The 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway delivered another memorable weekend of high-octane action, with Tony Stewart Racing’s duo of Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan piloting their Dodge/Direct Connection cars as they battled through challenging conditions at one of NHRA’s most beloved venues. As the 13th event of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, this weekend proved crucial for championship positioning with just two regular-season events remaining before the Countdown to the 2025 Championship begins.
Coming into Brainerd, Stewart is second in the Top Fuel championship standings, 48 points behind leader Shawn Langdon, making every round win critical in his pursuit of the regular season championship. Stewart and his Top Fuel crew have significant momentum, having already secured their spot in the Countdown to the Championship at the previous round in Sonoma.
Friday’s qualifying saw Stewart establish himself as a contender early, powering to a 3.827 in his American Rebel Light dragster while earning two bonus points for having the second quickest run of the round. However, it was Saturday morning that truly showcased Stewart’s potential when dramatically improved track conditions allowed him to unleash the full fury of his 12,000-horsepower machine.
It didn’t take long for the top spot in Top Fuel to change hands as Tony Stewart powered to a 3.732 in his American Rebel Light entry, temporarily seizing the number one qualifying position. The cooler temperatures and overcast skies following an overnight rainstorm created ideal conditions for nitro-burning machines to unleash their full power potential, and Stewart’s team capitalized brilliantly.
Matt Hagan entered the weekend as the points leader in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, having earned the most #2Fast2Tasty Challenge points in the Funny Car category with 14 points total. These specialty points prove valuable as they transfer to the championship standings when points reset for the Countdown to the Championship.
The #2Fast2Tasty Challenge delivered drama and redemption for Hagan. He avenged a semifinal loss in Sonoma with a win over championship leader Austin Prock. The battle between Hagan’s Dodge Charger and Prock’s Cornwell Tools Camaro was intense, with the two cars side-by-side until half track, where Prock’s entry broke the tires loose, sending Hagan on to the win with a 3.935 at 329.02 mph.
Hagan was paired with Jack Beckman in the final after Beckman took out Spencer Hyde. However, the final round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge was over quickly as Matt Hagan did not make it to the finish line with the engine running.
Despite the final round disappointment in the specialty event, Hagan’s semifinal appearance added crucial points to his championship campaign. Coming into Brainerd, Hagan is second in the Funny Car championship standings, 201 points behind leader Austin Prock, making every point valuable in his quest to close the gap.
Sunday’s elimination rounds brought mixed results for the Tony Stewart Racing team. Stewart, carrying hopes of making up some of the 48-point gap between him and Langdon in the championship chase, faced considerable challenges in the elimination rounds. The TSR Top Fuel car outpaced Josh Hart with a 3.733 at 328.54, which was just enough to hold off Josh Hart’s 3.788 and turn on the win light with just .0217 to spare.
The quarterfinals proved to be Stewart’s downfall as Billy Torrence laid down a 3.708 against TSR’s 3.746. This elimination would have been more significant had Shawn Langdon not been eliminated in round two as well.
In Funny Car, Hagan and his crew dug deep and found the performance to put Cruz Pedregon on the trailer in round one of eliminations. After struggling in qualifying, it was great to see a solid 3.883 at 333.58 pop up on the right lane scoreboard.
Round two proved to be problematic for both of the Tony Stewart Racing cars this weekend. Hagan had a .008-second advantage at the tree, but things started unraveling almost immediately. By the 60′ beams, Hagan had given back the advantage he earned at the tree, plus .002, and things kept getting worse. Around mid-pass, Hagan’s Funny Car nosed over, and a rather large bang/fireball signaled the end of the event for TSR and their SRT® Hellcat.
As the regular season is quickly coming to a close this weekend, Austin Prock remains in the Funny Car points lead, holding an advantage over Bob Tasca III heading to Indy, while Hagan’s round two exit will do enough to maintain his second-place position in the Funny Car standings.
For Stewart, the early elimination did not cause a lot of damage to his pursuit of Langdon; he also put a few more points between himself and Justin Ashley. With two races remaining in the regular season, Stewart is sitting solidly in the second spot in the Championship. The significance of these final events cannot be overstated, as after the 14th and final regular-season event on Sept. 1 with the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, the top 10 drivers in the standings in each of the four professional categories qualify for the Countdown to the Championship.
The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway once again delivered the drama, speed and excitement that has made it a cornerstone event on the NHRA calendar. For Tony Stewart Racing, the weekend provided multiple opportunities to showcase the skills that have made both cars solid contenders for winning it all in 2025.
As the series heads toward the U.S. Nationals, both Stewart and Hagan and their crews have proven they possess the speed and determination necessary to contend for championships. With American Rebel Beer’s continued support and the momentum generated from strong showings throughout the season, Tony Stewart Racing appears well-positioned for the season’s most critical stretch.
The thunder that echoed through the Minnesota woods this weekend served notice that when the Countdown begins, Tony Stewart Racing will be ready to fight for every point, every round win and, ultimately, every championship opportunity that presents itself in their pursuit of NHRA glory in 2025.
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