Information By: ASHLEY WILSON / TONY STEWART RACING – BROWNSBURG, IN
Tony Stewart & Matt Hagan
Top Fuel | Funny Car
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
Aug. 16-18 | Brainerd, Minnesota
Event Overview
Friday, Aug. 16 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)
Nitro qualifying session (Q1): 4:30 p.m. CDT/5:30 p.m. EDT
Nitro qualifying session (Q2): 6:45 p.m. CDT/7:45 p.m. EDT
Saturday, Aug. 17 (Nitro Qualifying & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, streamed live on NHRA.TV)
Top Fuel qualifying session (Q3) & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge – Round 1: 12:30 p.m. CDT/1:30 p.m. EDT
Funny Car qualifying session (Q3) & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge – Round 1: 1:05 p.m. CDT/2:05 p.m. EDT
Top Fuel qualifying session (Q4) & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge – Finals: 3 p.m. CDT/4 p.m. EDT
Funny Car qualifying session (Q4) & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge – Finals: 3:30 p.m. CDT/4:30 p.m. EDT
Sunday, Aug. 18 (Nitro Eliminations, streamed live on NHRA.TV)
Round 1: 10:30 a.m. CDT/11:30 a.m. EDT
Round 2: 12:45 p.m. CDT/1:45 p.m. EDT
Semi-Finals: 2:30 p.m. CDT/3:30 p.m. EDT
Finals: 4 p.m. CDT/5 p.m. EDT
TV coverage on FS1/FOX
Friday, Aug. 16: Qualifying show (7 p.m. CDT/8 p.m. EDT on FS1)
Saturday, Aug. 17: #2Fast2Tasty Challenge (5 p.m. CDT/6 p.m. EDT on FS1)
Sunday, Aug. 18: Qualifying show recapping Saturday’s action (12 p.m. CDT/1 p.m. EDT on FS1)
Sunday, Aug. 18: Finals show (2 p.m. CDT/3 p.m. EDT on FOX)
Notes of Interest
The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway serves as the 13th event on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series’ 20-race calendar. Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) brings its two full-time entries – one in Top Fuel for Top Fuel rookie Tony Stewart and one in Funny Car for 51-time Funny Car winner and four-time champion Matt Hagan – to the second-to-last race of the regular season before the Countdown to the Championship begins Sept. 13-15 with the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pennsylvania.
After the 14th and final regular-season event on Sept. 2 with the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, the top-10 drivers in the standings in each of the four professional categories of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle – qualify for the Countdown to the Championship. The top-10 drivers in each class then compete in the final, six-race playoffs to vie for the title. Coming into Brainerd, Stewart is ninth in the Top Fuel championship standings, 357 points behind leader Doug Kalitta. Hagan, meanwhile, is third in the Funny Car championship standings, 254 points behind leader Austin Prock.
Stewart enters Brainerd representing Mahindra tractors on his red and black Top Fuel Dragster. Hagan, meanwhile, sports the orange, blue and cream colors of American Rebel Beer on his Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car.
Houston-based Mahindra Ag North America is part of Mahindra Group’s Automotive and Farm Sector, the No. 1 selling farm tractor company in the world, based on volumes across all company brands. Mahindra launched a new line-up of sub-compact and compact tractors in February and offers a range of tractor models under 75 HP. Their farm equipment is engineered to be easy to operate by first-time tractor or side-by-side owners and heavy duty to tackle the tough jobs of rural living, farming and ranching. Mahindra dealers are independent, family-owned businesses located throughout the U.S. and Canada.
American Rebel Beer was founded in April, 2024 by American Rebel CEO Andy Ross. American Rebel Beer is currently offered in five states (Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Ohio and Connecticut), with additional states being announced soon. You can also find American Rebel in various legendary bars in the entertainment district in Nashville, as well as retail outlets, venues and music festivals throughout the United States. American Rebel Beer is America’s Patriotic, God-Fearing, Constitution-Loving, National Anthem Singing, Stand Your Ground Beer.
The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals will serve as Stewart’s 13th career Top Fuel start and his first at Brainerd. For Hagan, this will be his 345th career Funny Car start and his 15th at Brainerd.
Stewart is eyeing his first victory in the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, as well as his first No. 1 qualifier at the event. He made one start at Brainerd International Raceway in 2023 in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, where he qualified sixth and advanced to Round 2 before losing to then teammate Matt Cummings. Stewart’s wife, Leah Pruett, is the track record holder for elapsed time at Brainerd with 3.640 ET, a mark she established on Aug. 18, 2017 en route to one of her two victories at the track. Stewart is coming off of his first final-round appearance in the NHRA pro series, where he lost to Antron Brown at Sonoma Raceway.
