Dodge, Tony Stewart Racing Announce New Multi-year Partnership Extension in NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., March 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --
- Dodge//SRT and Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) today announced a new multi-year partnership extension for Top Fuel and Funny Car entries in the NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series
- Partnership extension announced during a press conference at the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals race in Gainesville, Florida
- Dodge//SRT launched its partnership with TSR in 2022 with nitro cars featuring Direct Connection colors
- Dodge//SRT TSR teams have recorded 16 NHRA national event victories (13 in Funny Car with Matt Hagan and three with Leah Pruett in Top Fuel), as well as one Funny Car World Championship
- Last year, Tony Stewart, a former series champion in NASCAR, IndyCar and USAC, made a dramatic move to Top Fuel, replacing Pruett in the Direct Connection Dodge//SRT dragster
- Pruett, third in 2023 NHRA Mission Top Fuel points, sat out the 2024 NHRA campaign to start a family with Stewart; son, Dominic, was born on November 18
- Stewart, who also won the North Central Division Top Alcohol Dragster title last year, returns to drive the TSR Top Fueler in the NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series in 2025
- Hagan, who won the 2023 NHRA Mission World Championship in the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car, enters his 18th year piloting a Dodge//SRT car
- Hagan, the four-time NHRA World Funny Car champion, has recorded 52 NHRA national event wins in his legendary career, all at the wheel of Dodge//SRT and Mopar Funny Cars
- Dodge is introducing new Dodge Motorsports Livery Shootout this weekend, giving fans the chance to choose car graphics the TSR Dodge team will carry at NHRA U.S. Nationals this summer
- Follow Dodge in NHRA action at DodgeGarage.com
Dodge//SRT and the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) team announced today a new multi-year extension in its long-standing partnership to field entries in the two nitro-burning divisions – Top Fuel and Funny Car – in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mission Drag Racing Series. The announcement was made during a press conference at the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals race in Gainesville, Florida.
"Working with an elite, championship-caliber team like Tony Stewart Racing brings Dodge and Direct Connection to the forefront at each of the NHRA's 20 national events, especially with legendary drivers like Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan behind the wheel of our Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Top Fuel dragster and Funny Car, respectively," said Matt McAlear, Dodge CEO. "Dodge's celebrated legacy in NHRA competition dates back more than 60 years and, as a result of this new multi-year partnership, our brand and our fans are looking forward to celebrating in the winner's circle with Tony, Matt, Leah and the entire TSR organization for years to come."
The Dodge brand began its partnership with TSR in 2022, and the Indiana-based squad has recorded 16 NHRA national event wins, as well as the 2023 NHRA Mission World Funny Car Championship by driver Matt Hagan in the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat. Hagan, a 52-time NHRA national event winner and four-time NHRA World Champion, has scored 13 victories in his three years with the TSR organization, while 2022-2023 TSR teammate Leah Pruett has won three NHRA trophies.
Last year, Stewart, a former champion in NASCAR, IndyCar and USAC, took over the driving chores from Pruett, his wife, in the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel car, as she stepped away from the driver's seat to start a family with team owner and husband Stewart. Their son, Dominic, was born on Nov. 18, 2024.
Stewart, the NASCAR Hall of Fame racer with 49 Cup Series wins, was named NHRA Rookie of the Year in his first season at the wheel of the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster and placed ninth in the final NHRA Mission Top Fuel point standings. The driver known as "Smoke" finished runner-up in two events in 2024, and he also scored the North Central Division Top Alcohol Dragster class championship.
The TSR two-car Direct Connection Dodge//SRT operation has been one of the NHRA's top professional organizations since entering the sport in 2022 and continues to be a front runner throughout the 20-race NHRA national tour. Stewart has been one of the most popular competitors in the NHRA with long lines at the TSR pit area for Stewart's autographs and photos.
"To have racing partners like Dodge//SRT, Mopar and Direct Connection has been a great asset for our TSR team, as well as the entire drag-racing sport," said Stewart. "It's important to have strong OEM support in all forms of motorsports, and we are so excited to continue our involvement with the Dodge brand and Direct Connection on our Top Fuel dragster and Funny Car. I'm very appreciative of their support and looking forward to a great future with them in the winner's circle."
Hagan, one of just four Funny Car drivers (John Force, Don Prudhomme and Kenny Bernstein are the others) to capture four NHRA Mission World Funny Car Championships, enters his 18th season at the wheel of a Dodge//SRT Funny Car. In addition to his four titles, Hagan also has been a history maker on the drag strip on four occasions during his career, including becoming the first Funny Car driver to break the four-second barrier (3.995-second run in 2011) and 3.80 seconds (3.799 in 2015) and to reach 330 mph (2015) and 335 mph (2016) at 1,000 feet.
"I'm so pumped up with Dodge//SRT extending its partnership with Tony Stewart Racing," said Hagan. "It's awesome to have the sustainability with such great sponsors like Dodge, Mopar and Direct Connection. I am very excited about what our future holds with Dodge. This is my 18th season driving a Dodge//SRT Funny Car, and it's great to have them supporting what we do. My family has been a Dodge dealer for 50 years, so it makes a nice circle. We can race on Sunday and sell on Monday.
"I have won 52 NHRA Funny Car nationals at the controls of a Dodge//SRT machine and won four World Championship with them. The parts, pieces and support Dodge//SRT and Direct Connection give us are truly amazing. We've been able to build a championship team, and I am honored to be a part of that with Dodge."
Pruett, whose Dodge and Mopar relationship dates to 2016, continues to be actively involved in the TSR organization with sponsorships, coaching and team strategies.
"I have held Dodge, Mopar and Direct Connection close to my heart for many years, and Tony and I are thrilled to extend the TSR and Dodge//SRT partnership," said Pruett. "Our partnership with Dodge includes many aspects — our enthusiasm to continue on-track success for the Dodge brand with our team and loyal fans. But it is also a pathway for Direct Connection to continue to connect with their customers through a strong partnership."
The TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT nitro cars begin the 2025 NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series this weekend (March 7-9) with the 56th annual NHRA Gatornationals and the Top Fuel Callout events, as Stewart drives the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fueler and Hagan steers the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car.
Dodge Motorsports Livery Shootout Begins at the NHRA Gatornationals
Dodge has announced an exciting fan engagement with the new Dodge Motorsports Livery Shootout, allowing drag-racing enthusiasts to pick from three car schemes to help choose the graphics Stewart and Hagan will campaign on their TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT machines at the U.S. Nationals on Aug. 27 – Sept. 1 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Beginning at the NHRA Gatornationals, the Dodge Motorsport Livery Shootout will feature three separate car graphic options for Stewart's Top Fuel dragster and Hagan's Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car. Drag-racing fans can vote on their favorite livery at Dodgegarage.com and on the Dodge Motorsports Instagram channel. In addition, fans at NHRA national events can vote at the Dodge Motorsports activation display located on the NHRA Manufacturers Midway.
Voting for the special Dodge Motorsports Livery Shootout will wrap up on Monday, June 2.
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 2025 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 gas engine 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
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SOURCE Stellantis