The scenic Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington, played host to drama, speed and determination as the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series kicked off the Western Swing at the 36th annual Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals.
Under the shadow of Mount Rainier, Tony Stewart Racing arrived at Pacific Raceways ready to take care of business and keep their championship aspirations alive. The team brought their signature red-and-blue Dodge/Direct Connection entries to Washington state, with points leader Tony Stewart piloting his Top Fuel dragster and four-time champion Matt Hagan commanding his SRT® Hellcat Funny Car.
The weekend began with a spectacular Friday night qualifying session under the lights – a fan-favorite format that transforms Pacific Raceways into a theatrical stage for 12,000-horsepower drama. However, the conditions proved challenging for many competitors, including both TSR drivers.
Tony Stewart struggled in his Mopar® Direct Connection Top Fuel dragster, and found himself sitting eighth at the end of Friday night with a 6.439-second run at 93.60 mph – well off the pace set by provisional No. 1 qualifier Doug Kalitta, who came tantalizingly close to the track record with a 3.671-second pass blast at 335.90 mph.
Matt Hagan faced similar challenges in his TSR, Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car, posting a 7.713-second elapsed time at 87.10 mph, leaving him 11th in the provisional qualifying order. The track conditions under the unique Friday night format proved tricky, with many top teams struggling to find traction.
Saturday brought three crucial qualifying sessions and the highly anticipated Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. Stewart’s fortunes dramatically improved as he found his rhythm, qualifying for the Mission Challenge semifinals after struggling on Friday.
In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge semifinals, Stewart delivered his best performance of the weekend with a 3.811-second run at 327.59 mph to defeat Clay Millican, advancing to the final round against three-time Challenge winner Shawn Langdon. Despite putting up a respectable fight, Stewart fell to Langdon in the final, running 3.759 seconds at 327.51 mph compared to Langdon’s winning 3.718 at 338.17 mph.
The runner-up finish in the Mission Challenge demonstrated Stewart’s ability to perform under pressure and marked a significant improvement from the team’s struggle in Q1 on Friday Night. The performance earned valuable bonus points and restored confidence heading into Sunday’s eliminations.
Meanwhile, Matt Hagan advanced to the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge final in Funny Car, where he faced reigning world champion Austin Prock in a thrilling side-by-side battle. Hagan’s 3.887-second run at 332.43 mph came up just short against Prock’s winning 3.879 at 336.40 mph. Despite the narrow defeat, Hagan’s performance in the specialty race showcased the improvements the team had made throughout qualifying.
Tony Stewart entered Seattle atop the Top Fuel championship standings, leading Shawn Langdon by 52 points. Still, his Friday struggles served as a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in the volatile world of nitro drag racing. The team’s ability to rebound on Saturday, culminating in Stewart’s #2Fast2Tasty Challenge final round appearance, demonstrated the resilience that has characterized the team’s 2025 season.
TSR has maintained an impressive streak of ten consecutive Round 1 wins and eight straight semifinal appearances entering Seattle, statistics that underscore their consistency despite occasional qualifying struggles.
For Hagan, ranked fifth in Funny Car standings and trailing Austin Prock by 222 points, the weekend represented both progress and frustration. His Mission Challenge final appearance showcased the speed of his Dodge SRT Hellcat, and the team continued to search for the consistency needed to challenge Prock’s dominance throughout the 2025 season.
The weekend highlighted the strong Dodge presence in NHRA competition, with both TSR cars featuring the striking red-and-blue Dodge/Direct Connection paint job that has become synonymous with TSR in 2025. The partnership between Dodge/Direct Connection and Tony Stewart Racing, extended through a new multi-year agreement announced earlier this season, continues to showcase the brand’s commitment to NHRA competition.
Both drivers pilot machines that represent the latest in Dodge//SRT, Direct Connection technology, with Stewart’s Top Fuel dragster and Hagan’s SRT Hellcat Funny Car painting a 300-plus mph picture of the brand’s performance heritage.
Sunday’s eliminations delivered a tale of two drastically different outcomes for Tony Stewart Racing, with celebration and disappointment occurring within hours of each other at Pacific Raceways.
Despite carrying momentum from his #2Fast2Tasty Challenge final appearance, Tony Stewart’s championship pursuit suffered a setback in Sunday’s Top Fuel eliminations. Stewart successfully navigated the first round against eighth-seeded Josh Hart, extending his remarkable streak of consecutive Round 1 victories to eleven. Nevertheless, his day ended early with a second-round loss to Shawn Langdon after dropping a cylinder around 300 feet down the track.
Stewart’s second-round departure breaks his impressive string of eight consecutive semifinal appearances, a streak that had established him as the most consistent performer in the Top Fuel category through the first half of the season. The early exit serves as a stark reminder that in NHRA’s elimination format, Saturday’s progress means nothing if you can’t deliver when it matters most on Sunday.
While Stewart’s day ended all too soon, Matt Hagan provided the perfect counterbalance with a masterful drive to his first victory of the 2025 season. The four-time champion’s march to the Funny Car title showcased the veteran’s ability to perform under pressure and validated the improvements TSR has made throughout the season.
Starting from the second qualifying position, Hagan navigated through a challenging elimination field. His first-round matchup was against 15th-seeded Buddy Hull, ending in a win for Hagan as Hull lost traction early in the race. Round 2 saw Hagan face off with Jack Beckman. Beckman put the tires into orbit early, and Hagan went on to a solid 3.86 at 331 mph pass. Moving on to round 3, Matt lined up beside Alexis DeJoria and put her on the trailer with another consistent run of 3.87 at almost 333 mph. Momentum is always a good thing, and when you are lining up beside Ron Capps in the final round, you need all the momentum you can muster! Hagan and his TSR crew kept their cool under pressure and delivered a 3.904-second pass at 331.94 mph. Good enough to take the win by .0217 seconds.
The victory marks his 53rd career NHRA national event win and his first of the 2025 season, ending a frustrating drought that had seen him reach multiple final rounds without capturing a victory.
The timing of Hagan’s breakthrough couldn’t be more crucial, coming as the regular season enters its final phase before the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs. The victory moves him closer to a guaranteed playoff position while providing invaluable momentum heading into next weekend’s DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals.
The contrasting fortunes of the TSR drivers at Pacific Raceways create a complex dynamic heading into the Western Swing’s second leg at Sonoma Raceway. Stewart’s early exit potentially opens the door for his championship rivals, particularly Shawn Langdon, who went on to take the win this weekend and take a chunk out of Stewart’s points advantage.
For Stewart, the challenge becomes mental as much as mechanical. After dominating the first half of the season with his consistency, the pressure of maintaining the points lead while dealing with an unexpected setback tests even the most experienced competitors.
Conversely, Hagan’s victory provides TSR with crucial championship momentum across both categories. His breakthrough win demonstrates that the team’s Dodge//SRT, Direct Connection equipment is capable of victory lane performances when properly dialed in. The confidence boost from Hagan’s success could prove contagious within the TSR organization, potentially benefiting Stewart’s Top Fuel program as well.
The immediate transition to Sonoma Raceway presents both opportunity and challenge for Tony Stewart Racing. The Northern California facility’s unique characteristics – including its elevation and typically cooler conditions – offer Stewart a chance for immediate redemption while providing Hagan the opportunity to build on his Seattle success.
Stewart’s team must quickly analyze what went wrong in Sunday’s second round while maintaining confidence in the baseline setup that carried them to Saturday’s Mission Challenge final. The quick turnaround between events often favors teams that can learn rapidly from both success and failure.
For Hagan, the challenge shifts to proving that Seattle wasn’t a fluke. Back-to-back victories on the Western Swing would firmly establish him as a legitimate championship contender and provide TSR with momentum heading into the season’s final stretch.
The weekend’s divergent outcomes perfectly encapsulate the brutal nature of NHRA competition, where championship fortunes can shift dramatically in a matter of hours. As the Western Swing continues, Tony Stewart Racing carries both the confidence of victory and the motivation of redemption. This combination could prove dangerous for their competitors in the wine country of Northern California.
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