The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series roared to life this past weekend at the Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida, with Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) making an immediate impact in both nitro categories.
Team owner Tony Stewart showed the power and promise of the TSR Dodge//SRT® Direct Connection Top Fuel dragster, advancing to the quarterfinals in a weekend that showcased the team’s offseason development work. Stewart’s qualifying efforts on Friday resulted in the 11th position, setting up a first-round matchup with Brittany Force after Saturday’s sessions were canceled due to rain.
Sunday’s early start time presented treacherous racing conditions, as the cool 63-degree air temperature combined with a chilly 70-degree track surface to create a perfect recipe for traction issues throughout the field. While many competitors fell victim to tire shake and smoke, Stewart’s crew chiefs had clearly done their homework. The TSR dragster rocketed to a class-leading 3.722-second pass at 329.91 mph in the opening round, easily dispatching Brittany Force’s struggling 8.643-second effort and claiming the quickest run of the entire round.
The second round pitted Stewart against Shawn Langdon in one of the day’s closest contests. After weather improvements, Stewart recorded a strong 3.742-second effort at 331.53 mph, falling just short of Langdon’s 3.739-second run at 333.82 mph.
Despite the quarterfinal exit, the weekend marked significant progress for the TSR Top Fuel program. The team took a new approach throughout the weekend and found much-needed consistency as a result.
Four-time Funny Car champion Matt Hagan entered the season-opener looking to extend his remarkable streak of winning at least one event in each of the past 12 seasons – the longest active streak in any professional NHRA category. The Gainesville track has been particularly successful for Hagan, with victories in both 2022 and 2023.
Like his teammate, Hagan faced challenging qualifying conditions, securing the ninth position after Saturday’s sessions were washed out. The weekend marked a significant transition for the Funny Car team, with new crew chiefs Mike Knudsen and Phil Shuler making their competitive debut with TSR.
Hagan advanced through the first round with a 4.275-second pass at 221.20 mph against Cruz Pedregon, extending his head-to-head advantage over Pedregon to an impressive 26:11. In the second round, Hagan capitalized on Jack Beckman’s traction issues, recording a solid 3.987-second run at 327.74 mph to secure a semifinal berth.
The semifinal round produced high drama as Hagan faced Chad Green, whose team completed a last-minute engine change before arriving late to the starting line. Despite the hectic preparations, Green’s car performed flawlessly with a 3.922-second pass at 330.88 mph. Hagan responded with another consistent 3.988-second effort at 324.20 mph, but it wasn’t enough to advance. The team later identified that their supercharger had an issue causing them to lose performance during the run, a fixable issue heading into the next event.
Hagan’s semifinal appearance places him in the fourth spot in the early Funny Car championship standings, just 39 points behind leader Chad Green, while Stewart currently sits seventh in Top Fuel, 69 points behind Antron Brown.
As the series heads to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park for the NHRA Arizona Nationals on March 21-23, both TSR teams have reason for optimism. The performance at Gainesville, particularly considering the challenging weather conditions and organizational changes, represents a solid foundation for the 2025 campaign.
With their renewed Dodge partnership, revamped technical approaches in both categories and the adaptability shown throughout the weekend, TSR has positioned itself as a serious contender in both nitro classes as the season progresses. The consistent performance of both cars, even in difficult conditions, suggests that Tony Stewart Racing is ready to challenge for wins in both categories throughout 2025.
For a team that faced significant challenges last season, particularly in Top Fuel, the Gatornationals marked a solid points day and a demonstration of substantial progress. As Stewart’s driving continues to improve and Hagan’s team refines their new combinations, TSR has established itself as a team to watch in the 2025 championship hunt.
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