Traction Troubles For Tony Stewart Racing At NHRA Northwest Nationals

Published: Monday, July 22, 2024, 23:03 [IST]

Traction problems led to early exits for Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) drivers Matt Hagan and Tony Stewart at the NHRA Northwest Nationals near Seattle. Competing in their Direct Connection Dodge//SRT nitro machines, both drivers faced challenges on the eleventh stop of the 20-race NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series.

Hagan, the reigning NHRA Mission Funny Car World Champion, won his first-round race with a 3.891-second run at 327.43 mph against Dave Richards. However, he lost traction in the quarterfinals against Paul Lee despite a strong start with a .059 reaction time. Hagan remains in the top three of the NHRA Mission points standings as they head to Sonoma Raceway from July 26-28.

"We’ve been trying some different things in the heat," said Hagan. "It’s obviously not the weekend that we wanted. Sometimes you have to try other things. If they don’t work, you go back to what you know. You always have to try and grow and adapt and evolve. I feel good moving into Sonoma because we have a good baseline there. We can go back to a combination that we’ve used there for years. We’re still where we need to be because we’re keeping it on all eight cylinders. We’ll keep digging now."

Stewart, making his first racing appearance in the Northwest, qualified with a 3.778-second run in his TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster during his eleventh Top Fuel race in his debut NHRA professional season.

The Indiana driver faced rookie Jasmine Salinas in the first round of eliminations but lost traction after leaving the starting line first, allowing Salinas to advance. Despite this setback, Stewart remains ninth in the NHRA Mission Top Fuel points standings as they approach this weekend’s Sonoma Nationals.

"Today obviously didn’t go according to plan," said Stewart. "We’ve been working on our hot weather combinations and the car wasn’t happy today. We are going to re-group and look ahead to Sonoma. That’s one of my favourite tracks, so hoping we can conquer both the road course and the drag strip."

Upcoming Events

The NHRA Sonoma Nationals will feature nitro action starting Friday, July 26, with two rounds of qualifying at 5:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. PDT. Additional qualifying sessions will occur on Saturday, July 27, at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., followed by final eliminations on Sunday, July 28, beginning at 10:30 a.m.

The FOX Network will broadcast two events over the weekend: Saturday’s Mission 2Fast2Tasty races at 6 p.m. EDT and Sunday’s eliminations at 4 p.m.

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Dodge//SRT Performance

Dodge has maintained its performance legacy for over a century, inspired by founders John and Horace Dodge. The brand continues to innovate with high-performance vehicles like the all-electric Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack and multi-energy powertrain options such as the Dodge Charger SIXPACK H.O., featuring a 550-horsepower engine.

The lineup also includes powerful models like the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, boasting 710 horsepower as the most powerful SUV ever made, alongside best-in-class performance from compact utility vehicles like the Dodge Hornet.

Mopar's Legacy

Mopar represents Stellantis' genuine parts and accessories globally, originating from a line of antifreeze products introduced in 1937. Over more than eight decades, Mopar has evolved into a symbol of complete vehicle care and authentic performance for enthusiasts worldwide.

In addition to providing performance parts during the muscle-car era of the 1960s, Mopar expanded its services to include technical support and customer care operations globally.

Fans can follow all NHRA action this season through DodgeGarage—a portal offering daily updates on drag-racing news, events, galleries, downloads, and merchandise related to Dodge//SRT and Mopar.

Dodge is part of Stellantis' portfolio of brands (NYSE: STLA), which offers various automotive solutions worldwide.