• The SUPERGRIP NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway hosts the eighth event on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series’ 20-race calendar in 2025. Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) brings its two full-time entries – one in Top Fuel for Tony Stewart and one in Funny Car for 52-time Funny Car winner and four-time champion Matt Hagan.
  • Coming into Bristol, Stewart is leading the Top Fuel standings, 71 points ahead of Shawn Langdon. Hagan is fourth in the Funny Car standings, 95 points behind leader Austin Prock.
  • Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage (JHG) is the primary partner of Hagan and Stewart this weekend in Bristol. JHG was formed in 2021 and brings a passion and flare to the automotive world. They aim to inspire, drive and celebrate progress. JHG spans across Jason Johnson’s car collection featuring more than 200 sought after vehicles from classics, to hot rods and supercars. Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage’s mission is to preserve and showcase the automotive industry. The vehicles are driven to and displayed at events by Johnson and his team with the goal of growing interest and keeping car culture thriving. Johnson’s history in the industry began with Mather Auto Dismantler, Mather Mini Trucks and U-Pull It in Northern California. He later held an instrumental role in the growth and success of Copart, Inc., a global provider of online vehicle auction and remarketing services. JHG also serves as a primary sponsor of Elite Motorsports in the NHRA Pro Stock series.
  • The NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals will mark Stewart’s 28th career Top Fuel start and his second at Bristol. For Hagan, the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals will be his 360th career Funny Car start and his 16th at Bristol.
  • Stewart is looking for his first victory at the Thunder Valley Nationals and his first No. 1 qualifier at the event. In 2024, he secured the No. 8 qualifying position and ran a 5.131 ET at 148.41 mph in Round 1 of eliminations, which lost to Doug Foley’s 3.878 ET at 301.74 mph.
  • Stewart is coming off a runner-up finish last weekend in Epping, New Hampshire. He has compiled a 15-3 elimination record in his last five starts and Stewart is the only Top Fuel driver who has advanced past Round 1 in each event this season.
  • On August 25, 2001, Stewart won his only NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the Sharpie 500.
  • Hagan has one career win at Bristol in 2015 (4.164 ET at 303.23 mph) when he defeated Ron Capps (4.186 ET at 307.02 mph). He also advanced to the finals in 2016, but his 4.030 ET at 317.57 mph run fell short of the one from Tommy Johnson Jr. (4.038 ET at 313.22 mph). Hagan is seeking his first No. 1 qualifier at the event.
  • Hagan is the current track record holder at Bristol for speed with a run of 330.34 mph, a mark he set on Oct. 16, 2021. Bristol is the only track that currently hosts an event in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series at which Hagan has never started from the No. 1 qualifying position. He is trying to extend the longest active win streak in the fuel categories. Hagan has won at least one tour event for 11 straight seasons.
  • By advancing to the Semifinals at the NHRA New England Nationals, Stewart qualified to participate in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. The challenge brings competitive racing to the qualifying schedule at 13 regular-season events during the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series campaign, pitting semifinalists from the previous race against each other in a pair of rematches, with the two winners then matching up in the final qualifying session. Stewart earned a rematch against Antron Brown in Round 1. There is a bonus purse and bonus points for the Countdown to the Championship on the line.
  • Stewart will participate in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty autograph session on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. EDT. The session will take place at the Mission Foods Display.
  • Hagan, Leah Pruett and Stewart will participate in a Dodge autograph session on Friday from 4:45-5:15 p.m. EDT and on Saturday from 11:15-11:45 a.m. EDT. Both sessions will take place in the pits at the Dodge display.
  • Hagan and Stewart will participate in autograph signings at the Tony Stewart Store merchandise trailer. Stewart will be signing on Friday from 4:00-4:25 p.m. EDT and again on Saturday from 1:45-2:15 p.m. EDT. Hagan will be signing on Friday from 7:00-7:30 p.m. EDT.
  • Hagan and Stewart will participate in a Fan Fest autograph session following Q4 on Saturday. The signing will take place at the Guest Welcome Tent in the Midway.
  • American Rebel Beer CEO Andy Ross will be performing a free concert for the fans between Q3 and Q4 on Saturday. The concert will take place in the Midway next to the Dodge display.
  • Hagan and Stewart will be available to speak with the media on Friday at 3:15 p.m. EDT in the Bristol Dragway Media Center.

Bristol is considered a home race for you. You also made a visit to Bristol for a customer driving event and NHRA media to promote the event. What makes the event so special?​


“Bristol is home with it being two hours down the road, so hopefully we’ll see a lot of people wearing Matt Hagan shirts. I think the last couple years, I’ve outsold Tony (Stewart) on shirts, so that’s kind of cool. I’ve only won there once and it was on Father’s Day, so that was really special to me. We need to pull down a few wins, so I think it’d be a great time to start this weekend.”

The NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals will mark the completion of the first half of the regular season, prior to the Countdown. By the end of the weekend, teams will have established their routines, so how will that help you and your crew carry momentum through the second half of the regular season?

“I think we are still learning. We have new crew chiefs (Mike Knudsen and Phil Shuler) and a great group of guys. We almost have to take this year as ‘learn mode.’ Any time we roll up to the starting line, it’s the first time Mike Knudsen is making the call at that track. He’s doing a great job and I am extremely proud of him and also Phil Shuler. They’re making great calls. I don’t think you could take a group like that with the new roles they have and ask for any better results than what we’ve had. The car is running really good, we just have to catch a break. Sometimes, the chips have to fall your way and they will, so maybe we’re just saving ours for the later part of the year.”

The post Bristol Advance for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals appeared first on Matt Hagan Racing.

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