TSR Nitro Teams Ready to Rumble in Wine Country

This weekend, Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) is locked and loaded for the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by POWEREDGE at Sonoma Raceway, the final leg of the grueling NHRA Western Swing. With Funny Car ace Matt Hagan fresh off a big win in Seattle and Top Fuel contender Tony Stewart sitting second in the championship standings, the pressure is on to deliver in wine country.

Hagan Chasing First Sonoma Win – 

For Hagan, Sonoma remains unfinished business. The four-time Funny Car champ has made it to the final round three times but has yet to leave with the trophy. Now driving the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage (JHG) Dodge//SRT HELLCAT Funny Car, Hagan is determined to change that.

“Sonoma has always been a tricky track for us,” Hagan said. “Mike Knudsen (my crew chief) is really coming into his own the last couple races. We have a great opportunity to keep this momentum going. It would be great to get the wine goblin at the end of the weekend. We just have to keep pushing and digging, and I need to have good lights—we’ll end up being where we need to be.”

Hagan also touched on the importance of this event for his sponsor, Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage (JHG), which is based just 35 miles from the track in Vacaville, California.

“I definitely want to get a win for JHG,” Hagan said. “They got their first win with us in Dallas, and we want to keep performing well for them. Jason (Johnson) just added a section to his new dealership for championship trophies, so we need to keep adding to that collection. It’ll be a big event for them.”

Stewart Returns to a Winning Track—This Time in a Top Fuel Dragster – 

Meanwhile, Tony Stewart is making his second career Top Fuel start at Sonoma Raceway. Although better known for his success on the NASCAR side of the facility—where he scored three Cup Series wins, including his final NASCAR victory in 2016—Stewart now has his eyes set on conquering the drag strip.

“We’ve kind of been in a unique situation the last couple years of going to facilities that have multiple tracks,” Stewart explained. “Las Vegas was the first one that we were able to conquer all the tracks on that property, and obviously Sonoma is one of my favorite NASCAR tracks on the schedule.”

“Having the opportunity to win there in the Cup car and now having an opportunity to win on the drag strip would be really cool for us to be able to knock a win down. Hopefully, we can celebrate on Sunday in a different victory lane, but still get that feeling of what it’s like to conquer Sonoma.”

This weekend also marks Stewart’s debut in a brand-new Mobil 1 Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster, with a striking new paint scheme representing his longtime partner.

“Everyone at Mobil 1 has been family for the last 14 years,” Stewart said. “They’ve helped us go faster and protected us the whole way. It’s just one of those partnerships that helps your program go faster, and they know how to protect us at the same time.”

Points on the Line – 

• Stewart is currently second in the Top Fuel standings, just 12 points behind Shawn Langdon.

• Hagan sits third in Funny Car, trailing leader Austin Prock by 166 points.

With championship implications on the line, both TSR drivers are pushing hard in wine country.

Where to Watch – TV Schedule (All Times Eastern) – 

• Friday, July 25: Qualifying Show – 10 p.m. on FS1

• Saturday, July 26: #2Fast2Tasty Challenge – 6 p.m. on FOX

• Sunday, July 27: Qualifying Recap – 2 p.m. on FS1

• Sunday, July 27: Final Eliminations – 4 p.m. on FS1