Hagan has one win at Brainerd, which came in 2021. His run of 3.923 ET at 327.98 mph defeated Cruz Pedregon (3.935 ET at 324.83 mph). Hagan also has four No. 1 qualifiers at Brainerd, which came in 2011 (4.101 ET at 303.57 mph), 2016 (3.822 ET at 333.82 mph), 2019 (3.890 ET at 328.46 mph) and 2022 (3.843 ET at 331.36 mph).
By advancing to the Semifinals at the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Hagan and Stewart both qualified to participate in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at Brainerd. Hagan will face a rematch against Ron Capps and Stewart will face off against Ron August Jr. The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals will mark Hagan’s eighth #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and Stewart’s fourth.
Hagan and Stewart will participate in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty autograph session on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. CDT. The session will take place at the Mission Foods Display.
Hagan and Stewart will participate in Tony Stewart Store merchandise trailer signings. Hagan will be signing Friday between Q1 and Q2. Stewart will be signing Saturday between Q3 and Q4.
Hagan, Pruett and Stewart will participate in a Mahindra autograph session on Saturday from 11:15-11:45 a.m. CDT at the Mahindra display, located in the midway.
Tony Stewart, Driver of the Mahindra Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster
You’re coming off your first final-round appearance at the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals. What confidence does that give you and the crew with two races remaining in the regular season prior to the Countdown to the Championship?
“I’m not sure it really gains a lot of confidence for us, but it was a morale boost that the team obviously needed. Seattle didn’t go anywhere near how we were hoping it would and we really just made small gains as Sonoma. But, it was a big morale boost being able to make the final round and our guys have done a really good job keeping their heads up through the adversity that we’re fighting right now with the race car. It was a good reward for those guys to get to the Finals, so it was good for all of us from that standpoint.”
While the NHRA had two weeks off, you competed in another regional event in the Top Alcohol Dragster at the Night Under Fire. How does that help you stay fresh behind the wheel?
“I’ve always been the race car driver that if I had a night off or a weekend off, I always found something to race and that’s just the passion I have for motorsports and as a race car driver. Being a drag racer now is no different, so having the opportunity to go race with Pops (Rich McPhillips) and Richie McPhillips and run the regional at Norwalk is absolutely what I try to do all the time. I always want to be in a race car as much as possible. Having two weekends off before we go to Brainerd, I feel like it does help me stay sharp and help me stay focused by being able to fill that in with a drag race.”
You’re representing Mahindra tractors for their first race as primary sponsor in the NHRA. How special will it be sporting their colors, given your relationship with them in the NASCAR Cup Series?
“We’ve got a great relationship with Mahindra tractors and it’s nice to bring them to the drag racing side with us this weekend. They have been excellent to work with and we don’t call it sponsorships, but rather partnerships because I feel like we’re really good partners together and we’re a good fit for each other. They’re coming over to another form of motorsports and being in Brainerd, I feel like the demographic is a great fit for them. I’m proud to have them on the car. I never had the chance to really run a Mahindra car with the NASCAR side, so I’m proud that I finally get to drive a race car with Mahindra colors on it and hopefully will have a better weekend than what we’ve been having here recently. Hopefully we can build off the momentum and try to do some great things with them, but I know they’re going to be very active at Brainerd and we’re all looking forward to having them part of our program at TSR.”
Matt Hagan, Driver of the American Rebel Beer Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car
Following Q1 at Brainerd, you’ll lock yourself into the NHRA Countdown to the Championship. What mindset does that allow you to have with two races remaining in the regular season?
“Locking ourselves into the Countdown is always huge. You have to be in it to win it. The biggest thing with running for a championship is you have to win a couple of those races. You have to be in that mental space to go into battle. We have some work to do. We’ve won a couple races this year, which has been great, but we still need to win a couple more along the way. We have to go into the Countdown with a nothing-to-lose mentality. Points reset so to speak, so we have nothing to lose and can swing for the fence. We have to be aggressive. That’s what Dickie (Venables – crew chief) and I talked about last year when we entered the Countdown. There were several races that we knew we had to be on the next level and he was the same way with me. I had to be on the next level with my lights. We have to have the mindset that we’re going out there to set world records. That’s sometimes hard to do, but at the end of the day, I know we’re capable of that. We have the right parts and pieces, it’s just a matter of applying it for the conditions we’re in.”
You’re representing American Rebel Beer for their first race as primary sponsor in the NHRA. However, you have an existing relationship with Andy Ross and American Rebel. How special will it be sporting their colors at Brainerd?
“I’m honored to represent American Rebel because it’s a company I believe in and that I’ve personally invested in. Andy (Ross – CEO) is a great guy. He’s kind of like Jason Johnson from JHG because we all click and get along really well together. It makes it easy to represent the brand. Andy was along for the championship ride last year and wanted to do more, so I’m very proud to represent them. Aside from American Rebel Beer, there’s still the American Rebel side of things and we want to sell safes for them also. I’m proud and excited to represent their brand.”