TSR Nitro Teams Struggle Through Tough Weekend in Texas

The Texas heat and tough competition at the NHRA FallNationals in Dallas proved to be a challenging mix for Tony Stewart Racing (TSR), as both Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan faced early exits in their respective categories. Despite solid qualifying efforts, mechanical setbacks and fierce first-round matchups ended both drivers’ weekends earlier than expected.

Tony Stewart Battles Through a Frustrating Weekend – 

Tony Stewart, piloting his Mobil 1 Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster, started the event on a strong note Friday evening with a 3.817-second run that placed him fourth provisionally in Q1. However, as qualifying continued, the field tightened up and Stewart’s best pass of 3.724 seconds at 331.86 mph in Q2 ultimately landed him the eighth qualifying spot heading into Sunday eliminations.

Unfortunately, race day didn’t go as planned. Facing veteran Clay Millican in Round 1, Stewart laid down a solid 3.774 ET at 321.52 mph, but Millican’s blistering 3.700-second pass at 335.32 mph advanced him to the next round and ended Stewart’s day.

After the run, Stewart remained composed but clearly wanted more out of the weekend.

“This wasn’t the weekend we were looking for at the FallNationals,” Stewart said. “We were able to qualify the Mobil 1 machine in the top half of the field during Friday’s night session. We knew Clay (Millican) was going to be a tough opponent in round one today. We just didn’t have enough for him. We have two races left to try and capitalize on points and try to bring home a couple more wins.”

With only two races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship, Stewart sits sixth in the Top Fuel standings, 236 points behind leader Doug Kalitta. Despite the setback, his rookie Top Fuel campaign continues to show steady progress, with consistent qualifying performances and a growing level of comfort behind the wheel of the 11,000-horsepower dragster.

Matt Hagan’s Title Hopes Take a Hit – 

In Funny Car, three-time world champion Matt Hagan and his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage (JHG) Dodge//SRT HELLCAT also faced adversity throughout the weekend. Hagan came into Dallas looking to score his third straight FallNationals victory, having won the event in both 2023 and 2024.

His weekend began with promise — a 3.970-second pass at 325.36 mph placed him fourth after the opening session. But things quickly turned sour after a massive engine explosion in Q1.

“It all started with Friday night when we missed it because we had a big explosion in the first session,” Hagan explained. “It wasn’t a tune-up issue or parts being put on wrong, but just a parts failure. It’s hard to swallow when we keep having part failures from manufacturers, but it’s the hand we’re dealt.”

Hagan’s crew thrashed to rebuild the car, replacing critical components before Q2. Still, the limited supply of spare parts forced the team to take conservative runs during Saturday’s heat. By the end of qualifying, Hagan secured the 12th position with his Friday Q1 run.

On race day, Hagan faced Paul Lee in Round 1. He left the line first and ran a 3.934 at 330.35 mph, but Lee edged him out with a 3.908 at 331.25 mph, ending Hagan’s hopes for a third consecutive Dallas win.

Despite the loss, Hagan remained focused on finishing the season strong.

“This was a really challenging weekend and obviously not what we set out to do losing first round,” he said. “We don’t have any more blowers, so we were trying to salvage the two we have to get through race day. We’ve blown up six times this year. I got Paul a little on the tree, but he had more for the racetrack. That’s how it goes sometimes and I’m not mad. We have two races to go, and no matter how the points hunt shakes out, we can still win two more races.”

Hagan now sits second in the Funny Car championship standings, 112 points behind leader Austin Prock. While the title chase remains open, TSR will need a strong showing in Las Vegas and Pomona to keep championship hopes alive.

Looking Ahead to the Nevada Nationals – 

Next up for both TSR teams is the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals powered by Direct Connection at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 30 – November 2. The event marks the penultimate stop in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Both Stewart and Hagan will be aiming for redemption — Stewart looking to rebound with a deep Top Fuel run, and Hagan seeking to keep pressure on Prock in the Funny Car title fight. With championship implications tightening, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Tony Stewart Racing as the season nears its conclusion.