Dodge Teams Shine At NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals

At the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota, the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Nitro teams of Matt Hagan and Tony Stewart delivered standout performances, further solidifying their presence in the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Championship. This event marked a critical step in the NHRA season as teams prepared for the upcoming U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

Matt Hagan’s Runner-Up Finish in Funny Car –

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The reigning and four-time NHRA Mission World Funny Car Champion Matt Hagan showcased his resilience at Brainerd. Despite a challenging qualifying session that saw him land the 13th spot in the 16-car Funny Car lineup, Hagan and his crew, led by crew chief Dickie Venables, regrouped for race day. Hagan’s Dodge//SRT HELLCAT Funny Car emerged victorious in a tough first-round matchup against three-time World Champion Ron Capps, thanks to a “holeshot” win with a time of 3.937 seconds.

Hagan continued his momentum by defeating Daniel Wilkerson in the second round and former World Champion J.R. Todd in the semifinals. In the final round, Hagan faced off against Blake Alexander but left the starting line too early, resulting in a red light and a runner-up finish.

Reflecting on the weekend, Hagan acknowledged the challenges of qualifying but praised his team’s ability to adapt and perform under pressure. “We haven’t been qualifying the greatest, but we seem to really race well on Sundays,” Hagan said. “My team did everything right this weekend, and I let them down in the final when I had a redlight. We picked up some valuable points this weekend. We’ll get ready for Indy and then the start of the ‘Countdown.’”

Tony Stewart’s Strong Showing in Top Fuel –

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In his rookie Top Fuel season, Tony Stewart delivered one of his best performances of the year at Brainerd. Stewart qualified second in the Top Fuel field with a 3.688-second pass at 333.16 miles per hour, his best qualifying position of the season. He continued to impress in eliminations, posting a blistering 334.73 mph in the first round, the fastest speed of the entire event.

Stewart advanced to the second round after defeating eight-time World Champion Tony Schumacher. However, his dragster lost traction against eventual race winner Justin Ashley, ending Stewart’s day in the quarterfinals. Despite the early exit, Stewart’s performance moved him to seventh in the NHRA Mission Top Fuel points standings.

Reflecting on his weekend, Stewart said, “In the big picture, our car has speed for the first time this season, and we’re running in the 3.60s for the first time with me in the car. We finally got the car to run in the 330 miles per hour range in Sonoma, and we broke speed records three times this weekend. We finally have a car that is competitive; it’s just a matter of getting a handle on it.”

Ida Zetterström’s Impressive NHRA Debut –

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Making her NHRA national event debut, Sweden’s Ida Zetterström turned heads with her performance in the JCM Racing/Dodge Europe Top Fuel dragster. Zetterström, the defending FIA European Top Fuel champion, made a significant impact by upsetting No. 1 qualifier and former World Champion Steve Torrence in the first round. Her 3.773-second “holeshot” victory over Torrence’s 3.750-second run marked a career-best for Zetterström.

Zetterström advanced to the semifinals, where her remarkable debut ended, but not before proving her capabilities on the NHRA stage. “I really enjoyed my first race in NHRA competition, and I can’t wait to go to Indy now,” Zetterström said. “It was a great weekend for myself and the whole JCM Racing/Dodge Europe team in our first event.”

Looking Ahead to the U.S. Nationals – 

The TSR Nitro teams now shift their focus to the 70th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals, which will take place at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park from August 28 to September 2, 2024. With both Hagan and Stewart making strides in their respective categories and Zetterström eager to continue her NHRA journey, the stage is set for an exciting showdown at the “Big Go.”