TSR Locked And Loaded For NHRA Brainerd Nationals

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series rolls into Brainerd International Raceway this weekend for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, and Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) is showing up ready to make a statement. With only two races left before the Countdown to the Championship begins, both Tony Stewart in Top Fuel and Matt Hagan in Funny Car are sitting second in points — and they’re hungry for wins.

Brainerd is the second-to-last stop of the regular season, and after the U.S. Nationals in Indy on September 1, the top-10 drivers in each category will lock into the playoffs. Stewart is just 48 points behind Top Fuel leader Shawn Langdon, while Hagan trails Funny Car leader Austin Prock by 201 points. Every round matters now.

For Stewart, this weekend marks his 33rd career Top Fuel start and his second trip to Brainerd. Last year, he qualified second and made it to Round 2 before getting knocked out. This time, he’s got one thing on his mind — a win.

“It’s a big deal and it’s a big deal to our team,” Stewart said about chasing the regular-season championship. “Even though it’s not the world championship you win at the end of the season, it still means a lot. It means a lot to me as an owner and driver, but it also means a lot to these crew guys.”

Hagan, meanwhile, is no stranger to success here. The four-time Funny Car champion has one Brainerd win (2021) and four No. 1 qualifiers to his name. He came close again last year, reaching the finals before a red light start ended his day. This year, he’s also bringing momentum from a strong season in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge — leading the Funny Car field with 14 points earned in the specialty event.

“It’s incredible that we’ve gathered that many #2Fast2Tasty points,” Hagan said. “It just shows that even though we’ve been on the back side of some good drag races, we’ve been consistent. We’re doing the things we need to do to grow as a team, and moving forward, we’ll have more Wallys pile up.”

Both Stewart and Hagan will have a new look in Brainerd thanks to American Rebel Beer, which is sponsoring both entries. Founded in 2024 by CEO Andy Ross, American Rebel Beer prides itself on being all-natural with a bold taste and no corn, rice, or sweeteners. It’s already available in 14 states, with more on the way, and will be heavily represented at the track — and in the legendary Brainerd “Zoo” campground.

“I think Brainerd is the perfect place to have American Rebel Light,” Stewart said. “In my opinion, it’s the best race of the year, and it has the best parties. The fans are amazing, so it’s my favorite stop on the tour.”

Hagan agrees. “Andy Ross and all the folks from American Rebel are great. They’re salt-of-the-earth people and excited to be in drag racing. I think there will be a lot of American Rebel Beer drinks in the Zoo. Andy will be playing for the FOX broadcast in the Zoo, so that’s huge. The weather is usually great there, and we can lay down some fast numbers. I’m excited to get after it.”

Fans can catch qualifying on FS1 Friday night, more qualifying on Saturday evening, and the finals live on FOX Sunday afternoon. Nitro qualifying sessions kick off Friday at 4:30 p.m. CDT, with eliminations starting Sunday morning. With Brainerd’s rowdy atmosphere, quick track, and playoff implications on the line, Stewart and Hagan are ready to put on a show.

TV Schedule:

• Friday, Aug. 15 – Qualifying Show: 9 p.m. CDT / 10 p.m. EDT (FS1)

• Saturday, Aug. 16 – Qualifying Show: 6 p.m. CDT / 7 p.m. EDT (FS1)

• Sunday, Aug. 17 – Finals Show: 2 p.m. CDT / 3 p.m. EDT (FOX)