AUBURN
HILLS, Mich. , Feb. 28,
2025 /PRNewswire/ --
- Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan
will debut striking new red-and-blue Tony Stewart Racing (TSR)
Direct Connection Dodge//SRT graphics at NHRA Gatornationals
- Piloting the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel
dragster, NASCAR Hall of Famer Stewart begins his second Top Fuel
campaign March 7-9 at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway
- Hagan, a four-time NHRA World Champion, returns to the NHRA
Gatornationals as a two-time race winner (2022-23) in the TSR
Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car
- Stewart recorded two runner-up finishes as a rookie in
2024
- Stewart also captured the North Central Division championship
last year in the Top Alcohol Dragster division as the legendary
racer scored a title in his fourth different racing discipline
- Hagan's TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT crew has changes for
the 2025 NHRA tour, with veterans Mike
Knudsen (crew chief) and Phil
Shuler (co-crew chief) leading the squad
- Early testing with Hagan and his 11,000-horsepower Funny Car
has shown strong performance, clocking passes at 3.820 seconds and
330 mph with the new crew
- Follow Dodge in NHRA action at DodgeGarage.com
Debuting two eye-catching red-and-blue Direct Connection
Dodge//SRT nitro-burning machines, Tony Stewart Racing (TSR)
drivers Tony Stewart and
Matt Hagan approach the 2025 NHRA
Mission Drag Racing season opener, the NHRA Gatornationals on
March 7-9, with eagerness and
enthusiasm for the 20-race national tour.
Stewart, the NASCAR legend driving the TSR Direct
Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster, and Hagan, the four-time
NHRA World Champion at the wheel of TSR Direct Connection
Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car, seek to begin the NHRA campaign with
wins at Gainesville Raceway, following pre-season testing in their
drag cars.
"Dodge is so proud to have Tony
Stewart and Matt Hagan once again pilot our Direct
Connection Dodge//SRT drag cars in NHRA competition," said
Matt McAlear, Dodge CEO. "Dodge
holds a tremendous legacy in NHRA competition that reaches back for
decades, and having two racing legends driving our Nitro cars is
the perfect fit. Tony Stewart Racing brings Direct Connection
Dodge//SRT performance to thousands of race fans, and our Dodge
fans will be cheering them on to the winner's circle throughout the
year."
Now competing in his fourth different racing discipline (NASCAR,
IndyCar, USAC and NHRA), Stewart debuted in the Top Fuel division
last year, as the man known as "Smoke" filled in behind the wheel
of the TSR Dodge//SRT dragster with his wife Leah Pruett staying on the sidelines to prepare
for the birth of their son Dominic. The Indiana racer, who has 49 NASCAR Cup wins,
drove to two runner-up finishes, placed ninth in the final Top Fuel
point standings and was named Pro Rookie Driver of the Year.
Stewart's first Top Fuel race was in last year's NHRA
Gatornationals and, in the first round, he left the line ahead of
Justin Ashley, known as the best
reaction driver in the Top Fuel class, before his car lost
traction. But "Smoke" gained the respect of his competitors in just
his first Top Fuel event.
"This year's Gatornationals definitely takes some of the
stress of being a rookie driver out of the equation," said Stewart,
a former series champion in NASCAR, IndyCar and USAC. "Last year, I
had to learn a Top Fuel car and go up against the best in the
class. The competition is tough, so having a year under my belt
lets me go into Gainesville a
little more relaxed than my rookie season.
"Right now, we are working on the performance of our car, and we
have been testing. We had some performance issues last year, and we
have been working on the car's setups. I'm hoping that we get the
needle moving in the right direction, and I'll get this car into
the winner's circle."
Hagan's TSR Dodge//SRT Hellcat team made several crew changes
during the winter with veteran Mike
Knudsen taking over as the squad's crew chief and
Phil Shuler as co-crew chief for the
Virginia driver's
11,000-horsepower Funny Car. In addition, several of Hagan's Funny
Car crew have taken over new positions with the team, including
Alex Conaway as car chief.
