TONY STEWART, WINNER OF THE NHRA TOP FUEL 4-WIDE NATIONALS AT LAS VEGAS – TONY STEWART RACING PHOTO
Tony Stewart Top Fuel NHRA Four-Wide Nationals April 11-13 | Las Vegas
EVENT RECAP
Tony Stewart, driver of the Rayce Rudeen Foundation Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster:
* Earned No. 6 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (4.775
ET at 157.85 mph)
* Earned No. 3 provisional qualifying position in Q2 on Friday (3.904
ET at 319.45 mph)
* Earned two bonus points for second-quickest run of the session
* Earned No. 4 provisional qualifying position in Q3 on Saturday
(3.821 ET at 321.96 mph). Q3 was also part of the NHRA’s Mission
#2Fast2Tasty Challenge, where Stewart faced Josh Hart, Doug Kalitta and
Shawn Langdon. Stewart defeated Langdon’s 3.952 ET, 286.98 mph run and
Hart’s 4.293 ET, 205.13 mph run. Kalitta also advanced with a 3.808
ET, 318.24 mph run.
* Secured No. 5 qualifying position based off of Saturday’s Q3 run.
In Q4 on Saturday, Stewart ran a 6.604 ET at 102.26 mph. Q4 also served
as the NHRA’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge Finals, where Stewart
faced Brittany Force, Doug Kalitta and Clay Millican. Stewart finished
fourth to Kalitta’s 3.730 ET, 331.04 mph run, Force’s 3.754 ET,
333.16 mph run and Millican’s 3.915 ET, 299.26 mph run.
* Advanced to the Finals on Sunday:
* Round 1: 3.864 ET at 321.19 mph, defeated Steve Chrisman (4.097 ET
at 279.79 mph) and Rob Passey (4.722 ET at 185.38 mph). Steve Torrence
also advanced to Round 2 (3.846 ET at 328.94 mph).
* Round 2: 3.943 ET at 303.50 mph, defeated Steve Torrence (3.928 ET
at 294.82 mph) and Doug Kalitta (7.089 ET at 105.31 mph). Justin Ashley
also advanced to the Finals (4.090 ET at 269.94 mph).
* Final: 3.870 ET at 317.42 mph, defeated Antron Brown in second
(3.912 ET at 302.35 mph), Justin Ashley in third (3.965 ET at 304.25
mph) and Jasmine Salinas in fourth (4.237 ET at 196.67 mph).
* Currently second in the championship standings, 16 points behind Top
Fuel leader Shawn Langdon
NOTES OF INTEREST
* Stewart earned his first NHRA Top Fuel victory at the NHRA Four-Wide
Nationals in his 24th career start. He advanced from fifth to second in
the Top Fuel championship point standings.
* Stewart has won an event on all of the tracks at the Las Vegas Motor
Speedway property – the drag strip (the 2025 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
and the 2023 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series in Top Alcohol Dragster), the
dirt track (his first USAC Silver Crown event on October 18, 1997), Las
Vegas Motor Speedway (captured his 1997 IndyCar championship and earned
the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series event win), the Las Vegas Bullring pavement
short-track (won in a USAC midget in 2002 and also won in a sprint car
in the same night) and the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (won
the 2010 Las Vegas Sprint Car Nationals).
* The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals are celebrating their 25th anniversary
at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, commemorated by a special
silver Wally.
TONY STEWART, DRIVER OF THE RAYCE RUDEEN FOUNDATION DODGE//SRT TOP FUEL DRAGSTER
“I haven’t been around the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
very long, but I realized it takes a lot to win one of these Top Fuel
races. In my career, I’ve never had to wait over a year to win a race.
We always figured it out pretty quickly and we won. I had two
‘holeshot’ wins in the first two rounds today and my worst reaction
time was in the final, but the TSR Rayce Rudeen Foundation crew gave me
a great car in the final. Neal Strausbaugh (crew chief) and Mike
Domagala (co-crew chief) and the whole crew won that final round for us
today. We needed this win. It’s been so stressful for everyone since
Leah (Pruett – Stewart’s wife) nearly won the World Top Fuel
Championship in 2023 when it came down to the final round of the whole
season. We had a lot of changes for the team because my body weight is
different. Car tubing is different, and it just takes time. It was
frustrating as we just couldn’t get on a path to make consistent gains
last year. Two years ago, I won my first NHRA national event in the Top
Alcohol Dragster here at Las Vegas with McPhillips Racing, and now I win
my first Top Fuel national event at the Strip. It’s pretty damn cool.
I’ve been a motorsports fan my whole life, and I think we made racing
history today with the Top Fuel win. I’m not sure if there has ever
been a driver to win a NASCAR Cup race, an IndyCar race, the USAC Triple
Crown championship and an NHRA Pro event (Top Fuel). To do it with our
team and our family was very emotional. When Leah brought Dom (their
newborn son) up on stage in victory lane, my heart stopped. I got so
emotional there. That is a feeling I have never had in my life before.
The Four Wide setup is the equalizer for me. I’m used to racing with
many cars around me. It’s tough for the guys who are not used to four
cars racing at once. We can’t get to Charlotte fast enough with the
next four-wide setup. I love the format. I think we had a great shot to
win this race outright today. We won all three rounds. The track and
heat conditions were an equalizer too. The conditions were very tricky.
It made it a tuner’s game and our guys were the difference. I can now
say I have won pro events on all four tracks at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway, and it is very satisfying as a racing driver.”
NEXT UP
The next event on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule is
the American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals April 25-27 at zMAX
Dragway in Concord, North Carolina.