- The Ford Performance NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the second-to-last race on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series’ 20-race schedule and it is the fifth round in the six-race Countdown to the Championship. Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) drivers Tony Stewart (Top Fuel) and Matt Hagan (Funny Car) are both in the Countdown, with 2024 marking Stewart’s first appearance in the NHRA postseason and Hagan’s 13th.
- Stewart is 10th in the Top Fuel standings heading into Las Vegas, 241 points behind championship leader Justin Ashley. Hagan is third in the Funny Car standings, 168 points behind leader Austin Prock. Hagan is a four-time champion (2011, 2014, 2020 and 2023).
- Direct Connection is the primary partner of Hagan and Stewart this weekend in Las Vegas. With muscle car enthusiasts looking for “ready to run” parts, Direct Connection serves as the source for high-performance parts and technical expertise straight from the factory.
- Stewart and Hagan competed at Las Vegas earlier this year (April 12-14) during the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. Stewart secured the No. 11 qualifying position and advanced to the Finals on Sunday. His 3.769 ET at 324.51 mph lost to Doug Kalitta (3.715 ET at 333.58 mph), Justin Ashley in second (3.745 ET at 333.82 mph) and Steve Torrence in third (3.745 ET at 334.40 mph). Hagan secured the No. 10 qualifying position and also advanced to the Finals on Sunday. His 3.895 ET at 328.54 mph lost to Bob Tasca III (3.915 ET at 329.75 mph), Austin Prock in second (3.904 ET at 318.77 mph) and Ron Capps in third (3.902 ET at 330.00 mph).
- The NHRA Nationals will be Stewart’s 19th career Top Fuel start. It’ll be his second overall start at Las Vegas and his first in the NHRA Nationals. For Hagan, the NHRA Nationals will be his 351st career Funny Car start. It’ll be his 30th overall start at Las Vegas and his 16th in the NHRA Nationals.
- Stewart competed in the Top Alcohol Dragster class in the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in 2023, where he earned his first national event win (over Todd Bruce, Chris Demke and Mike Coughlin). Stewart made his NHRA driving debut at Las Vegas during the NHRA Nevada Nationals Oct. 28-30, 2022. He qualified No. 2 in the field and reached the final-round before losing to Madison Payne. During Stewart’s Top Alcohol career, he earned six of his 19 round wins at Las Vegas.
- Stewart has won an event on all tracks at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway property – the dirt track (his first USAC Silver Crown event on October 18, 1997), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (captured his 1997 IndyCar championship and earned the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series event win), the Las Vegas Bullring pavement short-track (won in a USAC midget in 2002 and also won in a sprint car in the same night) and the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (won the 2010 Las Vegas Sprint Car Nationals).
- Hagan has four career wins at the NHRA Nationals (2017, 2019, 2020 and 2022). For his first victory in 2017, Hagan ran a 3.942 ET at 329.42 mph to defeat Courtney Force (4.020 ET at 320.00 mph). In 2019, Hagan ran a 3.876 ET at 331.36 mph to defeat Jonnie Lindberg (3.945 ET at 321.12 mph). In 2020, Hagan clocked a 3.914 ET at 326.40 mph to defeat Ron Capps (4.463 ET at 173.70 mph). And in 2022, Hagan ran a 3.896 ET at 330.23 mph to defeat Robert Hight (6.157 ET at 111.12 mph). Hagan has raced in 10 final rounds at the Las Vegas track, more than any other venue.
- The Nevada Nationals is one of five events Hagan has won at least four times (along with the Winternationals and the New England Nationals, the Route 66 Nationals and the Texas Fall Nationals). He has gone to the finals in five of his last seven appearances.
- Hagan has two No. 1 qualifiers at the NHRA Nevada Nationals, which came in 2009 (4.030 ET at 313.88 mph) and 2014 (3.983 ET at 322.42 mph).
- The Mopar CAP (Career Automotive Program) will be partnering with TSR on Friday for the final of seven events this season. CAP consists of strategic alliances between Stellantis and over 100 colleges and trade schools teaching technical curriculum integrated into the school’s general automotive program, so that students can become certified Stellantis technicians.
- Hagan will participate in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty autograph session on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. PDT. The session will take place at the Mission Foods Display and feature the four winners from the Texas NHRA FallNationals.
- Hagan, (Leah) Pruett and Stewart will participate in a Dodge autograph session on Friday from 11:45 a.m-12:15 p.m. PDT and again on Saturday from 11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. PDT. Both sessions will take place in the pits at the Dodge display.
Tony Stewart, Driver of the TSR Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Top Fuel Dragster
“Anytime you’re coming off of a win, it’s big for the team. It’s big for the whole organization with those guys having a solid weekend. It builds momentum going into these last two events for the Funny Car side.”
You’ll be testing at Las Vegas after the NHRA Nevada Nationals. How valuable will that track day be as you start to prepare for the season finale in Pomona?
“Testing is always valuable if you are learning something from it. We’ve tested a lot this year and we have learned a lot. It just hasn’t allowed us to put the whole package together. We have one more opportunity in Vegas, so hopefully it will give us a better opportunity when we get to Pomona to put forth a solid effort.”
Matt Hagan, Driver of the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car
In the series’ last event at Dallas, you earned your 52nd career victory and your third of the 2024 season. What’s your confidence level heading into Las Vegas?
“I think confidence going to Vegas is good. Obviously, we have two more races we can win for Dodge and we’re very capable of that. (Austin) Prock said he’s not invincible and they can go out in early rounds. Everybody keeps talking about a shot. It is a shot, but it’s a long shot (at winning the championship). I’ve seen all of the crazy stuff happen, so we just have to be ready and prepared to roll into Vegas and do well. That’s the game plan and we’ll see what happens.”
You’ll be testing at Las Vegas after the NHRA Nevada Nationals. How valuable will that track day be as you start to prepare for the season finale in Pomona?
“Vegas always makes me scratch my brain about testing there because you’re halfway to Denver with altitude. I think it’s just a good chance for the crew chiefs to scratch their brains before the off season and try something that they might want to right before we go Spring testing. I don’t know how much it really relates to Pomona, but you can never have bad test sessions. Every time you hit the pedal and fire the thing up, you learn something. Anytime you can make runs down a race track, you’re going to learn.”
Friday, Nov. 1 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)
- Nitro qualifying session (Q1): 1 p.m. PDT/4 p.m. EDT
- Nitro qualifying session (Q2): 3:30 p.m. PDT/6:30 p.m. EDT
Saturday, Nov. 2 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)
- Nitro qualifying session (Q3): 1 p.m. PDT/4 p.m. EDT
- Nitro qualifying session (Q4): 3:30 p.m. PDT/6:30 p.m. EDT
Sunday, Nov. 3 (Nitro Eliminations, streamed live on NHRA.TV)
- Round 1: 11 a.m. PDT/2 p.m. EDT
- Round 2: 1:20 p.m. PDT/4:20 p.m. EDT
- Semifinals: 3:15 p.m. PDT/6:15 p.m. EDT
- Finals: 4:50 p.m. PDT/7:50 p.m. EDT
TV coverage on FS1
- Sunday, Nov. 3: Qualifying show recapping Friday and Saturday’s action (3 p.m. EDT)
- Sunday, Nov. 3: Finals show (5 p.m. EDT)
- Sunday, Nov. 3: Post show (8 p.m. EDT)
TSR PR
