Leah, Dom & Tony Stewart in Las Vegas Victory Lane
By: Stellantis
- Racing Hall of Famer Tony Stewart added to his incredible legacy Sunday by driving the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Rayce Rudeen Foundation Dodge//SRT Top Fueler to victory
- Competing at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Stewart added to his phenomenal record by winning the Top Fuel final over three drivers
- The NHRA Top Fuel victory puts Stewart in unique motorsports company by capturing an NHRA pro race, NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Truck races, IndyCar race and USAC events
- Stewart also is the only racer to win pro races at all four LVMS tracks at NHRA at the Strip, NASCAR at the Speedway and USAC open-wheel wins at the Bullring and the Dirt Track
- In the final round Sunday, Stewart recorded a 3.870 to win his first pro NHRA “Wally” trophy over reigning World Champion Antron Brown, Justin Ashley and Jasmine Salinas
- In earlier rounds, Stewart drove to “holeshot” wins in round one over Steve Torrence, Steve Chrisman and Rob Massey and round two over Ashley, Torrence and Doug Kalitta
- The victory for Stewart, which comes off a runner-up finish at the NHRA Winternationals two weeks ago, now vaults him into second in the current NHRA Mission Top Fuel points
- Stewart’s teammate, four-time NHRA World Funny Car champion Matt Hagan, also drove his TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat to the final round in Las Vegas Sunday
- Like Stewart, Hagan, a five-time Las Vegas winner, captured his opening rounds over J.R. Todd, Jack Beckman and Bobby Bode first and Paul Lee, Dan Wilkerson and Todd second
- Hagan’s mount dropped a rod at the starting line after a strong reaction time in the final race against winner Austin Prock, Lee and David Richards and had to coast to the finish
- Hagan’s final finish has him fourth in the current NHRA Mission Funny Car points standings as the NHRA Mission national campaign heads to Charlotte on April 25-27
- Follow Dodge in NHRA action at DodgeGarage.com
April 14, 2025, Auburn Hills, Mich. – Motorsports Hall of Famer Tony Stewart hit the “jackpot” in Las Vegas Sunday by winning his first National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Top Fuel race in his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Dodge//SRT dragster at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals drag races, while TSR teammate Matt Hagan just missed a TSR win “double up” in the Funny Car division.
Stewart, a series champion and race winner in NHRA, IndyCar and USAC competition, became the first driver to win pro events in four different professional racing disciplines with an impressive performance in difficult track conditions at the popular “Strip” at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The NHRA Top Fuel victory puts Stewart in motorsports “rarified air” by winning an NHRA Top Fuel race, NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Truck events, an IndyCar race and USAC events in Silver Crown, Sprint Car and Midget categories. In addition, Stewart is the only racer to score pro wins at all four Las Vegas Motor Speedway tracks at NHRA at the Strip, NASCAR at the Speedway and USAC open-wheel wins at the Bullring and the Dirt Track. Stewart also won the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in 2023 in the Top Alcohol Dragster division, a sportsman class.
Stewart’s road to the winner’s circle was not an easy one, as the Indiana racer captured rounds one and two before taking on World Champion Antron Brown, Justin Ashley and Jasmine Salinas in the final. Stewart’s 3.870 pass in his Rayce Rudeen Foundation Dodge//SRT dragster outdistanced his three competitors in extremely difficult track temperatures which reached 138 degrees.
In making motorsports history, Stewart drove to “holeshot” victories in the first round over Steve Torrence, Steve Chrisman and Rob Massey then piloted his HEMI® engine-powered, nitro-burning dragster past Ashley, Torrence and former World Champion Doug Kalitta in round two. It marked the second consecutive final-round appearance for the man known as “Smoke” after placing runner-up two weeks ago at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.
The win for Stewart now vaults him to second in the current NHRA Mission Top Fuel points standings as the national campaign heads to zMAX Dragway in Charlotte for another Four-Wide Nationals on April 25-27.
“I haven’t been around the NHRA series very long, but I realized it takes a lot to win one of these Top Fuel races,” said Stewart. “Everything in my career, I never had to wait over a year to win a race. We always figured it out pretty quickly and we won. I had two ‘holeshot’ wins in the first two rounds today and my worst reaction time was in the final, but the TSR crew gave me a great car in the final. Neal Strausbaugh (crew chief) and Mike Domagala (co-crew chief) and the whole crew won that final round for us today. We needed this win. It’s been so stressful for everyone since Leah (Pruett, Stewart’s wife) nearly won the World Top Fuel Championship in 2023 when it came down to the final round of the whole season.
“Two years ago, I won my first NHRA national event in the Top Alcohol Dragster here at Las Vegas, and now I win my first Top Fuel national event at the Strip. It’s pretty damn cool. I’ve been a motorsports fan my whole life, and I think we made racing history today with the Top Fuel win. I’m not sure if there has ever been a driver to win a NASCAR Cup race, an IndyCar race, the USAC Triple Crown championship and an NHRA Pro event (Top Fuel). To do it with our team and our family was very emotional. When Leah brought Dom (their new son) up on stage in victory lane, my heart stopped. I got so emotional there. That is a feeling I have never had in my life before.”
Five-time Las Vegas Funny Car winner Matt Hagan was on pace for a sixth “Strip” title after winning rounds one and two in his 11,000-horsepower TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat machine and reaching the final round in the hot conditions.
Hagan, a four-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion, took the victory in the opening round over J.R. Todd, Jack Beckman and Bobby Bode, and the Virginia driver then defeated Paul Lee, Dan Wilkerson and Todd in round two.
However, in the final round, Hagan’s car dropped a rod at the starting line after a strong reaction time and was forced to coast to the finish line against race winner Austin Prock, Lee and David Richards. With his final round placing, Hagan now ranks fourth in the current NHRA Mission Funny Car points standings after four of 20 races in the 2025 NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series.
“We had a good weekend going into the final with both Tony (Stewart) and I advancing,” said Hagan. “We had a rod bolt break at the hit of the throttle in the final round. Unfortunately, it took some cylinders out and threw some rods out of the motor. We are still right in the hunt for the points lead now going to Charlotte for another Four-Wide race. The crew is doing a great job, and we’ll get a win soon.
“I was earning my money all weekend with this tricky track surface and the heat. The car was all over the track. It was going left and then right, and it was spinning the tires. That does make it fun driving a Funny Car. I felt like I was Tony Stewart in a dirt car here. I’m super proud of Tony and his whole crew with the win. They have had some tough times recently and they got to the final at Pomona and now a win here.”
The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte has nitro qualifying set for Friday, April 25, at 5:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. EDT. Saturday’s nitro qualifying rounds start at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. EDT with final eliminations getting underway for 12 p.m. PDT, Sunday, April 27.
The Charlotte NHRA Four-Wide Nationals finals telecast on Fox Sports 1 will begin on Sunday, April 27, at 7 p.m. EDT.
