• Matt Hagan powered his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car from No. 1 qualifier to the winner’s circle at the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) New England Nationals to earn Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) third Wally trophy of their first season together.
• Hagan drove the Dodge Power Brokers machine from his third No. 1 qualifier position this year to a sixth final round appearance in eight NHRA events this season to collect his fourth win in five years at New England Dragway.
• Hagan’s 42^nd career win keeps him as Funny Car championship leader with a 41-point advantage over Robert Hight as both competitors now have three wins apiece this season
• Cruz Pedregon qualified his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in the top five for a seventh time this season and drove from his No. 4 starting spot to a quarterfinal appearance to maintain his fifth-place position in the Funny Car championship standings.
• TSR’s Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel dragster pilot Leah Pruett qualified 11^th, advanced to the quarterfinals at the New England Nationals, and sits just outside the top-ten in the points standings.

June 5, 2022, Epping, New Hampshire — Tony Stewart Racing took home their third Wally trophy of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series season after Funny Car driver Matt Hagan powered his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat from the No. 1 qualifier position to a fourth win in five years at New England Dragway.

“We’re very proud to see Matt Hagan drive the Dodge Power Brokers Funny Car to the winner’s circle at the New England Nationals and earn a third Wally this season,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge Brand Chief Executive Officer – Stellantis. “It’s a pleasure to see Matt and Tony Stewart Racing continue to embody Dodge//SRT performance and highlight what Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection can do for enthusiasts and their rides.”

“It was just a great weekend,” said Hagan who earned his 42^nd career Funny Car victory with his team’s performance at the New England Nationals. “I can’t say enough about Dickie (Venables, crew chief). Nothing really needs to be said – our Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat speaks for itself. Mike Knutson, Alex Conaway, all the boys wrenching on the car, they just do a great job. It’s one of those things I don’t even think about anymore because each and every one of those guys has earned my trust with my life. So when I crawl in the car, I don’t think about anything other than just leaving the starting line.

Hagan qualified atop the eliminations ladder for a second consecutive event and a third time this season with a 3.878 second run at 332.51 mph, then turned on the win lights against No. 14 seed Dale Creasy Jr, had a bye run in the quarterfinals, and defeated No. 10 seed J.R. Todd to advance to his sixth final elimination round of the year.

For a third time in eight events Hagan lined up his 11,000-horsepower Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat against Robert Hight in a final, then wasted no time powering to a 3.922 sec./ 327.98 mph lap to capture the first victory over his nemesis this year. Hagan’s third win of the season helps him maintain the lead in the Funny Car championship standings with 41-point advantage over Hight who sits in second place with three wins of his own.

Fellow Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat driver Cruz Pedregon continued his streak of solid qualifying performances with another top-five starting position, his seventh in eight events, by taking his Snap-on Tools Funny Car for a 3.901 second lap at 324.28 mph to earn the No. 4 spot on the eliminations ladder.

He faced off against No. 11 seed Bob Tasca III in the opening round and posted a 3.948 sec. pass at 323.74 mph to beat his opponent and advance to the quarterfinals to race No. 10 seed J.R. Todd. Pedregon had the starting line advantage and maintained the lead to half-track when a loss of traction ruined his run and gave his opponent the opportunity to get past him.

In Top Fuel action, Dodge Power Brokers dragster pilot Leah Pruett and her TSR crew were seeking a strong performance at the New England Nationals to help break a string of early exits that have plagued the team since the start of the season. They overcame some qualifying challenges with traction issues on the first lap and then a stuck throttle at the end of the burnout in the second session that forced Pruett to continue down the track and abandon the run. Her third qualifying run was drama free with a solid 3.780 second pass at 323.50 mph to put the Dodge Power Brokers dragster 11th on the Top Fuel eliminations ladder and set up a first round matchup against No. 6 seed Tony Schumacher.

The Dodge//SRT HEMI®-powered machine had a solid opening round run with a 3.796-second/ 322.11 mph elapsed time to defeat Schumacher and give her lane choice in the quarterfinals against No. 3 seed Mike Salinas. However, Pruett had an uncharacteristically late launch against her opponent (a 0.125-second reaction time to a 0.081-sec. start) and her 3.807/321.27 run wasn’t enough to contend for the win against Salinas’ 3.746 sec./328.62 mph effort. Despite the difficult start to the season, Pruett sits just outside the top-ten in the Top Fuel standings in an 11^th place tie with Antron Brown.

The NHRA will race again next weekend at the traditional Father’s Day weekend event, the Thunder Valley Nationals on June 17-19 at Bristol Dragway in Tennessee, for the ninth

of 22 national events this season.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES:

Leah Pruett, Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster 

(No. 11 Qualifier – 3.780 seconds at 323.50 mph)

Round 1: (0.061-second reaction time, 3.796 seconds at 322.11 mph) defeats No. 6 Tony Schumacher (0.083/3.980/266.32)

Round 2: (0.125/3.807/321.27) loss to No. 3 Mike Salinas (0.081/3.746/328.62)

“The great stuff that’s come out of this weekend is the progress of the team and the car under the cards we were dealt. The guys are doing a phenomenal job with the parts and pieces. I’ve been working really hard on my focus game and reaction time, and there’s a huge outlier between round one and round two for me – I was just behind the entire time. It was an uncharacteristic thing given the tools I’ve been using in my toolbox. Frustrating, no doubt, but we have a big handful of races coming up and a very intense faith and backing. I’ll be carrying this pretty heavily for a while until I’m able to prove again and again on Sundays.

“I can do two things – I can let it eat me up, or work on it, improve it, get over it and show the world the potential that this team has. We’ve been doing that. It’s just heartbreaking when it doesn’t come and it’s at your own cost, but that’s a true reflection of how bad you want it. It is hard to maintain consistency when there are a lot of different changes. This one’s on me, but we’re a mature group and we have a mature mindset about it and we’ll continue on.”

Matt Hagan, Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car  

(No. 1 Qualifier – 3.878 seconds at 332.51 mph)

Round 1: (0.083-second reaction time, 4.097 seconds at 261.83 mph) defeats No. 14 Dale Creasy Jr. (0.083/10.284/88.72)

Round 2: (0.087/3.948/323.27) Bye run

Round 3: (0.062/3.963/325.69) defeats No. 10 J.R. Todd (0.054/3.981/321.58)

Round 4: (0.040/3.922/327.980 defeats Robert Hight (0.059/6.232/110.15)

“I think it’s going to be a dogfight all year between Robert Hight and us. You can’t leave out Ron Capps, John Force, J.R. Todd and all the other guys out there. It’s a dogfight out there and I love it. I was so up on the wheel there and was like, ‘Come on, come on.’ Hight is a bad dude out there and he’s hard to get around and he’s had our number three times already this year. I have a lot of respect for Robert Hight and what he does. He drives the same type of style I do and that’s no BS – just drive your racecar. That’s what we did today. This Dodge Power Brokers team – I love you to death and trust you with my life. I wouldn’t trade you for anyone.”

