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Pruett, Hagan Lead Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Nitro Cars For TSR in 54th NHRA Amalie Oil Gatornationals Qualifying Saturday

GAINESVILLE, FL – The season opening NHRA Amalie Motor Gatornationals proved to be exciting qualifying rounds Saturday before a sellout crowd. Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan of Tony Stewart Racing led the Dodge//SRT and Mopar competitors in the nitro-burning divisions with their respective Top Fuel and Funny Car machines.

Pruett, the 10-time NHRA national event winner, drove her all-new sublime green TSR Direct Connection Top Fuel dragster to fourth in the 16-car starting field Saturday with a 3.725 at 331.94 miles per hour. Pruett and her Neal Strausbaugh-led crew showed consistency in the three qualifying runs with two 3.72-second passes. The Arizona driver will compete against the No. 13 qualifier, Doug Foley, in Sunday’s first round of eliminations.

Hagan, the defending NHRA Gatornationals Funny Car champion, also showed consistency Saturday with a 3.900-second qualifying run and a top speed of 333.08 m.p.h. with his TSR Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to record the fifth spot in the 16-car field. Rain in Friday’s qualifying cost the nitro cars a fourth qualifying hit, but the Virginia driver is confident in his Dickie Venables-led crew to handle the ever-changing conditions of the Gainesville Raceway track surface.

“The weekend runs with the TSR Direct Connection Top Fuel dragster have been a culmination of our testing efforts,” said Pruett. “The weather today was much different, and we are making so much power that we needed to adjust the car’s setup. But I’m very pleased with our team’s solid two 3.72 (second) runs. We are watching the starting line surface closely with rubber changing the track. We have a good race-ready setup for eliminations on Sunday. I’m looking forward to race day.”

Like Pruett, Hagan mentioned the tricky track conditions could pose a problem for the nitro cars, but Matt is confident that his TSR Direct Connection team has the adjustments for Sunday’s eliminations. Hagan will take on veteran Tim Wilkerson in the first round of Funny Car eliminations on Sunday at 10 a.m. EDT.

“Coming into Gainesville after winning last year is a huge confidence builder for myself and our TSR Direct Connection team,” said Hagan. “We would love to go back-to-back here on Sunday, but it won’t be easy with this Funny Car field. The team has made good changes with the track conditions, and the crew has given me a strong car for eliminations. We will need to take it round-by-round as the conditions can get tricky out there. But I feel confident that we can navigate the changing track surface to put the Direct Connection Dodge/SRT Hellcat in victory lane again.”

Joining Hagan in the Dodge/SRT and Mopar Funny Car category Sunday will be NHRA World Finals winner Cruz Pedregon in his Snap-On Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car with a 3.933-second and will start in the eighth position, while rookie Funny Car driver Alex Laughlin qualified his Jim Dunn-tuned Havoline Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car in 13th at 4.012 seconds.

In addition, the popular wheel-standing Factory Stock Showdown will feature several Dodge//SRT and Mopar racers in their Dodge Challenger Drag Pack cars gunning for the coveted NHRA Gatornationals event title Sunday at Gainesville Raceway.

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