MARTIN, Mich. (Sept. 17, 2026) — The inaugural Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals presented by MOPAR at US 131 Motorsports Park, the 15th event on the 20-race NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule, marks a monumental weekend for Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) drivers Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan. The event kicks off the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs and brings NHRA national event drag racing to the state of Michigan for the first time in 66 years.
For primary sponsor Dodge, the weekend is a true home-state celebration. Leading into the event, team owner Tony Stewart along with TSR drivers Matt Hagan and Leah Pruett kicked off the festivities at the Stellantis campus in Auburn Hills, Michigan. There, they officially unveiled striking new “Purple Haze” and Dodge Charger Super Bee race car liveries for Pruett’s 12,000-horsepower TSR Dodge Top Fuel dragster and Hagan’s TSR Dodge Funny Car. The new high-gloss, light-shifting Purple Haze paint shade and iconic Super Bee graphics honor Dodge’s 60th anniversary of the Charger while celebrating the newly announced 600-horsepower 2027 Dodge Charger Super Bee Launch Edition, which will be on display at the track.
The week-long celebration also featured employee events and customer “Conquest” ride-and-drive experiences in the new Dodge Charger Super Bees and Durangos. To cap it off, Dodge and the NHRA will host the “Tour de Michigan” cruise on Sept. 17, leading fans from Dodge headquarters through stops including Hell, Michigan, before arriving at the race track.
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For primary sponsor Dodge, the weekend is a true home-state celebration. Leading into the event, team owner Tony Stewart along with TSR drivers Matt Hagan and Leah Pruett kicked off the festivities at the Stellantis campus in Auburn Hills, Michigan. There, they officially unveiled striking new “Purple Haze” and Dodge Charger Super Bee race car liveries for Pruett’s 12,000-horsepower TSR Dodge Top Fuel dragster and Hagan’s TSR Dodge Funny Car. The new high-gloss, light-shifting Purple Haze paint shade and iconic Super Bee graphics honor Dodge’s 60th anniversary of the Charger while celebrating the newly announced 600-horsepower 2027 Dodge Charger Super Bee Launch Edition, which will be on display at the track.
The week-long celebration also featured employee events and customer “Conquest” ride-and-drive experiences in the new Dodge Charger Super Bees and Durangos. To cap it off, Dodge and the NHRA will host the “Tour de Michigan” cruise on Sept. 17, leading fans from Dodge headquarters through stops including Hell, Michigan, before arriving at the race track.
On the Funny Car side, four-time NHRA World Champion Matt Hagan arrives in Michigan leading the Funny Car points standings after capturing the 2026 NHRA regular-season championship. Driving his Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car, Hagan boasts 58 career Funny Car victories and 102 final-round appearances. Notably, Hagan is the second-winningest driver in NHRA Countdown history with 18 postseason victories, and he has won at least one Countdown race in each of his last six playoff appearances across six different tracks.
Despite his four titles, Hagan is chasing a unique career milestone: winning a championship starting as the regular-season points leader. (His previous titles came from No. 5 in 2011, No. 7 in 2014, No. 2 in 2022, and 2020 when no Countdown was held). Backed by crew chiefs Mike Knudsen and Phil Shuler, Hagan is focused on starting the six-race postseason stretch on a high note.
“We have a full week and weekend here in Michigan. Coming out here for a Dodge-sponsored race, showing off this new paint job. It’s only right that we revealed it at headquarters, took a tour and got behind the scenes, then we head to US 131 for ride and drives and media all to kick-off the Countdown to the Championship,” Hagan said. “Feels good. It’s a big weekend. We had a long week in Indy, turn around and have a long week here in Michigan, hopefully we can cap it off the same way, a trip to the finals.
“No one has had a go at this racetrack in 66 years, we’re really excited about that, but also, kind of nervous, the unknown. I’ve heard the track is supposed to be great, so I’m ready to go run. Ready for an even, quality racetrack. The weather right now looks nice and cool, so things could be really interesting. Kind of wild to kick-off the Countdown like this but it’s the same for everyone and I know we’re looking forward to it.
“I’ll tell you what, I’m glad I’m not a crew chief. I’m glad I’m a driver. I get to stab and steer, hang on and hope for the best. So, I just can’t say enough about Mike Knudsen, Phil Shuler and Alex Conaway. Those guys have really done a great job of racing the tracks and qualifying well. I have to always remind myself that Mike’s always got a plan. We may not make the best run right of the box we have data to work off of. He’s playing chess while others are playing checkers. Methodically moving forward and, man, it seems to be working out.”
Despite his four titles, Hagan is chasing a unique career milestone: winning a championship starting as the regular-season points leader. (His previous titles came from No. 5 in 2011, No. 7 in 2014, No. 2 in 2022, and 2020 when no Countdown was held). Backed by crew chiefs Mike Knudsen and Phil Shuler, Hagan is focused on starting the six-race postseason stretch on a high note.
“We have a full week and weekend here in Michigan. Coming out here for a Dodge-sponsored race, showing off this new paint job. It’s only right that we revealed it at headquarters, took a tour and got behind the scenes, then we head to US 131 for ride and drives and media all to kick-off the Countdown to the Championship,” Hagan said. “Feels good. It’s a big weekend. We had a long week in Indy, turn around and have a long week here in Michigan, hopefully we can cap it off the same way, a trip to the finals.
“No one has had a go at this racetrack in 66 years, we’re really excited about that, but also, kind of nervous, the unknown. I’ve heard the track is supposed to be great, so I’m ready to go run. Ready for an even, quality racetrack. The weather right now looks nice and cool, so things could be really interesting. Kind of wild to kick-off the Countdown like this but it’s the same for everyone and I know we’re looking forward to it.
“I’ll tell you what, I’m glad I’m not a crew chief. I’m glad I’m a driver. I get to stab and steer, hang on and hope for the best. So, I just can’t say enough about Mike Knudsen, Phil Shuler and Alex Conaway. Those guys have really done a great job of racing the tracks and qualifying well. I have to always remind myself that Mike’s always got a plan. We may not make the best run right of the box we have data to work off of. He’s playing chess while others are playing checkers. Methodically moving forward and, man, it seems to be working out.”
The post NHRA GREAT LAKES NATIONALS: TONY STEWART RACING PREVIEW appeared first on Matt Hagan Racing.
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