Dodge Brand Extends Partnership with Tony Stewart Racing in NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series

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Jun 17, 2024, 10:00 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --

The Dodge brand today announced a partnership extension with the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Nitro organization to continue fielding two nitro-burning entries (Top Fuel and Funny Car) in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mission Drag Racing Series.

Dodge brand announces partnership extension with Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Nitro Top Fuel and Funny Car entries in NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series
Dodge//SRT began partnership with TSR in 2022 with drivers Leah Pruett (Top Fuel) and Matt Hagan (Funny Car) driving Nitro cars in Direct Connection livery
Stewart, the NASCAR Hall of Fame driver, replaced wife Pruett this year as the driver of TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel car for the 2024 NHRA season
Hagan drove his TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car to the 2023 NHRA Mission World Championship after scoring six national events
Hagan is competing in a Dodge Funny Car for the 16th consecutive season
Dodge//SRT TSR teams have recorded 15 NHRA national event victories and one World Championship
Pruett finished third in the 2023 NHRA campaign with TSR before stepping away from the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT dragster this year to start a family with team owner Stewart
Follow Dodge in NHRA action at DodgeGarage

The Dodge brand's partnership with TSR, started in 2022, has resulted in 15 NHRA national events wins to date as well as the 2023 NHRA Mission World Funny Car Championship, captured by Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat driver Matt Hagan. In 2024, Stewart announced he was assuming the seat of the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel car in place of his wife, Leah Pruett, who stepped away from the driver's seat this year to start a family with team owner and husband Stewart.

"The Dodge brand is excited to extend our partnership with an elite, winning organization like Tony Stewart Racing," said Matt McAlear, Dodge brand CEO – Stellantis. "Dodge owns a historic legacy in NHRA competition, and racing icon and legend Tony Stewart, four-time NHRA world champion Matt Hagan and 18-time NHRA event winner Leah Pruett are the perfect ambassadors to represent our brand and our Direct Connection performance parts line. Along with our Dodge Brotherhood of Muscle, I look forward to continuing to cheer on Tony, Matt, Leah and the entire TSR organization."

Hagan (12) and Pruett (3) have combined for 15 NHRA national events wins since Dodge partnered with TSR in 2022, with Hagan capturing six wins on his way to the 2023 Funny Car crown. Pruett placed third in the 2023 Top Fuel points with two wins in the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT dragster.

Stewart, the former NASCAR, IndyCar and USAC series champion, is a NASCAR Hall of Famer who shocked the motorsports community in 2023 by entering a fourth racing discipline, drag racing, and now competes full-time at the highest level in NHRA Top Fuel competition. Stewart, who placed second in the Top Alcohol Dragster class national points in 2023, continues to gain experience in his rookie season in the seat of the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT dragster as the legendary racer seeks his first-ever Top Fuel win.

Stewart's two-car operation has been one of the NHRA's leading professional operations since entering the sport in 2022 with the Dodge brand and continues to be a front runner throughout the 20-race NHRA national tour. The man known as "Smoke" in the racing world has been one of the most popular competitors in the NHRA this year with long lines at the TSR pit area for Stewart's autographs and photos.

"Having strong OEM support is crucial in all forms of motorsports," said Stewart. "To have Dodge re-sign with TSR is great. We are all excited about where the program has been up until this point, and we are all excited about where it's going. It's been a big change on the dragster side with Leah (Pruett) driving in the past, as far as the specs we had to change in the offseason. It's been more of a challenge for the crew chiefs, but Dodge has been very supportive from the time we had the first discussion about creating TSR Nitro. I'm very appreciative of their support and looking forward to an awesome future with them."

Hagan, the reigning NHRA Mission World Funny Car Champion, has been associated with the Dodge brand for 16 seasons, dating back to 2009. Hagan has made drag racing history with four historic marks, including becoming the first Funny Car driver to break the four-second barrier (3.995 in 2011) and 3.80 seconds (3.799 in 2015) and to reach 330 mph (2015) and 335 mph (2016) at 1,000 feet.

The Virginia racer is a four-time NHRA World Funny Car champion, all in Dodge-bodied and Mopar HEMI^®-powered cars, and joined legends Don "the Snake" Prudhomme and Kenny Bernstein with four Funny Car crowns in NHRA competition. Hagan has recorded 51 NHRA national event victories, fourth on the all-time Funny Car win list.

"It's really awesome to hear Dodge is extending their relationship with TSR," said Hagan. "I have had such a long career with Dodge. I've been able to carry the Dodge banner for close to 16 years and I've been able to win four championships and 51 races with the brand. The parts and pieces and support they give us is amazing and allows us to be the best on the racetrack. It's great to have such a long partnership. We've been able to build a championship team and I am honored to be a part of that. Dodge has a great relationship with TSR and Tony (Stewart). It's been awesome watching him grow."

Pruett, whose relationship with Dodge and Mopar first began in 2016, continues to travel to races and is actively involved in the TSR organization and team strategies.

"This extension represents many aspects of our partnership — not only our enthusiasm to continue on-track success for the Dodge brand with our team and loyal fans, but also as a pathway for Direct Connection to continue to connect with their customers through an established partnership," said Pruett. "I hold Dodge and Direct Connection close to my heart and I am thrilled to continue our partnership."

The TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT machines have competed in eight 2024 NHRA Mission events this year, with Hagan scoring two Funny Car wins and currently ranked fourth in the class points, while Stewart currently holds the ninth spot in the Top Fuel standings. Two more NHRA Mission events are scheduled in June, the NHRA Virginia Nationals on June 21-23 in Dinwiddie, Virginia, and NHRA Summit Racing Nationals on June 28-30 in Norwalk, Ohio.

@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.

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 in which the brand competes while moving forward to a future that includes electrified muscle in the form of the next-generation, all-new Dodge Charger.

The next-generation Dodge Charger electrifies a legend, with the Charger retaining its title as the world's quickest and most powerful muscle car led by the all-new, all-electric 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack. The all-new Dodge Charger will also offer performance choices via multi-energy powertrain options, including the 550-horsepower Dodge Charger SIXPACK H.O., powered by the 3.0L Twin Turbo Hurricane High Output engine.

Dodge also keeps its foot on the gas as a pure performance brand with 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.

In 2022, the Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market), making it the only domestic brand ever to do so three years in a row. In 2020, Dodge was named the "#1 Brand in Initial Quality," making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS).

Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news, including daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis (NYSE: STLA).

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 more than 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 www.blog.mopar.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
DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com
Mopar brand: www.mopar.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/dodge, www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA