TSR and Elite Motorsports Join Forces in NHRA

Two of the biggest names in professional drag racing are teaming up in a move that could reshape how NHRA teams do business. Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) and Elite Motorsports have announced a sales, marketing, and hospitality alliance designed to maximize opportunities for sponsors, fans, and partners across the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

The idea is simple: combine resources from both organizations to offer partners more options and exposure across multiple classes – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Mountain Motor Pro Stock, Competition Eliminator, and Pro Mod. By pooling assets, both TSR and Elite Motorsports are creating what amounts to a “super team” approach.

“This alliance just makes so much sense,” said Elite Motorsports owner Richard Freeman. “Tony and I have become good friends, and we’ve realized that we’re a lot alike. We have similar visions and share a desire to build basically a super team that can offer our partners the most and best options. Being able to offer the most to our partners, that’s really what it’s about. Taking care of the brands and people we have and being able to offer opportunities for those relationships to grow, while having the capacity to bring more into the fold. I’m excited about this, we all are.”

TSR’s Road to NHRA Success – 

Headquartered in Brownsburg, Indiana, Tony Stewart Racing may still be relatively new to nitro racing, but it’s already a powerhouse. Stewart launched the TSR nitro program in 2021, and the team began competing in 2022. Matt Hagan, a four-time Funny Car champion, has been with the team from the start, while Stewart himself strapped into the Top Fuel dragster in 2024, taking over for his wife, Leah Pruett, as she stepped aside to start a family.

The move paid off almost immediately. Stewart earned the 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year, captured multiple victories, and most recently secured the 2025 Regular Season Championship. He’s already got two Top Fuel wins under his belt in 2025 and heads into the Countdown to the Championship as the No. 1 seed.

“Our partnership with Elite Motorsports and Richard Freeman and his group is unique,” said Stewart. “It’s taking all of our assets that we have with TSR and Elite Motorsports with the Pro Stock, Mountain Motor Pro Stock, Competition Eliminator, and Pro Mod teams and creating a situation where we have a lot to offer partners and potential partners down the road. We will be pooling our assets together and working together to try to fund these race cars. This is a unique strategy that Richard came up with, but I really buy into the concept of it, and I think it’s already beneficial in the short amount of time that we’ve already started working together.”

Elite Motorsports: A Proven Pro Stock Powerhouse –

Elite Motorsports is no stranger to success. Led by Richard Freeman, the team is the largest professional drag racing operation in NHRA Pro Stock. Their lineup is stacked with championship-caliber drivers, including Erica Enders, Jeg Coughlin Jr., Troy Coughlin Jr., Aaron Stanfield, Greg Stanfield, Stephen Bell, and the Cuadra family. Add to that Mike Coughlin in Mountain Motor Pro Stock, Royce Freeman in Competition Eliminator, and Mason Wright in Pro Mod, and you’ve got one of the most versatile and successful organizations in drag racing.

But Elite isn’t just about winning races. The company also operates one of the most respected motorsports transportation businesses in the industry, offering everything from trailers to semi-transporters to meet the needs of race teams nationwide. Because they live and breathe racing themselves, they understand the details that matter to their customer base.

What the Alliance Means – 

For both TSR and Elite, this isn’t just about sharing space in the pits. It’s about expanding the reach of their partners and creating a one-stop shop for sponsors looking to connect with NHRA fans. By combining hospitality programs, sponsor activations, and marketing efforts, both organizations can deliver a bigger, more professional presence on race weekends.

“I think it’s already beneficial in the short amount of time that we’ve already started working together,” Stewart explained. “We see the benefits of this, and it can continue to make both of our organizations bigger and stronger down the road. I’m excited to work with Richard and his group. Richard and I have a great friendship, and I think that’s what great partnerships start out as. He has a great organization with great people, and I feel like putting our two teams with our great people together is just going to make for a very strong alliance and a partnership that will be beneficial to both organizations.”