Hagan, Pruett Advance in NHRA Carolina Nationals to Semifinals, Both Set in Top 4 in NHRA “Countdown” Championship Points

Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals

Matt Hagan, a four-time 2023 NHRA Camping World Funny Car event winner, put in another strong performance this weekend with his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Johnson Horsepower Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat with runs of 3.825, 3.828, 3.841 and 3.868 at the NHRA Carolina Nationals

·       Hagan, the three-time NHRA World Champion, set low elasped time in the opening round with a 3.868 over John Smith and defeated Tim Wilkerson in round two

·       For the second straight week, Hagan lost by inches (0.006 seconds) in the semifinals despite a posting a stellar 0.54 starting reaction time against eventual race winner Bob Tasca III

·       With the semifinal finish, Hagan moved to third in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Funny Car “Countdown” points as the series heads to Madison, Ill. on Sept. 29-Oct. 1

·       Leah Pruett, Hagan’s TSR teammate, also advanced to the semifinals Sunday in her Rinnai/Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster with wins over title contenders Justin Ashley and Antron Brown

·       Pruett lost in another tight race against Carolina Nationals Top Fuel race winner Doug Kalitta

·       Pruett moved to the No. 4 position in the current NHRA Top Fuel points standings

SEPTEMBER 24, 2023, CONCORD, N.C. – Drag racing is the fastest motorsport in the world with 335 miles per hour speeds. But it is also one of the closest in motorsports with victories by inches.

For the second consecutive week in the NHRA Camping World drag racing series, Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) drivers Matt Hagan and Leah Pruett looked to be on the path to victory lane Sunday in the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway. But, for the second consecutive week, both racers were on the wrong end of the battles by inches.

Hagan, who posted a track record Friday in qualifying with a 3.825, drove his Johnson Horsepower Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat to sensational times throughout the weekend including a 3.828, 3.841 and 3.868 in the opening round victory against John Smith. He defeated Tim Wilkerson in the second round before taking on Bob Tasca III in the semifinal.

In that matchup, Hagan cut a tremendous 0.054 starting line light and held the advantage in the first 800 feet before losing by inches (0.006 seconds) at the finish line with a 3.953 to Tasca’s 3.935. Despite the loss, Hagan advanced to the No. 3 position in the NHRA Championship “Countdown” Funny Car points standings with the next event set for Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in NHRA Midwest Nationals in Madison, Ill.

“The Countdown is tough, and everyone is bringing all that they have all the time,” said Hagan. “In the last two races, we haven’t even lost by a hundredth of a second, it’s been a thousandth of a second. That’s tight drag racing, but we have to be on the other side of it. We are running against a lot of good cars, so there are no gimme’s. We’re still there and we’re better than what we’re showing. We have four races left to go out and fight and dig. We’ll be just fine.”

Pruett, driving the TSR Rinnai/Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster, put in a strong performance in eliminations with her second straight semifinals finish, taking out Top Fuel points contenders Justin Ashley and Antron Brown with runs of 3.708 and 3.829 in hot track conditions.

In the semifinals, Pruett had to face eventual race winner Doug Kalitta, who nipped Leah last week in the semis at Maple Grove, Pa. This contest was another thriller with Kalitta winning with a 3.745 to Pruett’s 3.778. With her semifinals finish, Pruett moved to fourth in the current NHRA “Countdown” Top Fuel points standings.

“This was a performance-enhanced weekend overall for the Rinnai/Dodge//SRT team with a stellar completion rate on Sunday,” said Pruett. “We went for low (elapsed time) on Saturday in qualifying after the rain and it didn’t stick (in the charts). What did stick was the rate of adjustments Neal (Strausbaugh – crew chief) and Mike (Domagala – co-crew chief) made given last-minute lane swap situations. Appropriating our power to the racetrack in stages has been key. Eliminating Justin Ashley first round was pivotal. Everyone is always focused on points. There is nothing like being, staying, and moving up when it counts. My guys have been stellar throughout, and I am excited to excel at St. Louis.”

The NHRA Midwest Nationals event schedule includes one nitro qualifying session on Friday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. CDT and two nitro qualifying rounds on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. CDT. The final eliminations will get underway on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 11 a.m. CDT.

The Fox Sports 1 telecasts for the NHRA Midwest Nationals will take place Friday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. EDT with qualifying round 1 and qualifying round 2 on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 2 p.m. EDT.  The final eliminations will be televised on Fox Sports 1 on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 3 p.m. EDT.

Link for release and photos:

https://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com/newsroom.do?id=182&mid=283

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram
The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News
Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.

Dodge//SRT
For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with a lineup that delivers unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT Hellcat versions of the Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger and Dodge Durango, as well as an R/T performance hybrid version of the all-new Dodge Hornet, representing the brand’s first-ever electrified performance vehicle. Dodge delivers the dragstrip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock; the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world; and the 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the most powerful SUV ever; and best-in-class standard performance in the compact utility vehicle segment with the Dodge Hornet. Combined, these four muscle vehicles make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), visit www.stellantis.com.

Mopar
Mopar is the  global name for Stellantis genuine parts and authentic accessories.

A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Complete information on Mopar is available at www.mopar.com and the newly redesigned Mopar blog at blog.mopar.com. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Dodge, Mopar and Stellantis news and video on:
Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Dodge brand: www.dodge.com
Mopar brand: www.mopar.com
DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com
Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge and www.facebook.com/mopar
Instagram: @DodgeMoparMotorsports@DodgeOfficial and @OfficialMopar
Twitter: @Dodge@OfficialMopar and @StellantisNA
YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodgehttps://www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA
NHRA Dodge Mopar Leah Pruett Hagan TSR