Stewart, Hagan Bring New Red-and-blue TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Nitro Machines to 2025 Season Opener at NHRA Gatornationals

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. , Feb. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --

• Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan will debut striking new red-and-blue Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Direct Connection Dodge//SRT graphics at NHRA Gatornationals
• Piloting the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster, NASCAR Hall of Famer Stewart begins his second Top Fuel campaign March 7-9 at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway
• Hagan, a four-time NHRA World Champion, returns to the NHRA Gatornationals as a two-time race winner (2022-23) in the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car
• Stewart recorded two runner-up finishes as a rookie in 2024
• Stewart also captured the North Central Division championship last year in the Top Alcohol Dragster division as the legendary racer scored a title in his fourth different racing discipline
• Hagan's TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT crew has changes for the 2025 NHRA tour, with veterans Mike Knudsen (crew chief) and Phil Shuler (co-crew chief) leading the squad
• Early testing with Hagan and his 11,000-horsepower Funny Car has shown strong performance, clocking passes at 3.820 seconds and 330 mph with the new crew
• Follow Dodge in NHRA action at DodgeGarage.com

Debuting two eye-catching red-and-blue Direct Connection Dodge//SRT nitro-burning machines, Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) drivers Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan approach the 2025 NHRA Mission Drag Racing season opener, the NHRA Gatornationals on March 7-9, with eagerness and enthusiasm for the 20-race national tour.

Stewart, the NASCAR legend driving the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster, and Hagan, the four-time NHRA World Champion at the wheel of TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car, seek to begin the NHRA campaign with wins at Gainesville Raceway, following pre-season testing in their drag cars.

"Dodge is so proud to have Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan once again pilot our Direct Connection Dodge//SRT drag cars in NHRA competition," said Matt McAlear, Dodge CEO. "Dodge holds a tremendous legacy in NHRA competition that reaches back for decades, and having two racing legends driving our Nitro cars is the perfect fit. Tony Stewart Racing brings Direct Connection Dodge//SRT performance to thousands of race fans, and our Dodge fans will be cheering them on to the winner's circle throughout the year."

Now competing in his fourth different racing discipline (NASCAR, IndyCar, USAC and NHRA), Stewart debuted in the Top Fuel division last year, as the man known as "Smoke" filled in behind the wheel of the TSR Dodge//SRT dragster with his wife Leah Pruett staying on the sidelines to prepare for the birth of their son Dominic. The Indiana racer, who has 49 NASCAR Cup wins, drove to two runner-up finishes, placed ninth in the final Top Fuel point standings and was named Pro Rookie Driver of the Year.

Stewart's first Top Fuel race was in last year's NHRA Gatornationals and, in the first round, he left the line ahead of Justin Ashley, known as the best reaction driver in the Top Fuel class, before his car lost traction. But "Smoke" gained the respect of his competitors in just his first Top Fuel event.

"This year's Gatornationals definitely takes some of the stress of being a rookie driver out of the equation," said Stewart, a former series champion in NASCAR, IndyCar and USAC. "Last year, I had to learn a Top Fuel car and go up against the best in the class. The competition is tough, so having a year under my belt lets me go into Gainesville a little more relaxed than my rookie season.

"Right now, we are working on the performance of our car, and we have been testing. We had some performance issues last year, and we have been working on the car's setups. I'm hoping that we get the needle moving in the right direction, and I'll get this car into the winner's circle."

Hagan's TSR Dodge//SRT Hellcat team made several crew changes during the winter with veteran Mike Knudsen taking over as the squad's crew chief and Phil Shuler as co-crew chief for the Virginia driver's 11,000-horsepower Funny Car. In addition, several of Hagan's Funny Car crew have taken over new positions with the team, including Alex Conaway as car chief.

After an early testing session in Bradenton, Florida, which produced a strong 3.820-second pass, Hagan, with 52 NHRA career national event victories, is ecstatic with the initial performance of the Dodge//SRT machine and his crew.

"Having a new crew chief is kind of exciting," said Hagan, the first Funny Car driver to break the 3.80-second barrier. "With Dickie Venables (former crew chief), we made a lot of memories. We won many races and championships. I've also spent 15 years with Mike Knudsen and watched him move his way up from the bottom. I would love nothing more than to win a championship with him. Things are looking bright for the future. I told him the other day that we have a chance to start a legacy and build on what I've accomplished so far in the sport.

"Mike, Phil and Alex are all the real deal. I'm excited to get to Gainesville. This is my 18th year with Dodge, and it has been an incredible ride. I've seen a lot of people come and go in this sport, so it's unreal I have been with such a great sponsor for that time frame. They have been so loyal to me, and we are very loyal to them. My family has been a Dodge dealer for 50 years!"

The popular NHRA Gatornationals, with many sellouts in recent years, has Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying rounds on Friday, March 7, at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. EST, and Saturday, March 8, at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. EST. Final eliminations will get underway on Sunday, March 9, at 10:30 a.m. EST.

The Fox Sports 1 television network will show qualifying action on Saturday, March, at 8 p.m. EST, as well as final eliminations on Sunday, March 9, at 7 p.m. EST.

Direct Connection
The Direct Connection portfolio, available online and through the Dodge Power Brokers dealer network, includes Modern Performance, Crate Engine, Race and Vintage Muscle high-performance products for Dodge performance vehicles, offering factory street, strip and track performance parts developed by SRT engineers and backed by a Mopar warranty for peace of mind.

Performance enthusiasts and racers can access the Direct Connection hotline at (800) 998-1110 for technical and race support. More information on Direct Connection and Dodge Power Brokers is available at DCPerformance.com.

@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 Mission 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 110 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge, America's performance brand, 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.

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

SOURCE Stellantis