Matt Hagan Powers to First 2025 Win at NHRA Northwest Nationals

Matt Hagan is officially back on top. At the 2025 Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle, the four-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion muscled his 12,000-horsepower Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Direct Connection Dodge//SRT HELLCAT to his first win of the season—his 53rd career victory, all behind the wheel of a Dodge Funny Car.

After a runner-up finish last month in Norwalk, Hagan and his TSR crew came into Pacific Raceways on a mission. With a new team dynamic for 2025, led by Crew Chiefs Mike Knudsen and Phil Shuler, the Virginia native was laser-focused. Round after round, he proved he had the car to beat—laying down low elapsed times in each elimination matchup before facing longtime rival Ron Capps in the final.

In the 15th career final-round meeting between Hagan and Capps, Hagan left the line first with a reaction time of 0.054 seconds and powered to a 3.904-second run, beating Capps’ 3.919. That win now gives Hagan a 9-6 edge in head-to-head final round matchups with Capps.

“This one feels really good,” Hagan said. “It’s been a while since I won—Dallas last year—and it’s been a learning year with Mike taking over as crew chief. He worked under Dickie Venables for years, and we had a lot of success with Dickie. Now, Mike, Phil, and our whole team are building something strong, and this win shows that.”

Hagan’s road to victory in Seattle included wins over Buddy Hull, Jack Beckman, and Alexis DeJoria. In each of those rounds, Hagan threw down the quickest runs in the field, posting a 3.861 in round two, a 3.879 in the semis, and a 3.904 in the final. Simply put, his Dodge HELLCAT was the class of the Funny Car field.

With the win, Hagan jumped up to third place in the NHRA Mission Foods Funny Car standings—just 26 points behind Jack Beckman. With only a few races left before the NHRA Countdown playoffs kick off in September, momentum is definitely on his side.

“This team is hitting its stride at just the right time,” said Knudsen. “Norwalk was a turning point. Every run since then has boosted our confidence. Seattle was proof that this combo is coming together.”

Meanwhile, Hagan’s teammate and team owner Tony Stewart saw his own streak come to an end in Top Fuel. After eight straight semifinal appearances and two wins this year, Stewart’s dragster had mechanical trouble in round two against Shawn Langdon, who would go on to win the race. Still, Stewart’s first-round holeshot victory over Josh Hart extended his record as the only Top Fuel driver to advance out of round one at every event this season. He now sits second in points, just 12 behind Langdon.

Another highlight from Seattle was Sweden’s Ida Zetterström, who made her return in the JCM/Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster. Despite a tough first-round loss to Brittany Force, Zetterström left with a solid A-to-B pass and looks to rebound at Sonoma.

Next up is the NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway from July 25–27, where Hagan and the TSR Dodge//SRT team will look to keep their momentum rolling. And if Seattle was any sign of what’s to come, the rest of the Funny Car field better be ready.