TSR Nitro Duo Eyes Victory at Route 66 Nationals

Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) is bringing the heat to the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK this weekend in Joliet, Illinois. With veteran driver Matt Hagan gunning for back-to-back Funny Car wins and Top Fuel pilot Tony Stewart continuing his impressive rookie campaign, the TSR Nitro squad is locked in for the sixth NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series calendar event.

For Hagan, Route 66 Raceway is practically home turf. The four-time Funny Car champ has racked up four wins at the venue (2010, 2013, 2014, and 2024) and is eager to add another to the list. Now third in the standings and still getting dialed in with new crew chiefs Mike Knudsen and Phil Shuler, Hagan enters with confidence—and data.

“Route 66 Raceway has been very kind to me throughout my career,” Hagan said. “We’ve been qualifying mid-pack lately, which is fine. Mike’s still learning the ropes on some of these tracks, but we’re third in points. That tells you all you need to know—he’s stepping up to the plate.”

Hagan will drive the Dodge Direct Connection colors on his Dodge//SRT HELLCAT Funny Car, which is fitting for a track just four hours from Detroit.

“It would be great to see some of the Michigan folks come out to the drag strip,” he added. “There’s a lot of support from behind the scenes. It would be awesome to pull down a win for them.”

On the Top Fuel side, Stewart is chasing his first Route 66 victory and his first No. 1 qualifier at the venue. He’s second in the Top Fuel standings, trailing only Shawn Langdon by 60 points, and has made steady progress in just his second year in the class.

“Honestly, you don’t think about the records. You just concentrate on the race you’re trying to win that weekend,” Stewart said. “Once you accomplish milestones like that, you think about it, but you’re not thinking about it in the process.”

The Route 66 Nationals hold added meaning for Stewart, who already has three NASCAR Cup Series wins at nearby Chicagoland Speedway and is aiming to become the first driver to race—and potentially win—at all three Chicagoland circuits: the oval, dirt track, and dragstrip.

Stewart will be supporting his Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters scheme this weekend.

This year, the NHRA is celebrating 25 years at Route 66 Raceway, and TSR is joining in the recognition with special decals honoring Military Appreciation Month. The team includes three veterans—Thomas Brown, Kurt Johnson, and Chris Shuron—who proudly serve behind the scenes on both cars.

Both Hagan and Stewart will compete in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge during Saturday qualifying. Bonus purse money and Countdown to the Championship points are on the line as they take on their semifinal opponents from the previous race in Charlotte. Hagan rematches Alexis DeJoria, while Stewart lines up against Antron Brown.

For fans heading out to Joliet, autograph sessions are scheduled on Friday and Saturday. The full-throttle action begins Friday afternoon and continues through the Finals on Sunday. If you can’t make it to the track, tune in live on NHRA.TV or check out FS1’s broadcast schedule below.

TV Schedule (All times Eastern – EDT) – 

Friday, May 16
• Qualifying Show – 9:30 p.m. on FS1

Sunday, May 18
• Qualifying Recap – 11:00 a.m. on FS1
• Finals Coverage – 2:00 p.m. on FS1