Hagan Goes To Semifinals At NHRA Summit Nationals

Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) team put on a decent performance at the 2024 NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, with Matt Hagan driving his Direct Connection Dodge//SRT HELLCAT Funny Car to the semifinals, while Top Fuel rookie Tony Stewart narrowly missed advancing from the first round. Currently, Hagan sits third in Funny Car points after the event, while Stewart sits ninth in Top Fuel points.

Hagan’s Strong Run –

Reigning NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion, Matt Hagan continued his pursuit of a fifth world title with a semifinal finish. Hagan, one of only four drivers to win four NHRA Funny Car championships, delivered a series of impressive runs, starting with his sixth-place qualification in the 16-car field.

Hagan defeated former World Champion Cruz Pedregon and defending Norwalk winner Blake Alexander with runs of 3.914 and 3.900 seconds, respectively. His 3.900-second pass was the quickest of the quarterfinals. However, in the semifinals against former champion Ron Capps, Hagan’s 11,000-horsepower machine lost traction off the starting line, ending his run.

Despite the setback, Hagan remains optimistic. “We’ve advanced to the semifinals the last three races in a row and have some momentum going into the ‘Western Swing’ in a few weeks,” said Hagan. “It will be nice to get a little break. And it was great to have a group from Dodge at the race this week. We get to represent Dodge again at Seattle in the next race. We have one win there and we are working hard to get back in the winner’s circle.”

Stewart’s Close Call – 

Top Fuel rookie Tony Stewart faced a tough break in the first round of eliminations despite a strong performance. Stewart qualified fifth with a 3.729-second run and had a great reaction time against his first-round opponent, Jasmine Salinas. Stewart’s TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT dragster posted a 3.769 at 324.75 mph, but Salinas edged him out with a 3.750-second run, winning by just 0.0059 seconds.

Stewart reflected on his performance, “I was really proud of our TSR guys with the weather (rain) expected on Saturday. On Saturday, we had two good runs. The track got better and faster, and we bumped ourselves back up to fifth at the end of the day. We’ve qualified inside the top five in the last two events (third in Richmond). We have the potential, and we just have to put it all together. We are looking forward to the ‘Western Swing’ in Seattle and Sonoma in July.”

Thoughts for John Force –

Hagan and Stewart expressed their thoughts for fellow racer John Force, who was injured in a recent crash. “It was a tough weekend without John Force at the track, and we’re praying for him after his Richmond crash,” said Hagan. “It’s not the same out here without that guy. But he is improving, and that is great. He’s a big part of drag racing and we can’t wait to see him back at the track.”

Stewart echoed these sentiments, adding, “It felt very weird this weekend not having the G.O.A.T. (John Force) with us. We are still thinking about John and their whole family. It’s a tough time for them. John’s team had the cars here, and Austin (Prock) continued to race. I know John would want that. I’m glad John is plugging away. He’s a tough guy and doesn’t have any quit in him.”

Looking Ahead –

The TSR team’s next event is the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle, scheduled for July 19 to 21. Qualifying sessions will occur on July 19 and 20, with final eliminations on July 21. The event promises to be another exciting chapter in the NHRA season, with Hagan and Stewart looking to build on their recent performances.

The NHRA Northwest Nationals will be televised on FOX Network at 4:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 21.