Tony Stewart Racing continued their meteoric rise in NHRA Top Fuel competition this weekend, capturing their second victory of the 2025 season at the 25th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway. Tony Stewart had a landmark weekend in his Top Fuel car that saw the former NASCAR and IndyCar champion set a career-best qualifying time and take over the Top Fuel points lead for the first time in his drag racing career. Stewart showcased his and his team’s remarkable progress in their sophomore Top Fuel season.
Stewart’s weekend started with a solid performance during Friday’s qualifying session, where he seized the provisional top spot with a 3.847-second run in his Dodge/Direct Connection Top Fuel Machine. The momentum continued into Saturday, where Stewart recorded a career-best 3.679-second pass in round 3 of qualifying. This would be good enough for the second spot behind Doug Kalitta’s track-record run.
“We’re really excited because I feel like our car has been very consistent this year,” Stewart remarked after his record qualifying performance. “It’s been very good in hot weather with a slick track, and obviously had a cold front come through last night. We had cool conditions today, and to put up that 3.679 run was strong for us.”
Stewart wasted no time showing his championship potential when eliminations began on Sunday. He handily defeated Terry Totten in the first round with another pass in the 3.60s, outran Shawn Reed in the second, with both drivers sending the tires into orbit at different points of the pass, and took down Steve Torrence in the semifinals to secure his spot in the finals against Justin Ashley.
Final rounds are never easy, and this one saw Stewart leave the line a bit behind Justin Ashley as he left first with an impressive .042 reaction time, but Stewart was right there with a .048 of his own. The Dodge/Direct Connection dragster thundered to a 3.777-second pass at 329.10 mph, outpacing Ashley and securing Stewart’s second Top Fuel victory, just over a month after his breakthrough win in Las Vegas.
“You’ve got to believe we’re real now at this point,” Stewart said in the winner’s circle. “I wouldn’t have said it before today. Even in Vegas, for my first win, I said we’re making progress, but we’re not where we need to be yet. But it’s hard to be the points leader and not think you’re a contender now.”
The victory propelled Stewart to the top of the NHRA Top Fuel standings for the first time in his career, moving him three points ahead of previous leader Shawn Langdon, who fell in the second round. This marks Stewart’s fourth final round appearance of the 2025 NHRA season, showcasing TSR’s remarkable consistency throughout the year.
“I’m extremely proud of our team for the progress we’ve made and where we were a year ago to where we are now,” Stewart reflected. The racing legend quickly proved he belongs among the elite of NHRA drag racing, adding another chapter to his illustrious motorsports career that already includes NASCAR, IndyCar and USAC championships.
Meanwhile, Stewart’s Tony Stewart Racing teammate Matt Hagan also showed impressive form throughout the weekend. The defending event winner from 2024 continued to find success at Route 66 Raceway, taking the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory on Saturday in his Direct Connection Dodge//SRT® Hellcat to edge past Ron Capps.
“That was a great race. I could hear him, but I couldn’t see him. Ron and I go way back, 20 years at least,” Hagan said after the Challenge victory. Despite his Saturday success, Hagan’s quest for a repeat win at Route 66 Raceway came up short in Sunday’s eliminations.
The four-time Funny Car champion entered Sunday’s elimination rounds displaying the consistency that has kept him near the top of the standings all season. However, Hagan’s day ended with a close semifinal battle against Austin Prock, with Prock’s 3.931 narrowly edging Hagan’s 3.942 by just .0086 seconds.
Hagan remains firmly in the championship hunt, sitting in third place, just 11 points behind Beckman and 70 points behind Austin Prock, currently at the top of the Funny Car standings. Hagan’s consistency and strong performances, including earlier round wins and the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory, demonstrate why he remains one of the top competitors in the Funny Car category.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action May 30-June 1 with the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire. Stewart will enter as the Top Fuel points leader for the first time, looking to extend his advantage, while Hagan aims to add another victory to his impressive resume.
With Stewart’s emergence as a legitimate championship contender and Hagan’s continued excellence, Tony Stewart Racing has established itself as one of the premier teams in NHRA competition heading into the summer of 2025 events.
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