top Fuel, Funny Car Machines
Auburn Hills, MI – The 50th anniversary of the birth of Direct Connection, the legendary Dodge performance parts brand, will be celebrated 
at the historic 70th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals, scheduled for Aug. 28 – Sept. 2, when Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Top Fuel and Funny Car entries will display a special red, white and blue livery at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
The special Direct Connection 50th graphics were revealed earlier today by Dodge driver Stewart during a live appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.”
At the most famous drag race of the year, known as the “Big Go,” the TSR nitro team brings a unique “throwback” design to celebrate the Direct Connection 50th anniversary with motorsports legend Tony Stewart in the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster and four-time NHRA world champion Matt Hagan in the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car. Continue reading
