Tony Stewart Racing Dodge Teams Battle to the Front at Norwalk

The NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, delivered a wild weekend of drag racing, and the TSR Nitro teams were right in the thick of it. Despite the heat and some tough mechanical setbacks, both Matt Hagan and Tony Stewart put down strong performances that reminded everyone why they’re serious contenders this season.

Hagan Fights Through the Field to Funny Car Final – 

Matt Hagan, piloting his TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT HELLCAT Funny Car, came just inches short of the W on Sunday after a final-round battle with reigning champ Austin Prock. Hagan had to go through a gauntlet of heavy hitters—including J.R. Todd, Jack Beckman, and Cruz Pedregon—to even reach the finals.

What stood out most was Hagan’s lightning-fast reflexes. He nailed a 0.050-second reaction time in the final round against Prock’s 0.069 and held the lead past half-track. But Prock clawed back with a 4.064-second pass to Hagan’s 4.095, winning by a razor-thin 0.0166 seconds.

“It was a great healing weekend for our TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT crew,” Hagan said. “We’ve lost a few tight ones lately, but today we got past some of the best. I knew I had to cut a good light against Austin. We ran a 0.050 light against that kid and that was good. I never saw him until the finish line. We put out a cylinder at the 300-foot mark, but the car was still hauling.”

It was especially satisfying for the team to bounce back after a string of frustrating weekends. “Mike [Knudsen] has been doing a great job in his first run as Crew Chief. Things are really turning around for us now with the hot conditions,” Hagan added.

Hagan now sits fifth in the NHRA Mission Funny Car points standings as the tour heads to Seattle.

Stewart Extends Top Fuel Lead With Eighth Semifinal in a Row – 

Tony Stewart may not have reached the final, but his run to the semifinals marked his eighth straight trip that deep in competition—an impressive stat for the NHRA Top Fuel sophomore. Driving his TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT dragster, Stewart qualified third and took out Kyle Wurtzel and former world champ Steve Torrence with consistent passes of 3.894 and 3.908 seconds.

Stewart had to overcome engine problems during qualifying and eliminations, including several motor swaps, but he and the team persevered.

“It’s been a rough two weeks for us at Richmond and Norwalk,” Stewart admitted. “But to get to two straight semifinals in the heat and make it to eight straight events makes me proud of our guys. It shows that this team has ‘no quit’ in them.”

In the semis, Stewart matched Clay Millican with an identical reaction time, but Millican edged him out at the stripe with a 3.958 to Stewart’s 3.974.

“I’m happy we kept our 52-point lead,” Stewart said. “But you can’t overlook Justin Ashley, who has won the last two races. We just have to keep focused. I’m proud of where we are at the halfway point of the year.”

On to the West Coast – 

With Norwalk in the books, both TSR teams will take a short break before heading to Seattle for the Muckleshoot Casino and Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals, July 18-20. Hagan will be looking to climb the Funny Car points ladder, while Stewart aims to hold on to that Top Fuel lead. Based on what we saw in Norwalk, both drivers and teams are heating up just in time for the summer stretch.