TSR Photo
MARTIN, Mich. (Sept. 17, 2026) — The inaugural Dodge NHRA Great Lakes
Nationals presented by MOPAR at US 131 Motorsports Park, the 15th event
on the 20-race NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule, marks a
monumental weekend for Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) drivers Leah Pruett and
Matt Hagan. The event kicks off the six-race NHRA Countdown to the
Championship playoffs and brings NHRA national event drag racing to the
state of Michigan for the first time in 66 years.
For primary sponsor Dodge, the weekend is a true home-state celebration.
Leading into the event, team owner Tony Stewart along with TSR drivers
Matt Hagan and Leah Pruett kicked off the festivities at the Stellantis
campus in Auburn Hills, Michigan. There, they officially unveiled
striking new “Purple Haze” and Dodge Charger Super Bee race car liveries
for Pruett’s 12,000-horsepower TSR Dodge Top Fuel dragster and Hagan’s
TSR Dodge Funny Car. The new high-gloss, light-shifting Purple Haze
paint shade and iconic Super Bee graphics honor Dodge’s 60th
anniversary of the Charger while celebrating the newly announced
600-horsepower 2027 Dodge Charger Super Bee Launch Edition, which will
be on display at the track.
The week-long celebration also featured employee events and customer
“Conquest” ride-and-drive experiences in the new Dodge Charger Super
Bees and Durangos. To cap it off, Dodge and the NHRA will host the “Tour
de Michigan” cruise on Sept. 17, leading fans from Dodge headquarters
through stops including Hell, Michigan, before arriving at the race
track.
Celebrating her 10th official season with Dodge and Mopar, Leah Pruett
enters the postseason in her Dodge Top Fuel dragster seeking her first
career Top Fuel world title. Pruett enters the Countdown starting from
the No. 3 position—the exact same spot she occupied entering the
playoffs in 2023, where she staged a fierce championship battle that saw
her claim a Countdown win at Dallas, reach three final rounds in six
postseason races, and finish just 57 points shy of the title. With 13
career Top Fuel national event victories (along with four in Pro Mod and
three in Factory Stock Showdown), Pruett aims to build on strong
regular-season momentum, including a Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA
Challenge victory at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Although US 131
Motorsports Park is a new stop on the national tour, the facility holds
significant personal history for her.
“Martin, Michigan, here we come! For many, it’s a place that they
haven’t been to,” Pruett said. “For me personally, I have tested a
lot in the Factory Stock Showdown in my Dodge DragPak car. Made a lot of
development in those days at that track, ran Nitro Funny Car, started
getting my license in Nitro at Martin, Michigan. So, for me, it holds a
lot of positive memories.
“And also, fun fact, the US Nationals were hosted in Detroit for a
couple years then later got moved to Indianapolis. So, for us to
continue on the heels of our momentum from this year’s US Nationals,
we’re looking to finish the job at the previous US Nationals home of
Detroit for Dodge.
“We’ve had a fantastic week at the headquarters—Hagan and I doing
customer drives, the Conquest events where people can rip the new Super
Bees and the Durangos and feel that Dodge power. You know, interestingly
for me, I always find I feel more comfortable in my Top Fuel dragster
after I’ve been driving the hot rod Dodges around all day. Dodge feels
like home, and I would love nothing more than to bring a diamond Wally
home to Detroit.
“I’m celebrating my 10th year officially with Dodge and Mopar, and
this is—I guess it’s homecoming season, as some might say. I’m looking
forward to the new fans up there and getting us a new race surface that
we all get to manage at the same time.”
On the Funny Car side, four-time NHRA World Champion Matt Hagan arrives
in Michigan leading the Funny Car points standings after capturing the
2026 NHRA regular-season championship. Driving his Dodge//SRT Hellcat
Funny Car, Hagan boasts 58 career Funny Car victories and 102
final-round appearances. Notably, Hagan is the second-winningest driver
in NHRA Countdown history with 18 postseason victories, and he has won
at least one Countdown race in each of his last six playoff appearances
across six different tracks.
Despite his four titles, Hagan is chasing a unique career milestone:
winning a championship starting as the regular-season points leader.
(His previous titles came from No. 5 in 2011, No. 7 in 2014, No. 2 in
2022, and 2020 when no Countdown was held). Backed by crew chiefs Mike
Knudsen and Phil Shuler, Hagan is focused on starting the six-race
postseason stretch on a high note.
“We have a full week and weekend here in Michigan. Coming out here for
a Dodge-sponsored race, showing off this new paint job. It’s only
right that we revealed it at headquarters, took a tour and got behind
the scenes, then we head to US 131 for ride and drives and media all to
kick-off the Countdown to the Championship,” Hagan said. “Feels
good. It’s a big weekend. We had a long week in Indy, turn around and
have a long week here in Michigan, hopefully we can cap it off the same
way, a trip to the finals.
“No one has had a go at this racetrack in 66 years, we’re really
excited about that, but also, kind of nervous, the unknown. I’ve heard
the track is supposed to be great, so I’m ready to go run. Ready for
an even, quality racetrack. The weather right now looks nice and cool,
so things could be really interesting. Kind of wild to kick-off the
Countdown like this but it’s the same for everyone and I know we’re
looking forward to it.
“I’ll tell you what, I’m glad I’m not a crew chief. I’m glad I’m a
driver. I get to stab and steer, hang on and hope for the best. So, I
just can’t say enough about Mike Knudsen, Phil Shuler and Alex Conaway.
Those guys have really done a great job of racing the tracks and
qualifying well. I have to always remind myself that Mike’s always got a
plan. We may not make the best run right of the box we have data to work
off of. He’s playing chess while others are playing checkers.
Methodically moving forward and, man, it seems to be working out.”
Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals presented by MOPAR Schedule
Qualifying:
Friday at 12:15 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.
Saturday at 12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Eliminations:
Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Television coverage:
FOX Sports 1 (FS1)
Qualifying Sunday at 12:00 p.m. ET
Eliminations Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET.
-TSR-