- The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, marks the 10th 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 Norwalk, Stewart is leading the Top Fuel championship standings, 51 points over Shawn Langdon. Hagan is fifth in the Funny Car standings, 195 points behind leader Austin Prock.
- Direct Connection is the primary partner of Stewart and Hagan this weekend in Norwalk. 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.
- The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals will serve as Stewart’s 30th career Top Fuel start and his second at Norwalk. For Hagan, this will be his 362nd career Funny Car start and his 16th at Norwalk.
- Stewart is eyeing his first victory in the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, as well as his first No. 1 qualifier. In 2024, Stewart secured the No. 5 qualifying position and ran a 3.769 ET at 324.75 mph in Round 1 of eliminations on Sunday, which lost to Jasmine Salinas’ 3.750 ET at 329.34 mph. Stewart was No. 1 qualifier in 2023 in the Top Alcohol Dragster class.
- Stewart is the only driver to have avoided a first-round loss so far this season, a streak he extended at Richmond with a first round win over No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force.
- Hagan has one career win at Norwalk in 2018 (4.094 ET at 288.21 mph) when he defeated Courtney Force (4.220 ET at 227.54 mph). Hagan has two No. 1 qualifiers at the event, which came in 2015 (3.973 ET at 321.96 mph) and 2017 (3.865 ET at 333.33 mph).
- By advancing to the Semifinals at the American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals, Stewart qualified to participate in the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, where he will face a rematch against Shawn Langdon.
- Stewart will participate in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge autograph session on Saturday at 9 a.m. EDT, which will take place at the Mission Foods tent in the midway.
- Hagan, Leah Pruett and Stewart will participate in a Dodge autograph session on Friday from 4:45-5:15 p.m. EDT and again on Saturday from 10:45-11:15 a.m. EDT. Both sessions will take place in the midway at the Dodge display.
- Hagan and Stewart will participate in Tony Stewart Store merchandise trailer signings. Stewart will be signing Friday from 3:45-4:15 p.m. EDT. Hagan will be signing Friday from 7:15-7:45 p.m. EDT. Stewart will be signing again on Saturday from 9:45-10:15 a.m. EDT.
Dodge’s headquarters is located 150 miles north of Norwalk in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Talk about the significance of competing in a quasi-home race for Dodge, with a lot of their executives attending the race.
“We have a longstanding relationship with Dodge. I’ve been with them over 15 years, so it’s always great when we can bring their corporate folks out and show them what we are doing on the racetrack. We want to put our best foot forward. Having Mark Whitney at the track is awesome. He’s been such a big supporter of our program in drag racing. He’s a racer himself, so the love runs through and through. We’re here to put American muscle on the racetrack, so hopefully we can show up to Norwalk and put on a good show for Dodge and all the fans.”
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