Cruz Pedregon, Pedregon Racing Snap-on® Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

(No. 4 Qualifier – 3.901 seconds at 324.28 mph)

Round 1: (0.073-second reaction time, 3.948 seconds at 323.74 mph) defeats No. 11 Bob Tasca III (0.104/ 4.839/161.56)

Round 2: (0.052/4.670/182.03) loss to No. 10 J.R. Todd (0.068/4.019/318.24)

“A great event for the Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car team. We qualified in the NO. 4 position with a 3.90 at 324 mph, then went on to post the second quickest run of the very first round at 3.94 to dispose of Bob Tasca. Then the second round we went off against J.R. Todd where we lost traction after having the lead for a bit. A quarterfinal finish and other strong effort even if it isn’t quite what we wanted, but we’re still right in the hunt. I think we’ll maintain our fifth spot in the points. We’re just right on the cusp of really breaking through. We’re making some really good runs, our qualifying efforts prove that we’re fast. We have the speed. We just need to keep maintain that consistency throughout the event.”

NHRA CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS:

Following the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway

FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 797 (3)

2.  Robert Hight: 756 (3)

3.  Ron Capps: 634(1)

4.  John Force: 507

5.  Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 452

6.  J.R. Todd: 331

7.  Bob Tasca III: 386

8.  Alexis DeJoria: 362

9.  Chad Green: 321

10. Tim Wilkerson: 311

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

1. Brittany Force: 668 (3)

2. Mike Salinas: 638 (3)

3. Steve Torrence: 569 

4. Justin Ashley: 561 (1)

5. Austin Prock: 425

6. Clay Millican: 396

7. Josh Hart: 376 

8. Doug Kalitta: 373

9. Shawn Langdon: 341

10. Tony Schumacher: 329

11. Leah Pruett (Dodge Power Brokers): 294

11. Antron Brown: 294

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

Dodge//SRT

For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2022 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the Dodge Durango SRT 392, America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

In 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). In 2021, Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market) — making it the only domestic brand ever to do so two years in a row.

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Mopar

This year marks the 85th anniversary of Mopar.

A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over nearly 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Complete information on Mopar is available at www.mopar.com. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Dodge, Mopar and Stellantis news and video on:

Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Dodge brand: www.dodge.com

Mopar brand: www.mopar.com/

DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com

Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge and www.facebook.com/mopar

Instagram: @Dodgemoparmotorsports, @dodgeofficial and @officialmopar

Twitter: @Dodge, @OfficialMopar and @StellantisNA

YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge, https://www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

Leah Pruett & Matt Hagan
Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel & Funny Car Drivers
NHRA New England Nationals
June 3-5 | Epping, New Hampshire

Event Recap

Leah Pruett, driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster:

● Earned No. 13 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (8.255 ET at 139.47 mph).

● Fell to No. 15 qualifying position based off Friday’s Q1 run because in Q2 on Saturday, a mechanical issue prevented Pruett from clocking an official run.

● Secured No. 11 qualifying position based off Saturday’s Q3 run of 3.780 ET at 323.50 mph.

● Advanced to the Round 2 on Sunday:

●  Round 1: 3.796 ET at 322.11 mph, beat Tony Schumacher (3.980 ET at 266.32 mph).

●  Round 2: 3.807 ET at 321.27 mph, lost to Mike Salinas (3.746 ET at 328.62).

● Currently tied with Antron Brown for 11th in the Top Fuel championship standings, 374 points behind points leader Brittany Force.

Matt Hagan, driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car:

● Earned No. 1 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.878 ET at 332.51 mph).

● Scored three bonus points for quickest run of the session.

● Maintained No. 1 qualifying position based on Friday’s Q1 run. No. 1 in Saturday’s Q2 session (3.908 ET at 328.78 mph).

● Scored three bonus points for quickest run of the session.

● Secured No. 1 qualifying position based on Friday’s Q1 run. No. 9 in Saturday’s Q3 session (6.187 ET at 110.60 mph).

● Advanced to the final round on Sunday:

●  Round 1: 4.097 ET at 261.83 mph, defeated Dale Creasy Jr. (10.284 ET at 88.72).

●  Round 2: 3.948 ET at 323.27 mph in a bye.

●  Semifinal: 3.963 ET at 325.69 mph, defeated J.R. Todd (3.981 ET at 323.58 mph).

●  Final: 3.922 ET at 327.98 mph, defeated Robert Hight (6.232 ET at 110.15 mph).

● Currently leads the Funny Car championship standings with a 41-point advantage over Hight.

Notes of Interest

● Hagan’s Funny Car victory in the NHRA New England Nationals was the 42nd of his career, his third of the season and his fourth at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire.

● Hagan has been the winning Funny Car driver in four of the last five NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series events at Epping (2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022).

● The victory was Hagan’s first in the four, head-to-head, final-round matchups against Robert Hight this season. In their 40 career head-to-head matchups, Hagan and Hight have now won 20 times apiece. Hight holds an 8-4 advantage in final-round matchups.

● Hagan’s final-round appearance was the 77th of his career. He has advanced to the finals in six of this year’s eight NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series events.

● The No. 1 qualifying position Hagan earned on Friday was his second in a row and third this season. It was the 46th of his career and his second at Epping.

● Pruett had her second-best run of the weekend in Sunday’s first round of Top Fuel eliminations when she bested her former teammate Tony Schumacher for the ninth time in their 20 head-to-head meetings.

Leah Pruett, Driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster

“The great stuff that’s come out of this weekend is the progress of the team and the car under the cards we were dealt. The guys are doing a phenomenal job with the parts and pieces. I’ve been working really hard on my focus game and reaction time and there’s a huge outlier between round one and round two for me – I was just behind the entire time. It was an uncharacteristic thing given the tools I’ve been using in my toolbox. Frustrating, no doubt, but we have a big handful of races coming up and a very intense faith and backing. I’ll be carrying this pretty heavily for a while until I’m able to prove again and again on Sundays. I can do two things – I can let it eat me up or work on it, improve it, get over it and show the world the potential that this team has. We’ve been doing that. It’s just heartbreaking when it doesn’t come and it’s at your own cost, but that’s a true reflection of how bad you want it. It’s hard to maintain consistency when there are a lot of different changes. This one’s on me, but we’re a mature group and we have a mature mindset about it and we’ll continue on.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

“It was just a great weekend. I can’t say enough about Dickie (Venables, crew chief). I can’t say enough about Dickie. Nothing really needs to be said – our Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car speaks for itself. Mike Knutson, Alex Conway, all the boys wrenching on the car, they just do a great job. It’s one of those things I don’t even think about anymore because each and every one of those guys has earned my trust with my life. So when I crawl in the car, I don’t think about anything other than just leaving the starting line. I think it’s going to be a dogfight all year between Robert Hight and us. You can’t leave out Ron Capps, John Force, J.R. Todd and all the other guys out there. It’s a dogfight out there and I love it. I was so up on the wheel there and was like, ‘Come on, come on.’ Hight is a bad dude out there and he’s hard to get around and he’s had our number three times already this year. I have a lot of respect for Robert Hight and what he does. He drives the same type of style I do and that’s no BS – just drive your racecar. That’s what we did today. This Dodge Power Brokers team – I love you to death and trust you with my life. I wouldn’t trade you for anyone.”

