- Earned No. 6 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.895 ET at 328.38 mph)
- The second qualifying session on Friday was canceled due to rain
- Fell to No. 9 provisional qualifying position in Q2 on Saturday (4.499 ET at 187.05 mph)
- Secured No. 4 qualifying position in Q3 on Saturday (3.838 ET at 331.94 mph)
- Advanced to the Semifinals on Sunday:
- Round 1: 3.874 ET at 329.18 mph, defeated Steven Densham (9.978 ET at 85.60 mph)
- Round 2: 3.856 ET at 333.66 mph, defeated Daniel Wilkerson (3.926 ET at 306.88 mph)
- Semifinals: 3.866 ET at 324.44 mph, lost to Austin Prock (3.812 ET at 331.04 mph)
- Finished fourth in the Funny Car championship standings, 298 points behind champion Austin Prock
- Leah Pruett and Stewart welcomed their first child on Sunday morning, son Dominic James Stewart. Stewart was able to complete qualifying on Saturday evening, before flying to Phoenix in time for Dominic’s arrival, then back to In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip for eliminations on Sunday.
- Stewart and Pritchett faced each other for the fifth time in NHRA competition this season. The pair previously competed against each other in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, where Stewart won four of the five matchups on his way to clinching the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 3.
- The In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals concludes Stewart’s first season in the Top Fuel Dragster class. He eligible for the 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year award, which will be announced at tomorrow’s NHRA banquet. The eight racers eligible for this year’s award include Top Fuel’s Jasmine Salinas, Stewart and Ida Zetterstrom; Funny Car’s Daniel Wilkerson; Pro Stock’s Brandon Foster, Derrick Reese, and Sienna Wildgust; and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Richard Gadson. The NHRA Rookie of the Year award recognizes the top rookie competitor who also represents the future of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. The nation’s leading auto racing journalists select the winner through a voting system based on the following criteria: number of events competed in, performance on and off the racetrack, participation in NHRA promotions, and relationships with fans, sponsors, and media.
- Despite losing in the Semifinals, Hagan shares with Robert Hight the record for Countdown wins in the Funny Car division with 16. He has won at least one Countdown race in a category best five consecutive seasons (excluding the Covid-shortened 2020 season in which there was no Countdown). The only active drivers with more Countdown wins overall are Antron Brown and Greg Anderson, each with 18.
“We didn’t get the championship this year after winning the title last year, but we showed we have a great team with the Tony Stewart Racing Direct Connection Dodge//SRT crew. We had three wins, and we battled for the championship to the final race. It’s not easy with the competition in the Funny Car ranks. We had a good day here at Pomona. The Hellcat car was running well. We qualified well and we came up against the toughest car of the class all season. Austin (Prock) is the heaviest hitter in Funny Car right now and we just lost a good drag race in the semis. I guess we have to set world records to beat him. I know we will work hard over the offseason to be ready for a championship run in 2025 at Gainesville. We have a championship crew here. My guys are just as good as the Force guys. We beat them last year for the title. It was a great day for Tony and Leah with their first son being born this morning, and I’m so happy for them. Of course, he was born on race day. That’s fitting. Tony supplies us with great sponsors like Dodge and Direct Connection, and great parts and pieces as well as a tremendous crew. I’m confident we’ll be fighting for the championship in 2025.”
The post Pomona Event Recap for the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals appeared first on Matt Hagan Racing.
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