Matt Hagan, driver of the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car:
“As for driving the race car, it was a lot of fun this weekend. When they go fast and straight, that’s great but today you didn’t know what to expect. You could drop a cylinder, and the car was going right and left. It was a great healing weekend for our TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT crew, since we have been close in some drag races lately. We went out against some big players each round including J.R. (Todd) in the first round because we know what Dickie (Venables – Hagan’s former TSR crew chief) can do in these conditions. Then two close ones with Jack (Beckman) and Cruz (Pedregon – No. 1 qualifier) to get to the Final. I knew I had to cut a good light against Austin (Prock). And we ran 0.050 light against that kid and that was good. I never saw him until the finish line. And we put out a cylinder at the 300-foot mark. I think Mike (Knudson – crew chief) has been doing a great job as it is his first time as crew chief. I think things are really turning around for us now with the hot conditions and we are at the halfway point. I am extremely proud of this TSR Dodge//SRT team. They work hard in the heat and do a fantastic job. And it was fun to have the Dodge folks down to see us from Detroit too. Now I’m ready for the Seattle and Sonoma swing. Sonoma is the only track I haven’t won at in my career. I’d love to win that one.”
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- Earned No. 6 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (4.045 ET at 321.12 mph)
- Earned No. 5 provisional qualifying position in Q2 on Friday (3.926 ET at 329.67 mph)
- Maintained No. 5 provisional qualifying position based off of Friday’s Q2 run. In Q3 on Saturday, Hagan ran a 4.062 ET at 288.95 mph.
- Secured No. 5 qualifying position based off of Friday’s Q2 run. In Q4 on Saturday, Hagan ran a 4.162 ET at 263.82 mph.
- Advanced to the Finals on Sunday:
- Round 1: 3.976 ET at 325.06 mph, defeated J.R. Todd (8.289 ET at 86.09 mph)
- Round 2: 4.088 ET at 308.28 mph, defeated Jack Beckman (4.087 ET at 316.90 mph)
- Semifinals: 4.127 ET at 297.22 mph, defeated Cruz Pedregon (4.148 ET at 298.27 mph)
- Finals: 4.099 ET at 309.42 mph, lost to Austin Prock (4.064 ET at 318.54 mph)
- Currently fifth in the Funny Car championship standings, 222 points behind leader Austin Prock
- Hagan advanced to his first Final of the 2025 season. He 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).
- Stewart advanced to his eighth-consecutive Semifinal round and his Round 1 win streak continues – he is the only driver to advance past Round 1 of eliminations in all 10 events so far this season.
- Hagan and the Dodge Direct Connection team earned their first round wins since Chicago in May.
- Stewart’s team rebounded following Q1, Q2, and Round 1 of eliminations, where the car suffered an explosion in all sessions.
- By advancing to the Semifinals, Hagan and Stewart both qualified to participate in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge at the next NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event, the NHRA Northwest Nationals, where Hagan will race Cruz Pedregon and Stewart will face a rematch against Clay Millican.
- The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals marked a quasi-home race for Dodge, with their headquarters located 150 miles north of Norwalk in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
- Following Norwalk, teams will prepare to head west for the Western Swing in Seattle and Sonoma. Hagan and Stewart will both be running their Dodge Direct Connection schemes in Seattle, with Hagan representing Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage in Sonoma and Stewart representing Mobil 1.
“As for driving the race car, it was a lot of fun this weekend. When they go fast and straight, that’s great but today you didn’t know what to expect. You could drop a cylinder, and the car was going right and left. It was a great healing weekend for our TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT crew, since we have been close in some drag races lately. We went out against some big players each round including J.R. (Todd) in the first round because we know what Dickie (Venables – Hagan’s former TSR crew chief) can do in these conditions. Then two close ones with Jack (Beckman) and Cruz (Pedregon – No. 1 qualifier) to get to the Final. I knew I had to cut a good light against Austin (Prock). And we ran 0.050 light against that kid and that was good. I never saw him until the finish line. And we put out a cylinder at the 300-foot mark. I think Mike (Knudson – crew chief) has been doing a great job as it is his first time as crew chief. I think things are really turning around for us now with the hot conditions and we are at the halfway point. I am extremely proud of this TSR Dodge//SRT team. They work hard in the heat and do a fantastic job. And it was fun to have the Dodge folks down to see us from Detroit too. Now I’m ready for the Seattle and Sonoma swing. Sonoma is the only track I haven’t won at in my career. I’d love to win that one.”
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The post Norwalk Event Recap for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals appeared first on Matt Hagan Racing.
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