• The Gerber Collision and Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK near Chicago, Illinois, is the sixth 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. Hagan and Stewart both advanced to the Finals in the prior event at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, North Carolina.
  • The NHRA is celebrating 25 years at Route 66 Raceway at the upcoming Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals.
  • Coming into Chicago, Stewart is second in the Top Fuel standings, 60 points behind leader Shawn Langdon. Hagan is currently third in the Funny Car standings, 70 points behind leader Austin Prock.
  • Hagan enters Chicago representing Dodge Direct Connection on his Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car. Stewart, meanwhile, sports red, white and black colors of Rinnai on his Top Fuel Dragster.
  • Direct Connection is the primary partner of Hagan this weekend in Chicago. With muscle car enthusiasts looking for “ready to run” parts, Direct Connection serves as the source for high-performance parts and technical expertise straight from the factory.
  • Rinnai America Corporation, a subsidiary of Rinnai Corporation in Nagoya, Japan, was established in 1974 and is headquartered in Peachtree City, Ga. Rinnai Corporation manufactures gas appliances including tankless water heaters, a wide range of kitchen appliances and heating and air conditioning units. As the technology leader in its industry, Rinnai is the largest gas appliance manufacturer in Japan and is the number-one selling brand of tankless gas water heaters in the United States and Canada. With a global perspective to create 21st-century products for the home and business, Rinnai Corporation commits itself to safety and Creating A Healthier Way of Living©.
  • The Route 66 NHRA Nationals will mark Stewart’s 26th career Top Fuel start and his second at Chicago. For Hagan, the Route 66 NHRA Nationals will be his 358th career Funny Car start and his 14th at Chicago.
  • Stewart is eyeing his first victory at the Route 66 NHRA Nationals and his first No. 1 qualifier at the event. In 2024, Stewart secured the No. 16 qualifying position and ran a 3.993 ET at 276.69 mph in Round 1, which lost to TJ Zizzo’s 3.805 ET at 329.42 mph. Stewart is currently the only driver that will be attempting the trifecta at Chicago – the oval track, dirt track and dragstrip.
  • Hagan is the defending event winner at Chicago and has recorded four career wins at the event (2010, 2013, 2014, and 2024). In 2010, he defeated Robert Hight with a 4.035 ET at 312.78 mph (compared to Hight’s 4.069 ET, 311.92 mph run). In 2013, Hagan’s 4.065 ET at 315.34 mph defeated John Force (4.113 ET at 304.80 mph). In 2014, Hagan defeated Tommy Johnson Jr. with a 4.098 ET at 310.48 mph run (compared to Johnson Jr.’s 4.147 ET at 308.50 mph). In 2024, Hagan ran a 3.998 ET at 323.27 mph to defeated John Force’s 4.096 ET at 311.05 mph. Hagan has two No. 1 qualifiers at Chicago, which came in 2016 (3.882 ET at 331.12 mph) and 2018 (3.917 ET at 326.79 mph).
  • By finishing in the Semifinals at the American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, Hagan 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. Hagan earned a rematch against Alexis DeJoria in Round 1 and Stewart will race Antron Brown. There is a bonus purse and bonus points for the Countdown to the Championship on the line.
  • Hagan and Stewart will participate in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty autograph session on Saturday at 9:00 a.m. CDT. The session will take place at the Mission Foods Display.
  • Hagan and Stewart will both be signing autographs at the TSR merchandise trailer on Friday. Hagan will be signing from 12:45-1:05 p.m. CDT. Stewart will be signing between Q1 and Q2 at roughly 3:45 p.m. CDT.
  • The Mopar CAP (Career Automotive Program) will be partnering with TSR on Friday for the first of eight events this season. CAP consists of strategic alliances between Stellantis and over 100 colleges and trade schools teaching technical curriculum integrated into the school’s general automotive program, so that students can become certified Stellantis technicians.
  • Hagan and Stewart will run special decals at Chicago in support of Military Appreciation Month, which is celebrated every May. TSR salutes all those who serve and have served, and honors the sacrifices made by service members and their families. Three of TSR’s crew members are veterans – Thomas Brown, Kurt Johnson and Chris Shuron. Brown, who is the clutch assistant and oversees tires on Hagan’s Funny Car, was a sergeant and squad leader in the Army. Johnson, TSR’s track specialist, spent six years as a United States Marine Aircraft Fire Fighter during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Shuron, an engine builder on Stewart’s Top Fuel dragster, served in the Marines where he was a lance corporal.
  • DYK? Stewart is the all-time winningest NASCAR Cup Series driver at Chicagoland Speedway, which is just three miles from Route 66 Raceway. In 15 starts at Chicago, he earned three career wins (2004, 2007, 2011). In 2011, it marked the 40th win of Stewart’s NASCAR Cup Series career. That same year, he went on to win the following weekend in New Hampshire, which made him just the second driver in the eight-year history of the playoffs to open the playoffs with consecutive wins.

You’ve earned four career wins at Route 66 Raceway and you’re looking to earn back-to-back wins at the track. How special would that be as you continue to gain momentum with new crew chiefs Mike Knudsen and Phil Shuler?​


“Route 66 Raceway has been very kind to me throughout my career and I’ve had a lot of success there. That track can get fast when the weather is just right. The rain can move in and cool things off. You never know what you’re going to get. It’s a big arena and big atmosphere. Hopefully we can get a lot of fans to come out and fill it up. Hopefully we can have a good weekend for Dodge and get them back in the winner’s circle. Chicago is a track that we have a lot of data at, so we want to be aggressive and lay it down. There will be a handful of cars charging up front, but we need to be there too. We’ve been qualifying mid-pack lately, which is fine. We have a new crew chief going through a learning curve. That’s the biggest thing I have to remember. It’s the first call Mike (Knudsen) has made on that track we’re going to. I’m impressed with how well he’s done so far. We’re sitting third in points, so it says a lot about him and that he can step up to the plate and do well.”

With Dodge’s home base being just four hours from Chicago in Detroit, Michigan, how special will it be running their Direct Connection colors on your Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car?​


“It would be great to see some of the Michigan folks come out to the drag strip. There are a lot of people in the office behind-the-scenes that rally behind what we do. I’ve gotten to visit their corporate headquarters in the past, so I know there’s a lot of support there. I’m excited to see some of them come out and it would be awesome to pull down a win for them. I’d love to see Mark Whitney back at the track and hopefully we can turn on some win lights.”

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