Next Up

The next event on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule is the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals June 17-19 at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
NHRA NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS
NEW ENGLAND DRAGWAY IN EPPING, NEW HAMPSHIRE
JUNE 5, 2022

Chevrolet picks up important points in New Hampshire

• Erica Enders earns third Pro Stock victory in a row, fourth of the season

• No. 3 qualifier Robert Hight races to Funny Car runner-up finish

• Top Fuel points leader Brittany Force sets track speed record

EPPING, N.H. (June 5, 2022) — Erica Enders said at the beginning of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) season that she was on a mission to return the No. 1 to the side of the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS.

Through six of 18 rounds of the Pro Stock campaign, Enders is on target in pursuit of her fifth world championship.

Enders earned her third consecutive victory and fourth of the season, strengthening her points lead over Elite Motorsports teammate and runner-up Aaron Stanfield in the NHRA New England Nationals.

Enders, who also defeated Stanfield in the final of the season-opening race at Pomona, California, claimed her 37th career Pro Stock victory and 400th round win with a 6.547-second pass to Stanfield’s 6.553 in the Janac Brothers Camaro SS.

“This is the best way we’ve ever started off any year in my Pro Stock driving career, even ’15 when we completely dominated and won nine races and were in 11 finals. Team Elite has won five of six and we’ve won four of the six. It just goes to show that hard work and determination are second to none,” said Enders, who finished 61 points behind champion Greg Anderson in 2021.

Robert Hight was also looking for his fourth win of the season in the AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS. The No. 3 Funny Car qualifier faced off against points leader Matt Hagan in the final for the second time this season, with Hight’s car rattling the tires and crossing the line with his second runner-up finish of the season. Hight defeated Hagan in Phoenix.

John Force, the No. 2 qualifier in the PEAK BlueDEF Platinum Camaro SS, fell in the second round in the 144th Funny Car matchup with Ron Capps.

Top Fuel points leader Brittany Force, the No. 2 qualifier in the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster, lost to John Force Racing teammate Austin Prock in the second round. Force reset the Top Fuel track speed record in qualifications at 334.32 mph.

Prock, the No. 3 qualifier in the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, was ousted in the semifinals by eventual event winner Mike Salinas.

The NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals on June 17-19 in Bristol, Tennessee, is next on the schedule for Chevrolet teams.

An interview with Pro Stock winner Erica Enders (No. 3 qualifier in the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS):

THIS IS THE BEST START OF YOUR CAREER. WHAT MAKES THIS YEAR DIFFERENT?

“After the way that we lost last year, just losing by a couple of rounds to Greg Anderson and him being able to sport the No. 1 on his car instead of that Melling Performance hot rod, it just gives us a little extra motivation. I have to give a huge shoutout to the race car shop. They are the ones who dig deep and make this happen. I was thinking on my way to get buckled in the car, how special is this. You see this house packed with people, and I’m just a little kid living my dream.”

EVEN YOU COULDN’T HAVE IMAGINED YOUR SUCCESS THIS SEASON.

“This is the best way we’ve ever started off any year in my Pro Stock driving career, even ’15 when we completely dominated and won nine races and were in 11 finals. Team Elite has won five of six and we’ve won four of the six. It just goes to show that hard work and determination are second to none. The guys who stand behind me are the ones who make it happen. I said no more nice Erica because of the way we lost the championship last year, coming down to the wire even with Greg (Anderson) dominating all year. It’s our mission this year to put that No. 1 back on the Melling Performance hot rod.”

IN THE SEMIFINALS WHEN YOUR CAR STARTED SHAKING, WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR HEAD BEFORE YOUR SAW THE WIN LIGHT?

“It started to rattle and then went full-blown shake. When it shook and I pulled second gear and it wasn’t having it, I looked over and Mason (McGaha) wasn’t ahead of me, so I just jammed it in third, pedaled it and tried to roll on. I never look at the scoreboard ever because you have to shift. I shut it down. I go back to 8-year-old Erica. This is all I ever wanted. I can’t be more proud of my team.”

CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT

TOP FUEL:

BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 2 qualifier; fell in second round): “It was a tough weekend for our Monster Energy team. We made some good runs, but we got beat in round two over a holeshot. We’ll pack up and head to the next one. Still in the points lead and we still have great confidence for the rest of the season.”

AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRANDS/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 3 qualifier; fell in semifinals): “Another good showing on Sunday for this Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist team. Really proud of my guys after this weekend. We were not easy on them in qualifying and they kept a good attitude and their heads down to prepare the car each round. We made some solid passes as a team today and know our time is coming. We’re looking forward to the rest of the season.”

FUNNY CAR:

JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 2 qualifier; fell in second round): “We ended up qualifying pretty well and we got a couple win lights. Not a bad weekend for this PEAK Chevy. Not great, but not bad. Everyone did pretty well. Brittany with Monster and Prock having to race against each other. Prock making it to the semis with Montana Brand. And then Robert with AAA getting to another final. They’re keeping up the fight. And we’re still in it. Sitting fourth in points, you know, we’ll be OK.”

ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AAA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 3 qualifier; runner-up): “Tough way to end the day. You know, this AAA Chevy got a little lucky in the first round. Had to pedal it and was able to pull it off, but then we really stepped it up and were running well. We just couldn’t get the job done in the final. It’s another fina round though, and it’s points on the board. We just have to keep it up. Keep running well, pick ourselves up if we stumble and that’s what this team does. They don’t give up. We’ll just head to the next one and look to get the job done in Bristol.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

TOYOTA DRAGSTERS AND FUNNY CARS SHOW STRENGTH IN NEW ENGLAND
Final Round and Semi-Final Round Appearances Highlight Toyota Outing in Epping

EPPING, N.H. (June 5, 2022) – The Toyota dragster and GR Supra Funny Cars showed strength at the New England Dragway on Sunday afternoon. Justin Ashley drove his top fuel dragster to the final round, but lost to race-winner Mike Salinas by six one-hundredths of a second. Toyota driver Shawn Langdon also made a semi-final round appearance in Epping. The GR Supra Funny Cars of J.R. Todd and Ron Capps also made their way into the semi-finals aiding in a solid points day for both drivers. Steve Torrence earned his first number one qualifier since joining Team Toyota this season, but was eliminated in round one.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
New England Dragway
Race 8 of 22

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS — Race Winner: Mike Salinas

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Final Round	W. 3.743 vs. D. Mercier (6.139) W. 3.786 vs. BYE W. 3.750 vs. S. Langdon (3.776) L. 3.782 vs. M. Salinas (3.729)
Shawn Langdon	DHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-Finals	W. 3.762 vs. J. Hart (no time) W. 3.787 vs. D. Kalitta (5.270) L. 3.776 vs. J. Ashley (3.750)
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 2	W. 3.742 vs. C. Ferre (10.412) L. 5.270 vs. S. Langdon (3.787)
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 1	L. 5.816 vs. S. Farley (4.062)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 1	L. 3.875 vs. A. Prock (3.68)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS — Race Winner: Matt Hagan

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Ron Capps	NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Semi-Finals	W. 3.974 vs. J. Campbell (12.153) W. 3.946 vs. J. Force (4.012) L. 4.092 vs. R. Hight (3.927)
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Semi-Finals	W. 4.118 vs. B. Alexander (4.626) W. 4.019 vs. C. Pedregon (4.670) L. 3.981 vs. M. Hagan (3.963)
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Round 2	W. 3.973 vs. T. Wilkerson (4.128) L. 3.988 vs. R. Hight (3.933)

TOYOTA QUOTES

JUSTIN ASHLEY, Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Davis Motorsports

Final Result: Final Round

How did your car run throughout the race weekend?

