(Photo: Tony Stewart Racing)
Tony Stewart advanced to his third career Final and the 65h NHRA Winternationals marked his first final-round appearance at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. Stewart’s previous final-round appearances were the 2024 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas and the 2024 NHRA Sonoma Nationals.
By advancing to the Semifinals, Matt Hagan improved his position in the Funny Car championship point standings from seventh to third.
Tony Stewart, Driver of the Rinnai Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster
“The day I don’t get upset with losing is the day I retire from racing. But the team is upset because they want to win.
These TSR crew guys have done an awesome job and have been very consistent. Especially this weekend, having three runs on Friday and four today, these guys busted their butts. There were no mistakes. For 20 minutes we are going to be frustrated, but, after 20 minutes, we have to pick our heads up. Same goes for me, my wife (Leah) is going to get on my case after 20 minutes too.
The last two races the race car is making solid, competitive runs and this weekend was better. My lights were better, and the car’s performance was better. We just didn’t get the last little bit. We took down three big guys in a row, all former Top Fuel champions (Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta and Shawn Langdon).
To be the best, you have to beat the best. We just have to stay the course. I’m very proud of the whole team and it just wasn’t our time yet. Everyone comes here to win, and one driver leaves as the winner, and we raced that guy in the final. We are improving and things are going the right direction. It is taking a little longer than I had hoped.
We didn’t have lane choice all day and we were consistent in the right lane. So, there was no reason to change, and we had good data from that lane. Track didn’t bite us in the end. We just got a little too aggressive in the final. We have good data heading to Las Vegas now too.”
Matt Hagan, Driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car
“Our TSR crew did a great job this weekend with some of the guys swapping positions. Thomas (Brown) lost his mother yesterday and he’s right back at it today. I’m sure it is an emotional battle for him right now and we are thinking about him and family in this tough time.
We are making great progress with this TSR Dodge//SRT Hellcat team. We are steadily making good runs at each event. We wanted to put Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage back in victory lane like we did last year in Dallas. All in all, we are making rounds.
That was a big ‘boomer’ at the top end against Jack (Beckman). It looks like it broke a rod there. I told the NHRA safety guy Joey that it was a matter of time before we had an engine go and it was my turn this time. I’m glad there wasn’t a big fire, and I could see things in front of me. I had no warning about the ‘boomer’ and it was big enough that it stung my hands pretty good.
It is tough here at Pomona with the shorter runoff. I am happy the parachutes came out well and I was on the brakes hard. You’ll have those things in big-time drag racing. No warning of the ‘boomer’ made it pretty wild at the top end. We’ll put it back together. Tony Stewart Racing gives us plenty of parts and pieces. We’ll go to the Four-Wide in Las Vegas looking to win that one again.”
Next Up
The next event on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule is the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals April 11-13 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Tony Stewart Racing | Photos: Tony Stewart Racing
