Hagan Triumphs at NHRA Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 Nationals

Matt Hagan shook his head in disbelief after stepping out of his 11,000-horsepower, nitro-burning Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Direct Connection Dodge//SRT HELLCAT Funny Car. Sitting in victory lane at the NHRA Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 Nationals near Chicago, Hagan had just clinched his second consecutive NHRA Funny Car national event win, which he hadn’t considered possible after battling challenging racing conditions all weekend.

A four-time NHRA Mission World Champion, Hagan overcame tricky track conditions during the Friday and Saturday qualifying rounds to secure his 51st career NHRA national win. The Virginia racer, who recently won the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, had qualified 11th in the 16-car Funny Car field amidst the hot and humid Chicago weather. Despite these challenges, Hagan and his TSR Dodge//SRT crew made crucial adjustments throughout race day Sunday, culminating in a victory over the legendary John Force in the final round with a 3.998-second run against Force’s 4.096 seconds.

This victory marked Hagan’s second NHRA triumph of 2024 and propelled him to the top of the NHRA Mission Funny Car points standings with 488 points, ahead of Austin Prock’s 474. Hagan now aims for his third straight NHRA win at the upcoming New England Nationals in Epping, N.H., from May 31 to June 2, where he has already claimed victory four times.

Throughout Sunday’s eliminations, Hagan recorded wins over former NHRA World Champion Ron Capps, Paul Lee, and Blake Alexander, before facing Force in the final. Despite the tough track surface, Hagan’s 3.998-second run was the only sub-four-second pass of the event, showcasing the continuous improvements made by his crew, led by tuner Dickie Venables.

“It was a massive day for TSR (Tony Stewart Racing) and the Direct Connection Dodge//SRT guys,” said Hagan in victory lane. “Back-to-back wins are super in very tough track conditions this weekend. This place was so tricky with the heat and humidity. We got stuck in the tough lane and drove it to another win. Dickie Venables, Mike Knudsen, Alex Conaway, and all of the crew guys do such a great job on race day. I trust them to put me in a position to win races. I just stab the throttle and steer it. I had to drive the wheels off the car today.

“I wouldn’t have believed we could have won on Saturday. But Tony (Stewart) gave me the best equipment I could ask for in NHRA competition. We didn’t qualify as well as we wanted with an 11th spot, but on race day, we clicked those win lights, and that is what it is all about. Getting those four ‘win’ lights is why we do this. I feel like if you are in it, you can win it. Racing and beating John Force is an honor. He is the GOAT. So, I feel tremendous when you beat the best ever. I’m always excited to win a ‘Wally’ trophy and now it was my 51st career win. I’m so grateful to race these cars and drive for Dodge and Tony Stewart Racing.”

Team owner Tony Stewart was elated in the NHRA winner’s circle after Hagan’s second win of 2024.

“Matt and the team did a great job in the Direct Connection Dodge//SRT machine today,” said Stewart. “He had a big moment in E1 (first round of eliminations) where he crossed the centerline after the finish. That was a big moment, but this team knows how to race all day. Race day is their day! I’m really proud of these guys and, of course, Matt. Matt did a super job today.”

Stewart, a NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and Top Fuel rookie, competed in his sixth NHRA nitro event at Route 66 Raceway. Despite suffering tough track conditions throughout the weekend, Stewart and his TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT team made a valiant effort. Stewart, who has previously won at the nearby Chicagoland Speedway in NASCAR and USAC competition, qualified 16th and faced No. 1 qualifier T.J. Zizzo in the first round, losing in a close race.

The difficult conditions at Route 66 Raceway saw several favorites, including former NHRA World Champion Brittany Force, miss Sunday’s eliminations, underscoring the challenging nature of the weekend.

“It was the polar opposite of what you normally see in racing this weekend,” Stewart said. “It’s the nature of nitro motors. Nitro motors want to be under load. It’s not as easy as backing down a couple of knobs off and softening everything. You soften it too much, and it puts a hole out (of the cylinder). On weekends like this, the crew chiefs balance everything on a razor blade. You want to keep the load in the engine to make it happy but then soften things enough not to overpower the track.

“It was just a challenging weekend. Unfortunately, the one run we needed to get right (Friday night), we stubbed our toe. It backed us into a corner for Q3 and Q4 on Saturday. And that put us in a tough round-one matchup today. But we’ll be ready for Epping. We’ll test this week and I know there are things that co-crew chiefs Neal (Strausbaugh) and Mike (Domagala) want to try and get us where we need to be. So, we can sort out some things as we head into the June races.”

Nitro action at the New England Nationals kicks off on Friday, May 31, with qualifying sessions at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. EDT, continuing on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. EDT. Sunday’s final eliminations start at 11 a.m. EDT, with Fox Sports 1 televising the eliminations at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. EDT on June 2.