After an early testing session in Bradenton, Florida, which produced a strong 3.820-second
pass, Hagan, with 52 NHRA career national event victories, is
ecstatic with the initial performance of the Dodge//SRT machine and
his crew.
"Having a new crew chief is kind of exciting," said Hagan,
the first Funny Car driver to break the 3.80-second barrier. "With
Dickie Venables (former crew chief), we made a lot of memories. We
won many races and championships. I've also spent 15 years with
Mike Knudsen and watched him move
his way up from the bottom. I would love nothing more than to win a
championship with him. Things are looking bright for the future. I
told him the other day that we have a chance to start a legacy and
build on what I've accomplished so far in the sport.
"Mike, Phil and Alex are all the real deal. I'm excited to get
to Gainesville. This is my 18th
year with Dodge, and it has been an incredible ride. I've seen a
lot of people come and go in this sport, so it's unreal I have been
with such a great sponsor for that time frame. They have been so
loyal to me, and we are very loyal to them. My family has been a
Dodge dealer for 50 years!"
The popular NHRA Gatornationals, with many sellouts in
recent years, has Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying rounds
on Friday, March 7, at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
EST, and Saturday, March 8, at
1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. EST. Final eliminations will get underway
on Sunday, March 9, at 10:30 a.m. EST.
The Fox Sports 1 television network will show qualifying action
on Saturday, March, at 8 p.m. EST, as
well as final eliminations on Sunday,
March 9, at 7 p.m. EST.
Direct Connection
The Direct Connection portfolio, available online and through the
Dodge Power Brokers dealer network, includes Modern Performance,
Crate Engine, Race and Vintage Muscle high-performance products for
Dodge performance vehicles, offering factory street, strip and
track performance parts developed by SRT engineers and backed by a
Mopar warranty for peace of mind.
Performance enthusiasts and racers can access the Direct
Connection hotline at (800) 998-1110 for technical and race
support. More information on Direct Connection and Dodge Power
Brokers is available at DCPerformance.com.
@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram
The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share
content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can
see action from the NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series and NHRA
Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory
Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional
motorsports series.
Dodge//SRT
For 110 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of
brothers John and Horace Dodge.
Their influence continues today as Dodge, America's performance
brand, shifts into high gear with a lineup that delivers
unrivaled performance in each of the segments in which the brand
competes while moving forward to a future that includes electrified
muscle in the form of the next-generation, all-new Dodge
Charger.
The next-generation Dodge Charger electrifies a legend, with the
Charger retaining its title as the world's quickest and most
powerful muscle car led by the all-new, all-electric 2024 Dodge
Charger Daytona Scat Pack. The all-new Dodge Charger will also
offer performance choices via multi-energy powertrain options
including the 550-horsepower Dodge Charger SIXPACK H.O.,
powered by the 3.0L Twin Turbo Hurricane High Output engine.
Dodge also keeps its foot on the gas as a pure performance brand
with the 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the most
powerful SUV ever, and best-in-class standard performance in the
compact utility vehicle segment with the Dodge Hornet.
Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at
DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar
drag-racing news, including daily updates and access to an online
racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and
merchandise.
Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading
global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis (NYSE:
STLA).
Mopar
Mopar is the global name for Stellantis genuine parts and authentic
accessories.
A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar
offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937
as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved
over more than 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and
authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.
Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with
performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road
and racing use. Later, Mopar expanded to include technical service
and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and
customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer
support worldwide.
Complete information on Mopar is available at www.mopar.com
and the newly redesigned Mopar blog at
www.blog.mopar.com.
Follow Dodge, Mopar and Stellantis news and video
on:
Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Dodge brand: www.dodge.com
DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com
Mopar brand: www.mopar.com
Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge and www.facebook.com/mopar
Instagram: @DodgeMoparMotorsports, @DodgeOfficial and
@OfficialMopar
Twitter: @Dodge, @OfficialMopar and @StellantisNA
YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge, www.youtube.com/c/mopar and
www.youtube.com/StellantisNA
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SOURCE Stellantis
