TSR Nitro Duo Ready to Make Thunder in Tennessee

As the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series hits the halfway point this weekend at the legendary Bristol Dragway, Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) is rolling into the SUPERGRIP NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals with serious momentum—and serious horsepower. Both of TSR’s nitro entries, the Top Fuel dragster driven by Tony Stewart and the Dodge//SRT HELLCAT Funny Car piloted by Matt Hagan, will proudly carry the bold red, white, and black of Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage (JHG) for the first time this season.

The Thunder Valley Nationals mark the eighth stop on the 20-race tour, and it’s shaping up to be a big one for the TSR camp.

Stewart Leads Top Fuel Standings with Fire in His Eyes – 

Tony Stewart enters Bristol on top of the Top Fuel points, holding a 71-point lead over veteran Shawn Langdon. That’s no small feat considering this is just Stewart’s second full-time season in the class. The NASCAR Hall of Famer has quickly established himself as a serious contender in NHRA’s fastest category.

“We felt the summer in hot conditions would be our strong suit,” Stewart said. “But after last weekend and having cooler weather in New Hampshire, it is encouraging. I feel like we’re in a better spot than what I’ve been giving us credit for.”

Stewart’s crew has been rock solid since a hiccup at Charlotte earlier this year, compiling a 15-3 elimination round record in the last five events. He’s also the only Top Fuel driver to make it out of Round 1 at every race so far in 2025.

As for donning the JHG livery, Stewart’s all in:
“Jason (Johnson), Nikki (Johnson), and everyone at Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage are awesome people, and they are fun to be around. Hopefully, we can take them to the Finals again.”

Hagan Looking to Bring the Heat at His Home Track – 

For Matt Hagan, Bristol is more than just another stop on the schedule—it’s a homecoming. The four-time Funny Car champ grew up just two hours from Thunder Valley and has made 15 career starts at the track. He’s got one win here (2015) and a runner-up finish (2016), but he’s still chasing that elusive No. 1 qualifier.

“Bristol is home… hopefully we’ll see a lot of people wearing Matt Hagan shirts,” Hagan said with a grin. “I’ve only won there once, and it was on Father’s Day, so that was really special. We need to pull down a few wins, so I think it’d be a great time to start this weekend.”

Currently fourth in the Funny Car standings, Hagan is once again one of the top names in the field. He also still holds the Bristol speed record at 330.34 mph, a number set back in 2021. With his car showing strong consistency and flashes of dominance, Hagan is confident the pieces are in place.

“We’re still learning. We have new crew chiefs and a great group of guys,” he said. “They’re making great calls. The car is running really good, we just have to catch a break. Maybe we’re just saving ours for the later part of the year.”

Fan Fest, Fast Cars, and Full Schedules – 

Fans at Bristol this weekend will have no shortage of chances to meet both Stewart and Hagan. The TSR duo will be busy with autograph sessions at the Dodge display, the Tony Stewart Store trailer, and the official Mission #2Fast2Tasty and Fan Fest signings.

Stewart will also be competing in the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, with bonus points and cash up for grabs in rematches from last weekend’s Semifinal runs.

Between the nitro flames, the JHG hot rods, and a free concert from American Rebel Beer CEO Andy Ross in the Midway, Thunder Valley is going to live up to its name.

Coverage kicks off on Friday, June 6, at 7:30 p.m. EDT with the first Qualifying Show. On Saturday, June 7, FS1 will air a second Qualifying Show beginning at 8 p.m. EDT, highlighting the high-stakes Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge rounds. Then on Sunday, June 8, catch all the final eliminations action live starting at 3 p.m. EDT. For complete event coverage, including all qualifying sessions and bonus content, fans can also stream the event live via NHRA.TV.