The 12th annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway delivered everything fans could hope for: BIG MPH passes, championship drama, and the kind of heart-stopping elimination racing that defines drag racing’s premier series. Against the backdrop of New Hampshire’s granite hills, Tony Stewart in Top Fuel and Matt Hagan in Funny Car, showcased why they remain championship contenders deep into the 2025 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Stewart entered New England as the Top Fuel points leader with momentum on his side. Fresh off his second win of the 2025 season, and riding an unprecedented streak of consistency that has defined the team’s breakthrough sophomore campaign.
Stewart’s weekend started with a qualifying run good enough to put him in the No. 2 provisional qualifying position in Friday’s opening session. He posted a solid 3.742 at 330.47 mph, earning him two bonus points for the second-quickest run. However, qualifying proved challenging as Stewart felt the tires start to shake and clicked it off to coast through the beams with a troubled Q2 run of 6.019 at 112.73 mph, which dropped him to sixth position. Saturday’s Q3 session saw the TSR team maintain the 6th spot despite a much-improved pass of 3.727 at 329.75 mph. The weekend’s defining moment came in Saturday’s final qualifying session when Stewart rebounded spectacularly, securing the No. 2 qualifying position with a 3.694 at 330.55 mph and earning another two bonus championship points.
Stewart’s participation in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge provided both triumph and disappointment. In the semifinals, Stewart faced Steve Torrence in what promised to be a battle of experience versus momentum. When the lights came down, Stewart delivered decisively, powering to a strong 3.727 pass at 329.75 mph while Torrence struggled to a 7.263 at 76.72 mph, advancing Stewart to his second consecutive challenge final.
The #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge final pitted Stewart against Doug Kalitta, resulting in one of the weekend’s most spectacular performances. Kalitta unleashed a blistering 3.670 at 337.24 mph, resetting the New England Dragway track speed record, defeating Stewart’s solid 3.694 at 330.55 mph. Despite the loss, Stewart’s back-to-back Challenge final appearances demonstrated remarkable consistency at the sport’s highest level.
Sunday’s eliminations showcased why Stewart and his Dodge/Direct Connection Top Fuel machine have become one of the most consistent performers in NHRA this season. As the only driver to advance past the first round in every race this season, Stewart and his TSR crew extended their incredible run of consistency with authority.
Round one saw Stewart dominate Rit Pustari with another run in the 3.69s at 331.45 mph to Pustari’s 7.738 at 75.65 mph. The second round brought a stiffer test against former winner Justin Ashley. Still, Stewart’s 3.733 at 330.96 mph efficiently handled Ashley’s troubled 5.893 at 118.90 mph, setting up a semifinal showdown with defending series champion Antron Brown.
The semifinals delivered the weekend’s most crucial race for Stewart’s championship hopes. Against Brown’s formidable challenge, Stewart rose to the occasion with a stellar 3.711 at 332.34 mph, edging Brown’s 3.738 at 333.66 mph to reach his fifth consecutive final round — an incredible achievement in modern Top Fuel racing.
In the final, Stewart faced Brittany Force, who was having an incredible weekend of her own. Stewart was up in the wheel, and his .049 light gave him a .017 advantage off the line. However, the John Force Racing machine proved unstoppable from the 660′ beams to the finish line, charging to a spectacular 3.694 at 340.39 mph that overpowered Stewart’s respectable 3.720 at 329.91 mph for a .0074-second margin of victory.
For Matt Hagan, the New England Nationals represented a chance to add to his record-setting legacy at the track where he holds more victories than any other driver — four wins in the last eight events with an impressive 18-4 record.
Hagan’s weekend began promisingly with a No. 4 provisional position, after Friday’s opening session ended with a solid 3.930 at 327.74 mph run, but subsequent sessions proved challenging. Hazing the tires mid-track led to a run of 4.420 at 197.74 mph, dropping him to ninth, where he would ultimately start eliminations after Saturday’s final session produced a 3.920 at 329.83 mph.
In the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge semifinals, Hagan faced points leader Austin Prock in a crucial matchup. Hagan’s experience showed as he and Prock each had to pedal their cars through the finish. Hagan’s 4.451 at 195.31 defeated Prock’s struggling 5.399 at 171.23 mph, putting both Tony Stewart Racing Dodge/Direct Connection cars in the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge final round. However, winning the challenge proved elusive as Jack Beckman’s 3.913 at 316.52 mph edged Hagan’s effort by just .0125.
Sunday’s first round brought Hagan face-to-face with Spencer Hyde in what should have been a winnable matchup for the four-time champion. However, despite posting a respectable 3.893 at 333.74 mph and a .026 second advantage at the tree, Hagan fell short of Hyde’s slightly quicker 3.863 at 333.08 mph, ending his weekend early and limiting his ability to gain ground in the championship chase. The loss was particularly frustrating given Austin Prock’s first-round exit, which represented a missed opportunity for Hagan to close the 95-point gap to the championship leader.
Stewart’s runner-up finish reinforced his 1st place position in the Top Fuel standings while extending his remarkable consistency streak and his qualification for the next Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, where he’ll face Antron Brown in a rematch of this weekend’s semifinal round.
“I’m very happy with the weekend,” Stewart reflected. “We had a solid day. Brittany deserved to win that race. I’m proud of our team for making five finals in a row. We’re the only team in Top Fuel that has made it past the first round in every race. We have a race car now. When we show up to the track, we’re not hoping we’ll make it down the track. We’re showing up to race.”
For Hagan, the weekend served as a reminder of how quickly circumstances can change in professional drag racing. “Today was a tough race day. We qualified ninth, so we didn’t have lane choice in round one,” Hagan explained. “The ladder opened up with Austin losing the first round, so we could have made up some points. We’re in striking distance of a win; we just have to put together four in a row.”
As the series heads to Bristol Dragway for the Thunder Valley Nationals, both drivers carry valuable lessons from Epping. Stewart’s five consecutive final rounds represent the kind of sustained excellence that wins championships, while Hagan’s all-time Epping record (four wins, three No. 1 starts) proves his ability to bounce back from setbacks.
The New England Nationals ultimately reinforced why the 2025 NHRA season continues to captivate fans nationwide. With Stewart’s unprecedented consistency and Hagan’s championship experience, Tony Stewart Racing remains positioned for success as the season progresses into the mid-season run. In a sport measured in thousandths of seconds, the TSR team and both drivers demonstrated they possess the speed and skill necessary to compete for wins and championships at drag racing’s highest level.
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