TSR Nitro Battles Tough Competition at PRO Superstar Shootout
Stewart and Hagan Show Promising Pace as They Gear Up for NHRA Season Opener
Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Nitro kicked off the 2025 drag racing season at the SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout in Bradenton, Florida, with Tony Stewart in Top Fuel and Matt Hagan in Funny Car. The event, showcased elite drag racers in a fan-friendly format featuring side-by-side racing and a unique chip draw elimination system. While both Stewart and Hagan displayed strong performances in qualifying, eliminations didn’t go their way. However, both drivers took away valuable lessons heading into the NHRA Gatornationals in March.
Stewart Finds Consistency in Top Fuel –
Stewart, driving the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster, made an early statement in Q1 on Thursday, clocking a 3.738-second pass at 328.30 mph to land fifth in the provisional order. However, a tricky set of runs on Friday saw him slip to eighth by the end of qualifying. Despite this, his 3.741-second run at 326.56 mph in Q4 cemented his spot in the top half of the field.
In eliminations on Saturday, Stewart’s machine lost traction early in his matchup against Josh Hart, resulting in a 4.974-second pass at 142.40 mph and an early exit.
“It was nice to get back in the race car for some testing,” Stewart said. “We didn’t see the results we are wanting yet, but we’re trying some different combinations with the car and continue to learn more as we get ready for the first NHRA race in Gainesville. We’ll be doing a couple more test sessions before then, which will be very helpful.”
Hagan Impresses in Funny Car Qualifying –
Matt Hagan, piloting the American Rebel Beer Dodge//SRT HELLCAT Funny Car, proved his car had the speed to compete with the best. He fired off a 3.862-second run at 331.61 mph in Q1 to secure the No. 4 provisional spot. Hagan continued to improve through the weekend, ultimately grabbing the No. 2 qualifying position with a 3.820-second pass at 328.22 mph in Q4.
Unfortunately, eliminations didn’t go as planned, with Hagan running a 3.938-second pass at 325.14 mph but losing to Jack Beckman’s quicker 3.875-second effort.
“Testing was probably the best that I could have asked for,” Hagan said. “We have four guys doing different positions this year with one new guy added to the team. Rolling into it, you’re not quite sure what to expect with a new Crew Chief. It was nothing short of amazing how well it went. We qualified number two and weren’t able to move past round one, but we did have a really great test session this week.”
Looking Ahead to NHRA Gatornationals –
Despite the early exits, both TSR Nitro drivers are optimistic about their performance and the direction of their teams as they prepare for the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season opener at the NHRA Gatornationals from March 6-9 at Gainesville Raceway.
“We didn’t hurt a lot of parts and pieces and made it down the racetrack, so we’re really excited about the Gainesville race coming up,” Hagan added.
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