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Matt Hagan Advances To Semifinals And Tony Stewart Sets Low E.T. At NHRA Gatornationals
Matt Hagan and Tony Stewart began their 2025 NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series campaigns at the NHRA Amalie Gatornationals. Despite rain causing delays, both drivers showcased strong performances. Hagan reached the Funny Car semifinals, while Stewart set a low elapsed time in Top Fuel's opening round. The event marked the debut of their new red-and-blue 11,000-horsepower Direct Connection Dodge//SRT vehicles.
Earlier in the weekend, Dodge announced an extended partnership with Tony Stewart Racing (TSR). This agreement ensures continued support for a Top Fuel dragster and Funny Car in the NHRA series. During a press conference, Stewart, Hagan, and Leah Pruett discussed their long-standing collaboration with Dodge.
The TSR team underwent changes over the winter. Mike Knudsen became the new crew chief for Hagan's Funny Car, with Phil Shuler as co-crew chief and Alex Conaway as car chief. These adjustments boosted Hagan's confidence going into the Gatornationals, an event he won in 2022 and 2023.
Despite losing two qualifying rounds due to rain, Hagan's car performed well on Sunday. He secured victories against former NHRA World Champion Cruz Pedregon and No. 1 qualifier Jack Beckman before falling to Chad Green in the semifinals.
Tony Stewart faced Brittany Force in his first round after missing two qualifying rounds due to weather. Known as "Smoke," he recorded a remarkable 3.722 pass under challenging conditions. In the quarterfinals, Stewart set a strong 3.742 run but was narrowly defeated by Shawn Langdon.
Stewart expressed pride in his team's performance despite early challenges. "We were all thrown a curveball today with an early start time, weather and tough track conditions," said Stewart. "I was super proud of Neal (Strausbaugh – crew chief), Mike (Domagala – co-crew chief), Ryan (McGilvry – car chief) and the whole team."
Zetterström and DeJoria's Weekend
Swedish driver Ida Zetterström returned to the NHRA Mission Series at Gatornationals but lost to Doug Kalitta in the first round. She faced difficulties with traction during her race weekend due to weather conditions affecting track grip.
Zetterström’s teammate Alexis DeJoria advanced to the semifinals in her Bandero Café Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car after defeating Terry Haddock and Bob Tasca III. However, she lost traction in her semifinal match against Ron Capps.
Upcoming Events
The next event is scheduled for March 21-23 at Firebird Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona. Nitro qualifications will occur on March 21 and 22, with final eliminations on March 23. Fans can watch these finals on Fox Sports 1 later that day.
The Direct Connection portfolio offers high-performance products for Dodge vehicles through online platforms and dealers like Dodge Power Brokers. Enthusiasts can access technical support via a hotline or visit DCPerformance.com for more details.
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