“The car ran really well all weekend and especially today, on Sunday. And it’s important to stack those round wins, especially early in the season just to keep adding points and accumulating, especially as we get close to the Countdown. Our objective for every race is to put this Toyota dragster in the winner’s circle and unfortunately we didn’t do it this time, but we got a lot of data and a lot of information that we can learn from and we’re already looking forward to Bristol.”

How hard was this semi-final to get to for you this weekend?

“It’s been a little bit difficult, but you kow that’s racing. That’s why you race on Sunday and not necessarily Friday and Saturday. Just really proud of our Phillips Connect team. Shawn (Langdon) is tough. He’s another Team Toyota car and we’re going to do our best and put our best foot forward.”

SHAWN LANGDON, DHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

Final Result: Semi-Finals

After a strong appearance to the semi-final round, what ultimately cost you a trip to the finals?

“We had a solid DHL Toyota dragster this weekend for sure and I would have liked to have made a final round appearance – I definitely think we had something for them today. Unfortunately we blew a blower belt on that semi-final run otherwise I think it would have been a close race to get into the final round.”

How impotant is lane choice in the semi-final round here at Epping?

“I think both lanes are pretty equal here. The last few runs, we’ve been consistent and run 3.76 and 3.79 between both lanes. We kind of struggled there for a while with clutch wear and I think Connie (Kalitta) and Jason (McCulloch) and Kurt (Elliott) have done a good job of getting that back and now we have a good car. We’ll try to pick up on the next run and I’m sure Justin (Ashley) will throw down in the next round too so we need to step it up. For DHL, Toyota and Mac Tools, RevChem and everybody – it’s good to be in the semis, it’s been a while.”

RON CAPPS, NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

Final Result: Semi-Finals

How do you feel about getting the win in Round 2 over John Force?

“It’s still weird. I stood next to him the other night doing an interview during qualifying and as a kid, I was up in the grandstands watching him dominate when I was a younger guy. So now to stand next to him or take it a step further, to stage next to him on the biggest stage in the world. That was a big match. The GR Supra, we’re just getting more and more of a handle on it and it’s got so much more potential and it gets better gas mileage so thank you Toyota. That was a big matchup in the points and everything. Everybody wants that first Toyota Supra win. That GR badge is a big deal. If we can get that first win, that would be huge.”

J.R. TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports

Final Result: Semi-Finals

After making it to the semi-finals, what more did you need to get into the final round?

“Bummed the win light didn’t come on, but from the way we started the weekend to now, that’s a win in itself. Probably one run short of where we needed to be, but proud of these guys on this DHL GR Supra team – proud of all of their hard work. They overcame a lot of struggles this weekend and we picked up some points today. I just want to win one of these bad.”

#

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

CHEVROLET AT NEW HAMPSHIRE

What: NHRA New England Nationals
When: Friday, June 3-Sunday, June 5
Where: New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire
TV: FS1 will telecast eliminations at 7 p.m. ET June 5

Chevrolet teams seek to continue successful first half of season
Pro Stock rejoins the schedule; John Force Racing building momentum

DETROIT (June 1, 2022) – Following her “Wow!” weekend in Houston, Camrie Caruso immediately wanted to get behind the wheel of the Sand Haulers of America Chevrolet Camaro SS.

The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series Pro Stock schedule curbed those plans – but not her desire to succeed – for six long weeks.

Caruso’s coming out party April 24, highlighted by her inaugural No. 1 qualifier honor and fender-close runner-up finish to four-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders in a similar Camaro SS, garnered nationwide attention and further fueled the 24-year-old, third-generation driver’s aspirations in the technically challenging and ultra-competitive class.

“I want to be racing every weekend possible. But we have a simulator at the shop that I’ve been in and we have been out testing, so we try to stay on top of things and stay on top of the progress that we have made to make sure that we are going into Epping with our full potential and we leave nothing on the table,” she said. “We are pleased with testing and excited to see what Epping brings.

“Houston was an amazing race, but we want more success.”

Though the NHRA New England Nationals this weekend in Epping, New Hampshire, will be Caruso’s sixth Pro Stock event, her talent and fierce persona behind the wheel are partly drawn from years of competition experience in junior dragster, Super Comp, Top Dragster, Top Alcohol Dragster and even Pro Outlaw 632.

Augmenting the pursuit of her dream has been Caruso’s family, which has expanded this year with Jim Yates coming on board as her crew chief.

“The family support is awesome; I wouldn’t be able to do it without it and I wouldn’t really want to either to be honest. It’s always been a family thing, and Tony (Wilson) and Jim have made themselves part of the family as well. We’re lucky to have them and have the team that we do all around.”

Entering the NHRA New England Nationals seventh in the Pro Stock standings, Caruso has short- and long-term goals.

“I’m excited to go back; we’ve always had good luck at Epping so we’ll see how it goes,” Caruso said. “We have to make sure we’re on our A game every single run, make sure you’re not making any mistakes.”

As for the remainder of the season: “We are going after the championship. That is our main goal. We want to get wins and have more No. 1 qualifiers – we want all of that, but a championship is what we want to accomplish, and I don’t see why we wouldn’t be able to.”

The John Force Racing contingent, which has recorded seven victories across Top Fuel (Brittany Force with three) and Funny Car (Robert Hight with three and John Force with one), is looking to continue its consistency of solid runs. Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster, and Hight, who drives the Automobile Club of Southern California Camaro SS, both visited the winner’s stage at the last stop on tour.

Force paces the Top Fuel standings, while Hight is second in Funny Car points. John Force, who turned the top qualifier honor in the four-wide event at Charlotte into victory in the PEAK BlueDEF Platinum Camaro SS, is fourth in the standings. He won at Epping in 2021. Austin Prock, a semifinalist at Virginia two weeks ago in the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, is fifth in the Top Fuel standings.

Hight’s win May 15 at Virginia was the 150th for Chevrolet in Funny Car competition.

CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT

TOP FUEL

BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (three-time winner this season; first in points; won the 2017 New England Nationals): “Our Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team heads to Epping coming off a win in Virginia. We’re ahead of ourselves this season with three wins under our belt already. We’re hoping for another New England win,” Force said. “We’re all on the same page and really pulling together as a team and it’s showing on the race track. Our momentum is good, our energy is in the right place, and we’re pumped to get to the track this weekend.”

AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (runner-up at Pomona opener): “I’m excited to get this weekend kicked off. The two-week break has seemed like an eternity. New England Dragway has a lot of history so I’m amped up to be back in the seat of my Montana Brand / RMT dragster and working with my guys. We’re really starting to hit our strides. I think our package will have a good shot at winning the New England Nationals. Last year I went to the final as a crew guy, so maybe we can better that by one as a driver.”

FUNNY CAR

JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier and Charlotte four-wide winner; 2021 winner at Epping): “Love being in New Hampshire. It’s a great place to race. Epping has been good to me in the past. Winning there last year in front of those great fans, they really do come from all over to see us, it was a great feeling. I’m excited to be going back to New England Dragway, to be back in the seat of my PEAK Chevy. Two weeks off has been painful, time to go to work and get this BlueDEF Camaro in another winner’s circle.”

ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (three-time winner this season; second in points; holds both ends of the track Funny Car records, set in 2017): “It’s been a long two weeks since winning in Virginia. I’m glad we got to spend the time celebrating but I’m ready to get back into my AAA Chevy. When you’re on a roll, you want to carry that momentum over and just keep going. I’m hoping we can do that heading to Epping. I’ve never won there so I’d like to check that off my list. With two weeks away from a race track, I know this AAA team is ready to get back to it.”

PRO STOCK

DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (winner at Gainesville): “To say I’m ready to get back on track would be the understatement of the year so far for our Rad Torque Systems / KB Racing Chevrolet Camaro team. That five-week hiatus from the NHRA schedule allowed me to bracket race, which keeps me sharp, but I miss being behind the wheel of my Pro Stocker. After two races with weird bad luck things happening with our car, I’m ready for a big rebound in Epping this weekend.”

GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (reigning Pro Stock champion; seeking to become second pro driver with 100 wins): “It’s been a long break; it almost feels like a second offseason, but I think that was good for us. We needed time to work on our stuff, and we feel we’ve used our time wisely. We’ll be a better race team when we show up at Epping.”

KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier at Phoenix; runner-up at Gainesville): “I am super excited to get back in the Pro Stocker. It’s been the longest five weeks of my life. We’re ready. The team did a bunch of improvements engine-wise. I’m ready to go race.”

TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up at Phoenix): “It was a long break but we put it to good use. We switched to this new RJ Race Cars Chevrolet earlier in the season and it just takes time to get all the parts and pieces to work together. These cars are all handmade one at a time and they each have their own personalities. Obviously, the more runs you can make, the more data you gain. We mostly focused on the clutch system and matching it to the power the guys in the engine shop have been building for us. Pro Stock is so competitive so every thousandth of a second you find is huge.”

CAMRIE CARUSO, CARUSO FAMILY RACING, SAND HAULERS OF AMERICA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (first season in Pro Stock; No. 1 qualifier and runner-up at Houston): “Houston was a great weekend for the Sand Haulers of America team and I was really going for that win light in the final. Our whole team has a lot of confidence and our Titan Racing Engines have shown we can race with anyone. My crew chief Jim Yates has been very helpful and the support I get from my family is a big help too.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Leah Pruett & Matt Hagan
Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel & Funny Car Drivers
NHRA New England Nationals
June 3-5 | Epping, New Hampshire

Event Overview

Friday, June 3 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

● Nitro qualifying session (Q1): 6:30 p.m. EDT

Saturday, June 4 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

● Nitro qualifying session (Q2): 1:30 p.m. EDT
● Nitro qualifying session (Q3): 4:30 p.m. EDT

Sunday, June 5 (Nitro Eliminations, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

● Round 1: 11 a.m. EDT
● Round 2: 1 p.m. EDT
● Semi-Finals: 2:40 p.m. EDT
● Finals: 4 p.m. EDT

TV coverage on FS1

● Friday, June 3: Qualifying show (9 p.m. EDT)
● Saturday, June 4: Qualifying show (7 p.m. EDT)
● Sunday, June 5: Finals show (7 p.m. EDT)

Notes of Interest

● The NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, located just southeast of the state capital in Concord, hosts the eighth event on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series’ 22-race calendar. Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) brings its two fulltime entries – one in Top Fuel for nine-time event winner Leah Pruett and one in Funny Car for three-time Funny Car champion Matt Hagan.

● Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection return to Pruett’s Top Fuel dragster and Hagan’s Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car this weekend in Epping. The Dodge Power Brokers program serves as the exclusive source for Direct Connection, Dodge’s factory-backed performance parts program, which is equipped with staff trained to deliver a performance-focused customer service experience.

● The NHRA New England Nationals will mark Pruett’s 179th career Top Fuel start and her seventh at Epping. For Hagan, the NHRA New England Nationals will be his 301st career Funny Car start and his ninth at Epping.

● Pruett is looking for her first victory at the New England Nationals. She has two No. 1 qualifiers at Epping, which came in 2017 (3.673 ET at 328.86 mph) and 2018 (3.742 ET at 324.51 mph). Her 2017 run made Pruett the current track record holder for elapsed time at Epping, a mark she set on June 3.

● Hagan comes into New Hampshire as the Funny Car favorite, having three career New England National wins in 2017, 2018 and 2019. In 2017, he defeated Courtney Force with a 3.897 ET at 332.59 mph (compared to Force’s 3.927 ET at 332.34 mph). In 2018, Hagan’s 4.156 ET at 292.01 mph defeated Tim Wilkerson (4.181 ET at 287.35 mph). In 2019, Hagan defeated Shawn Langdon with a 4.014 ET at 322.81 mph run (compared to Langdon’s 4.046 ET at 317.49 mph). Hagan has two No. 1 qualifiers at the event, which came in 2018 (3.932 ET at 322.03 mph) and 2021 (3.891 ET at 331.53 mph).

● The New England Nationals is one of six tour events Hagan has won three times, and it is the only one he has won three consecutive times. The other races where Hagan has three wins are the two Pomona events (Winternationals and Auto Club Finals), Phoenix, Dallas and the fall race at Las Vegas.

● Hagan is the only pro driver in any category with as many as three wins at the New England Nationals. John Force, Ron Capps, Steve Torrence, Tony Schumacher and Greg Anderson all have two win apiece.

● Hagan comes into Epping leading the Funny Car championship standings with a 15-point advantage over Robert Hight. Through seven races, Hagan’s average starting position is No. 3 (Two No. 1s, a No. 2, a No. 3, two No. 4s and one No. 8). That’s the best average starting performance of his career through the first seven events.

● DYK? Organized drag racing in the New England area begun in 1950 at various public and military airports in the region. In the mid-1960s, a group of shareholders purchased land in Epping and New England Dragway opened for racing on Sept. 11, 1966. The drag strip began hosting the NHRA New England Nationals in 2013.

Leah Pruett, Driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster

Is there an added confidence racing at New Hampshire with two No. 1 qualifiers and the Top Fuel track record at New England Dragway to your credit?

“I would love to say our record there adds a huge amount of confidence, but the makeup of the Top Fuel field has changed so drastically from when we set that record, including the team and people that made that happen, with the exception of Neal (Strausbaugh, crew chief). Coming into New Hampshire, my confidence level isn’t necessarily based on earning the track record and capturing multiple No. 1 qualifiers, but more on knowing what this team is capable of, and are due for, which is having a qualifying low and a successful Sunday.”

