Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan Fighting for Momentum at Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) is set to make an impact at the upcoming Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, with drivers Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan ready to take on the competition. Representing Mahindra Tractors and American Rebel Beer, Stewart and Hagan will showcase their top-tier racing skills at Brainerd International Raceway.
Tony Stewart enters Brainerd with high anticipation, representing Mahindra Tractors on his striking red and black Top Fuel Dragster. This event marks Stewart’s 13th career Top Fuel start and his first at Brainerd. Fresh off his first final-round appearance at the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Stewart is aiming for his inaugural victory and first No. 1 qualifier at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.
“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,” said Stewart. “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, a seasoned competitor with a remarkable track record, will be racing his orange, blue, and cream-colored American Rebel Beer Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car. With one win and four No. 1 qualifiers at Brainerd, Hagan is set for his 345th career Funny Car start and his 15th at this iconic track.
“I’m honored to represent American Rebel because it’s a company I believe in and that I’ve personally invested in,” said Hagan. “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.”
Both Stewart and Hagan have qualified for this special challenge at Brainerd, with Stewart facing Ron August Jr. and Hagan competing against Ron Capps.
Stewart is targeting his first victory at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals and is eager to leverage the momentum from his recent performances.
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,” added Stewart. “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.”
What’s more, Stewart competed in another regional event in the Top Alcohol Dragster at the Night Under Fire.
“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,” continued Stewart. “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.”
Hagan, a former Brainerd winner, is focused on securing another win and maintaining his competitive edge in the Funny Car category.
“Locking ourselves into the Countdown is always huge,” said Hagai. “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.”
Event Activities:
Autograph Sessions: Hagan and Stewart will be part of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty autograph session on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. CDT at the Mission Foods Display.
Merchandise Signings: Hagan will sign autographs at the Tony Stewart Store merchandise trailer on Friday between Q1 and Q2, and Stewart will sign on Saturday between Q3 and Q4.
Mahindra Session: 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.
This story was originally published on August 12, 2024.
The post Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan Fighting for Momentum at Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
