Click it and Unblock the Notifications
Tony Stewart Reaches Fifth Consecutive Final In NHRA Top Fuel Dragster At New England Nationals
Tony Stewart, a renowned figure in racing, reached his fifth consecutive Top Fuel final at the New England Nationals in Epping, N.H. Competing in his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Direct Connection Dodge//SRT dragster, he entered as the Top Fuel points leader. Despite losing narrowly to Brittany Force in the final, Stewart extended his lead in the NHRA Mission Top Fuel standings by 71 points.
Stewart's journey to the final included victories over Rit Pustari, Justin Ashley, and current World Champion Antron Brown. In a thrilling final against former World Champion Brittany Force, Stewart had an early advantage but was edged out by less than a foot at the finish line. Force clocked 3.694 seconds compared to Stewart's 3.720 seconds.
Matt Hagan, Stewart's teammate, also faced a close race in his TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car. Hagan lost by just four inches to Spencer Hyde in the first round. Despite this setback, Hagan remains fourth in the NHRA Mission Funny Car points standings after seven events this year.
Hagan qualified ninth and took on Spencer Hyde in the opening round of eliminations. Although he had a better reaction time at the start, Hagan narrowly missed victory with a time of 3.893 seconds against Hyde's 3.863 seconds. This close loss mirrored another narrow defeat in the Mission 2Fast2Tasty Special race on Saturday.
Sweden’s Ida Zetterström showcased her skills by advancing to the quarterfinals in her JCM Dodge//SRT dragster. She achieved a career-best performance with a 3.720-second run and defeated four-time NHRA World Champion Steve Torrence in the first round before being eliminated by Doug Kalitta.
Zetterström expressed satisfaction with her team's performance improvements and data collection efforts for future races. Her team made significant changes that paid off during this event, breaking a streak of first-round exits and setting them up well for upcoming competitions.
Looking Ahead to Bristol
The NHRA Drag Racing Series now heads to Bristol, Tenn., for the Thunder Valley Nationals from June 6-8. Both Stewart and Hagan are eager to compete on this track known for its challenging conditions and enthusiastic fans.
Stewart expressed pride in his team's consistent performance throughout the season, highlighting their ability to reach five consecutive finals as evidence of their competitive edge. He looks forward to racing at Bristol and continuing their strong showing.
"I’m very happy with the weekend," said Stewart. "We gained points in qualifying in two of the rounds... We’re running with the big dogs and we’re more consistent than a lot of them."
Excitement Builds for Upcoming Races
The TSR Dodge//SRT drivers will participate in nitro qualifying rounds starting Friday evening at Bristol. The final eliminations are scheduled for Sunday afternoon, promising intense competition as racers vie for top positions.
The NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals will be broadcast on Fox Sports Network on June 8th at 3 p.m., providing fans worldwide an opportunity to witness these high-speed contests unfold live from Tennessee.
As anticipation builds for these upcoming races, both drivers remain focused on maintaining their momentum and achieving further success this season.
Continue with Google