What is your main strategy going into New Hampshire?

“Testing and continuing to run laps in various conditions. We tested after Richmond, a race that had some very challenging conditions for us to have a solid package around. Through testing, we increased our theoretical ‘GEARWRENCH toolbox of race applications’ and we feel good about our package for Epping. I can’t share what we found, but I’m glad we tested, and love where Neal ‘sand Mike’s (Domagala, co-crew chief) minds are at.”

The New England Nationals will mark the completion of the first half of the regular season, prior to the Countdown. By the end of the weekend, teams will have established their routines, so how will that help you and your crew carry momentum through the second half of the regular season?

“It will make our anticipated, long-sought-after, and deserving success that much more enjoyable and appreciative when that time comes. And once it does, we’ll be in a place to continue to do the work wholeheartedly, and let momentum do its work. This team is made up of talent, heart and faith, and we are ready to have our best weekend yet in front of our New Hampshire fans.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

With three wins at New England Dragway in eight starts, what makes the track so successful for you and your crew?

“I can remember running at New England Dragway during my IHRA days and running my IHRA Funny Car there, so it has a lot of history for me. A lot of our success is because it’s a fast track with the cooler temperatures they can have in the northeast. We can run really aggressive and really hard. That’s Dickie Venables (crew chief), because he loves to throw down when the conditions are right. We’ve had a lot of luck there, having won three times in a row. It’s pretty awesome, and even though we didn’t win there last year, we’re hoping our luck there continues.”

What is your main strategy going into New Hampshire?

“We’ve had a lot of success so far this season. This is probably the most success I’ve had in my career to start off the season. I’m very blessed and thankful for that. We’re going to keep our momentum going because the car is running good and Dickie has shown that we can win on a hot racetrack and a cool racetrack this season. The guys are doing a great job. Alex Conaway (car chief) is doing a great job with the crew and putting the car together. He’s keeping everyone as one unit and keeping them happy. He’s a great leader. Everyone is trying to share information with what I’m feeling in the car and what they’re seeing on the racetrack. We’re trying to do the best job we can for Tony. We really want to pull down more races this year. We still have the points lead rolling into New Hampshire and I think we’ll leave with the points lead since we have so much success there. We’ll keep doing what we do.”

The New England Nationals will mark the completion of the first half of the regular season, prior to the Countdown. By the end of the weekend, teams will have established their routines, so how will that help you and your crew carry momentum through the second half of the regular season?

“It’s crazy to think about how we’re rolling into the halfway point in the regular season. I think our team still has the mindset of still getting going and having a lot to learn. Halfway is kind of crazy because it just feels like the season is flying by. We’ve already met a lot of great sponsors along the way this season and formed some great relationships having crossover from NASCAR partners, so I’m excited about what the second half of the season brings.”

Leah Pruett & Matt Hagan
Top Fuel | Funny Car
Virginia NHRA Nationals
May 13-15 | North Dinwiddie, Virginia

Event Recap

Leah Pruett, driver of the Mobil 1 Top Fuel Dragster:

● Earned No. 6 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.754 ET at 318.92 mph).
● Earned No. 9 qualifying position based off Friday’s Q1 run. In Q2 on Saturday, Pruett ran an 11.192 ET at 67.70 mph.
● Secured No. 10 qualifying position based off Friday’s Q1 run. In Q3 on Saturday, Pruett ran an 8.187 ET at 82.96 mph.
● Ran a 7.253 ET at 129.35 mph in Round 1 of eliminations on Sunday, lost to Doug Kalitta (5.995 ET at 234.33 mph).
● Currently 13th in the Top Fuel championship standings, 363 points behind points leader Brittany Force.

Matt Hagan, driver of the Smithfield Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car:

● Earned No. 1 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.914 ET at 335.82 mph).
● Scored three bonus points for quickest run of the session.
● Earned No. 2 qualifying position in Q2 on Saturday (3.890 ET at 329.50 mph).
● Scored two bonus points for second-quickest run of the session.
● Secured No. 8 qualifying position in Q3 on Saturday (3.924 ET at 329.34 mph).
● Scored three bonus points for quickest run of the session.
● Advanced to Finals on Sunday:

●  Round 1: 3.964 ET at 328.38 mph in a bye.

●  Round 2: 3.965 ET at 322.65 mph, defeated Chad Green (4.021 ET at 317.05 mph).

●  Semifinal: 3.955 ET at 327.03 mph, defeated John Force (17.817 ET at 60.67 mph).

●  Final: 3.948 ET at 327.59 mph, lost to Robert Hight (3.907 ET at 328.86 mph).

● Currently leads the Funny Car championship standings with a 15-point advantage over Robert Hight.

Notes of Interest

● The Virginia NHRA Nationals marked Hagan’s milestone 300th career Funny Car start, and it came in his home state. Hagan is from Christiansburg, Virginia, located 190 miles west of the track.

● Hagan’s 335.82 mph run in Friday’s qualifying session set a new track speed record by nearly 10 mph. Hight was the previous record holder win a run of 326.32 mph in May 2019.

● Hagan’s 3.853 ET run in Saturday’s Q3 session set a new track ET record. Force was the previous record holder with a 3.899 ET in May 2019.

● The No. 1 qualifying position Hagan earned on Friday was his second No. 1 spot this season, the 44th of his career and his first at Virginia Motorsports Park.

● Hagan’s final round appearance was the 76th of his career. He has advanced to the finals in five out of the first seven NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series events in 2022.

● Pruett had a quick .042 of a second reaction time in Round 1 of eliminations, besting the .057 of a second start time of her opponent, Doug Kalitta. Both Pruett and Kalitta immediately began smoking their tires, but it was Kalitta who wound up besting Pruett in the pedalfest.

● Pruett’s Mobil 1 livery and Hagan’s Smithfield paint scheme incorporated a patriotic theme in support of Military Appreciation Month, which is celebrated every May. Pruett’s Top Fuel dragster also highlighted Sparkling Ice’s Cheers to Heroes program, which is running now through the end of July. Customers can turn Sparkling Ice purchases into donations toward Honor Flight and Homes for Our Troops. TSR salutes all those who serve and have served, and honors the sacrifices made by service members and their families.

Leah Pruett, Driver of the Mobil 1 Top Fuel Dragster

“Once I got off the line, I knew I hit the throttle good and we smoked the tires and going back to the last race when I smoked, I had a different strategy of coming back off and feathering it and feathering it, and I couldn’t regain traction. I’ve got to say, for Mobil 1, Dodge, Tony (Stewart), GEARWRENCH and everyone that’s backing us right now, clearly we are going to get it. That run is frustrating, for sure, but not every run is going to be a record-breaking run. The fans are out here to watch a show. That’s a different type of show, but we’re going to take another deep breath, digest it and keep working on it. I’m happy I’m doing my job and my team is doing their job. Once it comes together, it’s going to be lethal. I guarantee you that.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the Smithfield Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

“It was another amazing weekend in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. We had a new sponsor on the car with Smithfield and got those folks crossed over from NASCAR a little bit. We went to the finals again and got to race Robert Hight. It’s going to be a fun season throwing down against him. It was special since it was my 300th career start, and it came right here in my home state of Virginia. Our car is running great and we’ve been to so many finals already and won two races, so I know there is more to come. We obviously wanted to win this weekend, but we’re going to be back in the Dodge Power Brokers Funny Car soon and be applying that power. I just want to say thank you to the fans for coming out and supporting us. The stands were packed. Thank you all for the love and we’re going to keep working hard to turn on those win lights.”

