The scorching summer heat at Virginia Motorsports Park was one factor in the rollercoaster ride that was the American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals. The event was full of dramatic contrasts for Tony Stewart Racing and their Dodge//Direct Connection Top Fuel and Funny Car machines. The event delivered triumph and heartbreak under demanding conditions that tested equipment and championship resolve.
For Tony Stewart, the Top Fuel points leader entering the weekend, Virginia Motorsports Park became a tale of two completely different stories. Despite carrying a commanding 76-point lead over second-place Shawn Langdon in the championship standings, Stewart’s Dodge//SRT® Top Fuel dragster struggled mightily throughout all three qualifying sessions on Saturday.
The motorsports legend, who boasted an impressive 77.7% completed-run record coming into Richmond, couldn’t find the handle on Saturday’s demanding track conditions. With ambient temperatures soaring and track temperatures reaching an almost unnavigable 140 degrees, Stewart’s team faced mounting challenges with each qualifying attempt.
Stewart’s best pass of the day came in Q3 with an 8.979-second pass at just 79.59 mph. The qualifying disaster meant Stewart would face No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force in the opening round of eliminations, drawing the 14th and final qualifying position.
Stewart’s weekend woes continued during Saturday evening’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, where he faced a rematch against four-time Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence. Having qualified for the specialty event by advancing to the semifinals at Bristol’s Thunder Valley Nationals, Stewart was looking to repeat his previous Mission Challenge victory. However, Torrence had other plans, erasing Stewart with a solid 3.888-second pass to advance to the Mission Challenge final. Torrence would go on to capture his first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory of the season, defeating Langdon with a 3.877-second effort at 324.28 mph.
Fast forward to Sunday’s elimination rounds, and everyone saw a different story unfolding for Stewart. In a shocking upset, with most of the Top Fuel pits rooting against him, Stewart managed to defeat Brittany Force in the first round despite his qualifying struggles. The victory earned him a bye run into the semifinals, setting up a dramatic clash with second-place points runner Shawn Langdon.
Stewart’s semifinal run against Langdon created “a titanic semifinal race between the top two points runners,” showcasing the championship implications of every round. Unfortunately for Stewart and his championship hopes, his remarkable weekend comeback ended in the semifinals with a -.093 red light, his first in NHRA competition, giving back a handful of his 79-point lead in the Top Fuel overall standings.
While his teammate managed a remarkable Sunday turnaround, the TSR Funny Car crew and Matt Hagan found more frustration. The Christiansburg, Virginia, native, racing just 190 miles from his hometown, showed promise during Saturday’s qualifying but couldn’t get a handle on the scorchingly hot track on Sunday.
Hagan steadily worked his way up the leaderboard throughout Saturday’s sessions, finally getting into the 4.0s with a 4.039-second pass at 319.07 mph that secured the sixth starting position. The performance put the four-time Funny Car champion in a respectable position for Sunday’s eliminations.
However, Sunday’s elimination rounds proved disappointing for the home-state hero. Hagan was matched against Hunter Green’s Dodge Charger in the opening round, and despite his qualifying momentum, his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat was eliminated in the first round, ending his weekend early and marking a missed opportunity after a solid qualifying performance at his home track.
The first-round exit was particularly frustrating given Hagan’s strong track record at Virginia Motorsports Park, where he holds the track speed record (335.82 mph) and elapsed time record (3.853 seconds) from his dominant 2022 performance.
The weekend’s mixed results carry significant championship implications for both Tony Stewart Racing drivers. While Stewart managed to advance deep into eliminations and likely minimized points damage to his championship lead, his qualifying struggles suggest potential vulnerabilities as the season enters its most crucial phase.
For Hagan, the first-round exit represents a missed opportunity to gain ground in the Funny Car championship chase. Entering the weekend fifth in points and 109 points behind leader Austin Prock, Hagan needed a strong performance to stay relevant in the championship conversation.
The weekend highlighted the importance of qualifying position, as Stewart’s remarkable recovery from 14th to the semifinals demonstrated both the potential for dramatic turnarounds and the challenges of starting from the back of the pack.
Despite the mixed results for Tony Stewart Racing, Dodge had solid representation throughout the weekend’s action. In addition to Hagan’s qualifying effort, Cruz Pedregon, Alexis DeJoria, Paul Lee and Hunter Green all secured spots in Sunday’s eliminations, ensuring strong Mopar® presence in both Top Fuel and Funny Car elimination rounds.
The weekend also saw Daniel Wilkerson capture the Funny Car Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, adding to the Ford vs. Dodge competition storylines that continue to define the 2025 season.
Stewart’s weekend demonstrated both the fragility and resilience that defines NHRA Top Fuel competition. His ability to recover from catastrophic qualifying to reach the semifinals showcases the championship mettle that has made him successful across multiple motorsports disciplines.
For Hagan, the weekend serves as a reminder that qualifying positions matter immensely in NHRA competition, but even strong starting spots require execution when eliminations begin. The first-round exit at his home track will fuel motivation as the season progresses toward the Countdown to the Championship.
The contrasting fortunes of both drivers highlight the unpredictable nature of NHRA drag racing, where mechanical gremlins can end championship hopes in an instant. And Sunday magic can transform struggling qualifiers into semifinalists. As the 2025 season approaches its midpoint, both Stewart and Hagan need consistency in qualifying and eliminations to achieve their championship aspirations.
Stewart’s weekend performance, particularly his ability to maintain his points lead despite qualifying struggles, demonstrates the championship experience that has served him well. His remarkable first-round upset victory over Force and subsequent semifinal appearance shows that Sunday can still provide redemption even when nothing goes right on Saturday.
For Tony Stewart Racing, the weekend exemplified both the potential and the challenges of running a two-car operation in NHRA’s premier classes. While Stewart’s recovery masked some of the weekend’s struggles, Hagan’s early exit serves as a reminder that success in NHRA requires both speed and consistency from every team member.
As the series heads toward the back half of the regular season, both drivers will learn from Virginia’s lessons: Stewart must ensure his qualifying program matches his elimination day performance. At the same time, Hagan needs to convert strong qualifying positions into deep elimination runs. The championship battles in both Top Fuel and Funny Car remain wide open, making every round crucial as the summer racing season intensifies.
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