TSR Nitro Teams Struggle At NHRA New England Nationals

It was a game of inches for Tony Stewart at the NHRA New England Nationals, held in front of a sellout crowd on Sunday. The racing Hall of Fame driver almost pulled off a major upset over reigning Top Fuel World Champion Doug Kalitta. In only his eighth Top Fuel competition, Stewart, who is better known for his successes in NASCAR, IndyCar, and USAC, made an impressive run.

Stewart kicked off the event by defeating Chicago winner Antron Brown in the first round, setting up a quarterfinal showdown with Kalitta, the top qualifier. The Indiana racer got a faster start than Kalitta and led at the halfway point. However, Kalitta’s car edged out Stewart’s Rinnai Dodge//SRT dragster by just two inches (0.002 seconds) at the finish line. Kalitta posted a 3.841-second run, while Stewart clocked in at 3.848 seconds.

Reflecting on the race, Stewart said, “On Friday, Neal (Strausbaugh, TSR Crew Chief) and Leah (Pruett, Stewart’s wife and former TSR driver) warned me about the past events where tires blew on the first hit. We had solid runs on Saturday, ranking fourth and third quickest in Q3 and Q4. Today, we had tire issues against Antron Brown, but he had problems too. Against Doug Kalitta, we were two inches short of a win. I had a quicker start with an .055 light to his .060. I hate losing, but I’m pleased with our progress. Our team is gaining momentum and strength.”

Stewart, who finished second in his initial NHRA competition last year in the Alcohol Dragster class, is finding his groove in the 335-mile-per-hour, nitro-burning machine. He currently sits ninth in the NHRA Mission Top Fuel points standings.

Meanwhile, Stewart’s TSR teammate, Matt Hagan, was aiming for his third consecutive NHRA Mission Funny Car win following victories in Charlotte and Chicago. Additionally, Hagan sought to set a record with his fifth Epping Funny Car win.

Qualifying fifth in the 16-car field, Hagan faced former World titleholder Ron Capps in the opening round. Although Hagan had a faster reaction time, his Rush Truck Services Dodge//SRT HELLCAT lost traction just past the halfway mark, allowing Capps to advance to the quarterfinals. Despite this early exit, Hagan remains third in the NHRA Mission Funny Car point standings.

Hagan commented, “We didn’t want to go out in the first round, but that’s drag racing. We’re trying some new things with the car that aren’t working as expected. Changes affect multiple aspects, and it’s part of the learning curve. The TSR team is smart, and they’ll figure it out. I just need to keep doing my job, and the car will improve. I’m looking forward to Bristol.”

Stewart and Hagan and the TSR Dodge//SRT teams will return to action this Friday (June 7) at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee. Nitro qualifying starts at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. EDT, with additional sessions on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. EDT. Final eliminations are set for Sunday at 12:00 p.m. EDT.

Television coverage of the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals finals will air on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Fox Sports 1, with Friday qualifying televised at 7:00 p.m. EDT on the same network.