Next Up

The next event on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule is the NHRA New England Nationals June 3-5 at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire.

• Matt Hagan drove the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to a fifth final elimination round appearance in seven National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) national events and earned his third runner-up finish of the season for Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) at the Virginia Nationals
• The Virginia-native put his Smithfield Dodge//SRT Funny Car atop the eliminations ladder at his home race for his 300th career start with a track record elapsed time run of 3.853 seconds at 331.45 mph after also eclipsing the track record speed with his first qualifying run at 335.82 mph.
• Hagan’s 35th career runner-up finish keeps him in the Funny Car championship points lead ahead of event winner Robert Hight
• Cruz Pedregon continued his streak of solid qualifying performances by putting his Snap-on® Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat No. 4 on the eliminations ladder at Virginia Motorsports Park, his sixth top-five qualifying position this season, and advancing to his team’s fifth quarterfinal appearance of the year
• Leah Pruett qualified No. 10 for the Virginia Nationals aboard her Mobile 1 Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster but found herself in a first round pedal-fest for a second time this season

May 15, 2022, Dinwiddie, Virginia —Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) made its fifth Funny Car final elimination round appearance in seven National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series events with pilot Matt Hagan driving his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat from the No. 1 qualifier position to a runner-up finish at the Virginia Nationals in his 300th career start.

After a three-year absence from Virginia Motorsports Park, the NHRA returned to Hagan’s home track, located 190 miles from his stomping grounds in Christiansburg, Virginia, where the Dodge//SRT Funny Car driver wasted no time in setting the track speed record at 335.82 mph with his first lap, eclipsing the previous mark set in 2019 (John Force/326.32 mph) by nearly 10 mph. 

The Smithfield Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat continued to improve with every run as Hagan laid down solid passes of 3.914, 3.890, and a track record elapsed time run of 3.853 seconds to secure the No. 1 qualifier position, his second of the season and 45th of his career, and was rewarded with a first-round bye to kick off eliminations.

The three-time world champion worked his way past No. 9 seed Chad Green in the quarterfinals and then watched No. 12 qualifier John Force double-step and foul out of their semifinal match-up to advance to his fifth final round appearance of the year.

Looking to add to the Wally trophies already earned this year at the Gatornationals in Gainesville Florida, and Springnationals in Houston, Texas, the Funny Car points leader lined up for the final against No. 10 seed Robert Hight, who also has two wins under his belt and is stalking Hagan from second spot in the championship standings.

Hagan’s Dodge//SRT machine had the starting line advantage then battled side-by-side with his opponent until mid-track when Hight edged ahead to turn on the win light. Hagan’s third runner-up finish of the year, and 35th of his career, keeps him atop the Funny Car championship standings ahead of the race winner.

Fellow HEMI-powered Funny Car driver Cruz Pedregon put his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car No. 4 on the eliminations ladder on the strength of his final qualifying pass at 3.905 seconds at 323.27 mph. It was the Cruz Pedregon Racing team’s sixth top-five qualifying performance in seven national events.

Pedregon kicked off his race day against No. 13 seed Phil Burkart by driving straight down the grove with a respectable pass for the warm track conditions to take the round win. He was paired against Force for a quarterfinal battle, but when Pedregon’s car immediately lost traction at the launch, his race day came to a quicker end than anticipated.

TSR Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett recorded two solid qualifying passes to put her Mobile 1 Dodge//SRT dragster No. 10 on the eliminations ladder for Sunday’s Virginia Nationals with a best lap of 3.754 seconds at 318.92 mph, and set up a first round pairing against No. 7 seed Doug Kalitta. 

A quick 0.042-second reaction time gave Pruett the advantage on her opponent’s 0.057-second start but almost immediately both began to smoke the tires. Similar to what happened to her in the opening round at Houston’s Springnationals, she found herself in a pedal-fest against Kalitta. Hoping to regain traction, Pruett hit the throttle several times, even sending her ride sideways, as her opponent did the same, but unfortunately she was unable to get to the finish first. 

The NHRA’s next event, the New England Nationals, will take place June 3-5 at New England Dragway near Epping, New Hampshire,  the eighth of 22 national events on the schedule this season.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES:

Leah Pruett, Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster 

(No. 10 Qualifier – 3.754 seconds at 318.92 mph)

Round 1: (0.042-second reaction time, 7.253 seconds at 129.35 mph) loss to No. 7 Doug Kalitta (0.057/5.995/234.33)

“Once I got off the line, I knew I hit [the throttle] good but we smoked the tires, and thinking back to the last race when I smoked [the tires], I had a different strategy of coming back off and feathering it and feathering it, but I couldn’t regain traction. I’ve got to say, for Mobil 1, Dodge, Tony (Stewart), GEARWRENCH and everyone that’s backing us right now, clearly we are going to get it. That run is frustrating, for sure, but not every run is going to be a record-breaking run. The fans are out here to watch a show. That’s a different type of show, but we’re going to take another deep breath, digest it and keep working on it. I’m happy I’m doing my job and my team is doing their job. Once it comes together, it’s going to be lethal, I guarantee you that.”

Matt Hagan, Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car  

(No. 1 Qualifier – 3.853 seconds at 331.45 mph)

Round 1: (0.072-second reaction time, 3.964 seconds at 328.38 mph) bye run

Round 2: (0.090/3.965/322.65) defeats No. 9 Chad Green (0.096/4.021/317.05)

Round 3: (-0.036/3.955/327.03) defeats No. 12 John Force (-0.323/17.817/60.67)

Round 4:  (0.070/3.948/327.59) loss to No. 10 Robert Hight (0.075/3.907/328.86)

“It was another amazing weekend in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. We had a new sponsor on the car with Smithfield and got those folks crossed over from NASCAR a little bit. We went to the finals again and got to race Robert Hight. It’s going to be a fun season throwing down against him. It was special since it was my 300th career start in Virginia. Our car is running great and we’ve been to so many finals already and won two races, so I know there is more to come. We obviously wanted to win this weekend, but we’re going to be back in the Dodge Power Brokers Funny Car soon and be applying that power. I just want to say thank you to the fans for coming out and supporting us. The stands were packed. Thank you all for the love and we’re going to keep working hard to turn on those win lights.”

