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Matt Hagan and Leah Pruett Aim to Build Momentum at NHRA Route 66 Nationals
Highlights
- Matt Hagan and Leah Pruett both hold third in NHRA points.
- Hagan reached quarterfinals or better in all five races this year.
- Pruett returned after two years off, reaching quarterfinals or better.
- Route 66 NHRA Nationals start Friday with qualifying rounds.
- Event airs live on FOX Sports 1 Friday through Sunday.
- Hagan aims for 100th NHRA final round at Route 66 Raceway.
Tony Stewart Racing arrives at Route 66 Raceway with both cars third in points and momentum intact ahead of the Route 66 NHRA Nationals.
Matt Hagan’s Funny Car campaign is built on repeatable performance. He has made quarterfinals or better at all five rounds, with one win and two semi-finals.
The Dodge//SRT group has also qualified inside the top five at every event. A No. 4 start and quarterfinal exit at the Southern Nationals underlined lane-choice sensitivity at new venues.
Hagan now returns to a known quantity. He calls Route 66 smooth and stadium-like, a layout that rewards side-by-side execution and strong baseline reads.
His Chicago record is emphatic: four wins from five finals, including victories in 2010, 2013, 2014, and 2024. He also held No. 1 qualifiers in 2016 and 2018.
In 2025, he qualified third and reached the semi-finals. Beating John Force in two Route 66 finals remains a benchmark in his career narrative.
Hagan’s next final will be his 100th in professional NHRA competition, an elite milestone within reach this weekend.
Leah Pruett’s return after two seasons away has been assured and tidy. She has reached at least the quarterfinals in all five starts.
Her peak results include runner-up at the Arizona Nationals and a No. 1 start at the Winternationals, evidencing outright pace and procedural sharpness.
Pruett qualified eighth and went out in round two at the Southern Nationals. The team stayed to test, prioritizing incremental improvements over wholesale changes.
She believes a first win of 2026 is close. The garage atmosphere mirrors that belief, aided by strong baselines and clean race-day execution.
Pruett notes rising confidence after productive testing and a steady upward trend with each start.
Stewart’s 2025 Top Fuel victory at this event, celebrated with their son Dom, provides additional motivation. The team also enters as defending event winners.
Strategically, both TSR entries benefit from Route 66’s consistent surface. With lane parity expected, qualifying position and turnaround discipline will likely decide margins.
Hagan’s four Route 66 victories underscore his comfort on this surface and the value of strong qualifying in Chicago’s stadium layout.
Qualifying runs are set for Friday at 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., then Saturday at noon and 2:30 p.m. Eliminations begin Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
FOX Sports 1 carries coverage Friday evening and Saturday night, with Sunday eliminations airing at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Visual Summary
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#100
Final Rounds
Hagan: 56 Career Wins
Chicago: 4x Winner
Both: Top 3 in Points
Fri:
1:30p | 4p
Sat:
Noon | 2:30p
Sun:
11a Eliminations
Live on FOX Sports 1 – Sunday Finals, 5:30pm ET
Nicholas Rivera delivers NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car news, including eliminator-round results and reaction-time stats. He brings track-side interviews, contender profiles, and championship-point breakdowns straight from drag-racing’s biggest national events.
