- Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) driver Matt Hagan drove his Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Hellcat Funny Car to the final round Sunday in the special NHRA Pep Boys Funny Car All-star Callout eight-car competition, part of the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals
- Hagan, the current Funny Car track record holder at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, piloted his nitro-burning machine to a time of 3.979 seconds in taking the runner-up spot
- The three-time NHRA World Champion also recorded the No. 4 qualifying position for Monday’s 16-car final eliminations with a 3.912 after six consistent runs Friday through Sunday
- Hagan’s TSR teammate, Leah Pruett, took her Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Top Fuel dragster to sixth in qualifications with 3.730
- Final eliminations of the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals will be televised on Fox TV Network starting at 2 p.m. EDT
- Follow Dodge in NHRA action at DodgeGarage.com
SEPT. 3, 2023, BROWNSBURG, Ind. – Matt Hagan, the current track record holder at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and his 11,000-horsepower Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Hellcat Funny Car were a model of consistency in six runs this weekend in preparations for Monday’s final eliminations in the 69th Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals.
Hagan, the three-time NHRA Camping World Funny Car Champion who ranks second in the current points, advanced to the final round of the special Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout event Sunday before taking the runner-up position with a 3.979 to Robert Hight’s 3.955.
But it was Hagan’s six consistent runs from Friday to Sunday which showed that his TSR crew, led by Dickie Venables, is ready for Monday’s eliminations in the hot and humid weather conditions. Matt’s qualifying rounds included a best of 3.912, 3.928, 3,967, 3.979, 3.982 and 4.040 in the heat of the day on Saturday.
The 3.912 lap gave Hagan the No. 4 qualifying position entering Monday’s 16-car finals as he will compete against Alex Laughlin in the first round. The 69th Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals will be televised on the FOX Network beginning at 2 p.m. EDT.
“It has been a long week here in Indy with Dodge events early in the week and then three days of qualifying,” said Hagan, the four-time 2023 NHRA national event winner. “But I’m very pleased with our six runs during qualifying as we didn’t smoke the tires once. And it prepares us for the always-tough Monday eliminations. I feel that Dickie and the crew have done a great job in the hot and humid conditions that seem to come every year at the U.S. Nationals. It would be so great to win another Dodge-backed event like we did in Denver with the Dodge Mile-High Nationals. I feel good about our Dodge Hellcat Funny Car right now.”
Leah Pruett, Hagan’s TSR teammate, qualified sixth in the Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Top Fuel dragster with a solid 3.730 in the tight 16-car lineup set for final eliminations at 10 a.m. EDT.
Pruett was pleased with her performance in a 120-plus degree track surface Sunday afternoon as she clocked 3.790 in the mid-afternoon qualifying session. The former Factory Stock Showdown champion at the U.S. Nationals will take on Austin Prock in the opening Top Fuel round.
“Conditions are always very difficult here at Indy for the U.S. Nationals,” said Pruett, the 2023 Summit Nationals Top Fuel champion. “It’s hot and humid, and it’s easy to lose traction with that type of weather. So that Sunday afternoon run with the 3.790 was very impressive, and I know our crew guys have been working hard to get this Dodge//SRT Direct Connection dragster prepared for the tough Monday rounds.”
The 69th Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals has opening ceremonies at 8:30 a.m. EDT with first round of Top Fuel set for 10 a.m. EDT. The Fox Network telecast will begin at 2 p.m. EDT Monday.
Link for release and photos:
https://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com/newsrelease.do?id=25257&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 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:
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NHRA Dodge Mopar Leah Pruett Hagan TSR