Amidst a Season of Dejection, Tony Stewart’s NHRA Star Adds to His Boss’ Only Redeeming Factor

2023 has been nothing short of a bad dream for the Ford powerhouse Stewart-Haas Racing. Except for its Xfinity Series triumph, Tony Stewart and team has had an abysmal season, with none of its drivers making it big in the organization’s top-tier division, the Cup Series. Other than Kevin Harvick, who just retired from the sport, none have made it past the regular season.

Adding insult to injury, even the 2014 Cup Series champion got ousted in the eliminator, ending his illustrious NASCAR career on a sour note and going out without a single win. While Stewart’s team has been facing the gun for its inconsistent performances and inadequate equipment, the scene is totally different at the drag strip. Stewart’s driver did what he and his wife never could, i.e., to win the NHRA title, adding another feather to the 51-year-old’s cap just days after the #00 driver clinched the Xfinity title.

Tony Stewart gets back-to-back titles as his TSR driver hands the veteran the ultimate prize

Even though the 3-time Cup Series champion tasted success earlier this year, winning his first-ever national drag event, Tony Stewart is yet to make a mark of his season in the drag strip by claiming a title. And so is his wife, who is also a revered drag racer. But Tony Stewart Racing got its first championship trophy when Matt Hagan won the Funny Car title, surviving the challenge from 3-time title holder Robert Hight.

Hagan’s win comes days after Cole Custer‘s triumph, which earned SHR their first-ever Xfinity Series title. The TSR driver captured his fourth NHRA Funny Car World Championship title in wild fashion on the final day of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, surviving a harrowing and upset-filled eliminations day at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, where even Stewart’s wife, Leah Pruett (a seasoned dragster), lost her way.

WATCH THIS STORY: Tony Stewart highlights Xfinity Series victory as a lesson for aspiring drivers 

While all three top contenders lost the 2nd round of Sunday’s In-N-Out Burger finals in Pomona, including Bob Tasca, Robert Hight, and Hagan himself, the points advantage gave the TSR driver a close edge to take home his 4th NHRA title.

Hagan shares his thoughts after the epic 3-way shootout in the final

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Nobody wants a win at the expense of a competitor’s slip. But Hagan got just that, and the drag racer wasn’t quite as happy about it as much as he was with winning his 4th title, becoming the 4th Funny Car driver to win more than 3 championships. A slip-up from fellow competitor Robert Hight gave the edge to Hagan, who was closely monitoring the action anxiously.

Reflecting on his win Hagan, according to the NHRA, said, “It’s just one of those things where you just hate to have to stand there and watch someone go out to win a championship; that’s that’s just not my style of racing. That’s not how I want to win, but it’s really about the body of work that we did all year and coming in here and being ahead and points to be able to have that opportunity where if they went out the same round, we win the championship.

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The driver fueled with enthusiasm, then mentioned how he was on the pit road, praying to his late mother and brother for a divine intervention, which finally earned him the title. He said, “I was doing some praying up there, man, really praying to my mom—I lost her this year—and it was one of those things where I said, ‘You know, I don’t know what you’re doing up there, but from you and my brother. I said, I sure could use a little help down here.”