Dodge Teams Faced Early Eliminations at NHRA Midwest Nationals

The NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis proved difficult for the Dodge//SRT team, as drivers Tony Stewart, Matt Hagan, and Ida Zetterström all suffered first-round eliminations. Despite their early exits, each driver remains competitive in the NHRA standings as the season progresses.

Tony Stewart’s Near Miss – 

Tony Stewart, the NASCAR Hall of Famer and driver for Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) experienced one of the tightest finishes of the season in the Top Fuel category. Competing against veteran Shawn Reed, Stewart lost by just ten thousandths of a second (0.0001), translating to a mere three inches at the finish line. Stewart clocked a time of 3.755 seconds, faster than Reed’s 3.773 seconds, but could not overcome Reed’s strong start.

Due to heavy rains from Hurricane Helene, the event saw Friday’s qualifying sessions canceled, limiting Stewart to just two qualifying rounds on Saturday. He secured the eleventh position, now ranking ninth in the NHRA Mission Top Fuel points standings as the series heads to Dallas for the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals from October 10-13.

“This weekend was tough for TSR,” said Stewart. “With only two qualifying runs, we had to push hard. We ended up No. 11 in the field. Shawn Reed is a great competitor, and we just came up short. I’m looking forward to Dallas and hoping to get the Top Fuel car back in the winner’s circle.”

Matt Hagan’s Early Exit – 

Matt Hagan, a four-time NHRA Funny Car champion and the defending Midwest Nationals champion, was disappointed with an early exit. He matched up against Bob Tasca III in the first round, posting a time of 3.976 seconds but falling short of Tasca’s quicker 3.913 seconds.

Despite the early defeat, Hagan remains in the top five of the NHRA Mission Funny Car points standings, thanks to his recent victories at the NHRA national events in Charlotte and Chicago. Hagan acknowledged the challenges faced during the weekend, saying, “We just missed it out here today. It didn’t help that we only had two qualifying runs. We’ll regroup and be ready for Dallas, where we won last year.”

Rookie Ida Zetterström  – 

Ida Zetterström, a rookie in the NHRA, continues to showcase her potential with the JCM Racing/Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster. In her fifth professional event, she faced off against four-time World Champion Steve Torrence in the first round but could not advance, posting a time of 3.764 seconds to Torrence’s 3.726 seconds. “We learned a lot from this race, and I feel good about moving forward,” Zetterström said.

Looking Ahead – 

The NHRA Texas Fall Nationals are the next stop for the series, set for October 10-13. Nitro action will kick off with qualifying rounds on Friday, October 11, at 5:15 p.m. CDT, followed by additional sessions on Saturday. Final eliminations are scheduled for Sunday, October 13, at 12:00 p.m. CDT, with coverage on Fox Sports 1 starting at 4:00 p.m. EDT.