Cruz Pedregon, Pedregon Racing Snap-on® Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

(No. 4 Qualifier – 3.905 seconds at 323.27 mph)

Round 1: (0.092-second reaction time, 4.038 seconds at 317.57 mph) defeats No. 13 Phil Burkart (0.117/11.252/72.81)

Round 2: (0.051/10.719/75.87) loss to No. 12 John Force (0.008/3.992/329.91)

We did a good job of qualifying the Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in the NO. 4 spot and went onto the quarter finals where we lost to John Force. We spun the tires on that run at the hit of the throttle, which was unusual for us, but we were pressing. We were trying to be aggressive and the racetrack didn’t hold the power we had. We’ll go back and regroup and get ready for the next event. It was one of those races where the conditions went from cooler, rainy, high humidity to warmer on Sunday. Some teams adjusted well and we were good. We were just not quite where we needed to be. So we’ll learn from it, move on and, and get things ready to go for Epping which should be a good race for us. We’re still maintaining that top five position in points. The great thing that I am most proud of is that the team continues to have that qualifying performance every week. It’s top four, top three, top five nearly every race weekend and that’s really tough to do in today’s Funny Car competition with all the cars running so close. So we’re going to hang our hat on that and we’re going to keep digging and be ready for the next one.”

NHRA CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS:

Following the Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park

FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 673 (2)

2.  Robert Hight: 658 (3)

3.  Ron Capps: 561 (1)

4.  John Force: 447

5.  Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 395

6.  Bob Tasca III: 354

7.  J.R. Todd: 331

8.  Chad Green: 321

9.  Alexis DeJoria: 310

10. Tim Wilkerson: 277

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Brittany Force: 605 (3)

2.  Steve Torrence: 524 

3.  Mike Salinas: 521 (2)

4.  Justin Ashley: 468 (1)

5.  Austin Prock: 367

6.  Clay Millican: 365

7. Josh Hart: 345 

8.  Doug Kalitta: 316

9. Tony Schumacher: 295

10. Shawn Langdon: 269

13. Leah Pruett (Dodge Power Brokers): 242

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

Dodge//SRT

For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2022 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the Dodge Durango SRT 392, America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

In 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). In 2021, Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market) — making it the only domestic brand ever to do so two years in a row.

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Mopar

This year marks the 85th anniversary of Mopar.

A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over nearly 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Complete information on Mopar is available at www.mopar.com. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Dodge, Mopar and Stellantis news and video on:

Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Dodge brand: www.dodge.com

Mopar brand: www.mopar.com/

DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com

Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge and www.facebook.com/mopar

Instagram: @Dodgemoparmotorsports, @dodgeofficial and @officialmopar

Twitter: @Dodge, @OfficialMopar and @StellantisNA

YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge, https://www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

TORRENCE TAKES TOYOTA TO FINAL ROUND IN VIRGINIA
Capco Boys Fall to Force in Final Round by One One-Hundredth

RICHMOND, Va. (May 15, 2022) – After a two-year absence, the NHRA returned to Virginia Motorsports Park. Steve Torrence and the Capco Boys advanced to the final round in their Toyota Top Fuel dragster, but by only one one-hundredth of a second would lose to race-winner, Brittany Force. Qualifying proved positive for the GR Supra Funny Car contingent with all three posting times within the top-five, but a drastic weather change for Sunday’s race would eliminate them all by round two.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Virginia Motorsports Park
Race 7 of 22

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS  —  Race Winner:  Brittany Force

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Final Round	W. 3.772 vs. 3.926 (S. Palmer) W. 4.402 vs. 5.309 (T. Schumacher) W. 3.803 vs. 4.932 (A. Prock) L. 3.781 vs. 3.770 (B. Force)
Shawn Langdon	DHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 2	W. 3.769 vs. NT (D. Foley) L. 4.512 vs. 3.788 (B. Force)
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 2	W. 5.995 vs. 7.253 (L. Pruett) L. 5.946 vs. 3.837 (A. Prock)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 1	L. 5.833 vs. 5.384 (M. Salinas)
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 1	L. 8.368 vs. 3.792 (T. Schumacher)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS  — Race Winner:    Robert Hight

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Ron Capps	NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Round 2	W. 5.481 vs. 8.027 (McIntire Jr.) L. 9.626 vs. 3.935 (R. Hight)
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Round 1	L. 3.994 vs. 3.922 (J. Force)
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Round 1	L. 3.962 (red light) vs. 3.948 (B. Tasca III)

TOYOTA QUOTES

STEVE TORRENCE, Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing

Final Result: Final Round

How do you feel about the race weekend overall and your appearance in the final round?

“It was a good weekend for the Capco car and really needed to get into that final round and improve moral for the team and I think we took a step in the right direction doing that. It was a tough final round race, but we get a couple weeks off and we’ll hit them hard again. I think this Toyota is headed in the right direction and I’m pleased with everything and the rest of the team is too.”

# # #

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.  

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants.  By 2025, Toyota’s 14^th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.  With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
VIRGINIA NHRA NATIONALS
VIRGINIA MOTORSPORTS PARK IN NORTH DINWIDDIE, VIRGINIA
MAY 15, 2022

Chevrolet doubles up at Virginia NHRA Nationals

• Top Fuel points leader Brittany Force records third victory of the season
• Robert Hight delivers 150th Funny Car victory for Chevrolet and 56th of his career
• Daniel Condon drives COPO Camaro to runner-up in Factory Stock Showdown

NORTH DINWIDDIE, Va. (May 15, 2022) — Robert Hight and crew chief Jimmy Prock didn’t find the sweet spot with the Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS in qualifications, checking in at the No. 10 spot. But it got down the Virginia Motorsports Park quickly and consistently in eliminations, with Hight earning his third NHRA Funny Car victory of the season.

Teammate Brittany Force’s Flav-R-Pac/Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster checked in as the No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier and the 2017 champion ran the table for her third victory of the season for a big weekend for John Force Racing and Chevrolet.

Hight, who claimed his 56th career Funny Car win, delivered the 150th Funny Car victory for Chevrolet sine 1967. The Camaro body has been to the winner’s circle 70 times. Hight and 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force have combined for 25 wins with the Camaro.

Hight’s pass of 3.907 seconds at 328.86 mph eclipsed the 3.948-second run by Matt Hagan.

“I was a crew member for so many years, so nobody knows that better than I do. It takes eight guys pulling together and there is nothing like it at the end of the day when you can hoist one of these Wallys up,” said Hight, who remains second to Hagan in the standings through seven of the scheduled 22 races. “I just want to thank everybody … Auto Club, Chevrolet. This trophy is going to Mary Barra from Chevrolet, she is the CEO. Come out to a drag race and see us.

“I think we’ve had three battles with Hagan this year and it seems like it happens every week. I think we’ve got the best two cars in the class and when you race them, you better be up for it. They were better than us in qualifying, but what a difference a day makes. We had mechanical failure the first run and it set us behind the whole weekend. But when you’ve got this great team, you just believe in them and they just navigated things great today. We’re going to have a lot of these battles the rest of the year and hopefully we can just keep winning them.”

Entering eliminations as the No. 1 spot for the 34th time in her career – and with the Top Fuel track elapsed time record of 3.654 seconds in her pocket — after a bye run, Force made passes of 3.778, 3.770 and 3.770 seconds in the final against reigning champion Steve Torrence to collect her third win of the season and 14th of her career.

“This has been our greatest season yet,” said Force, who retains the top spot in the Top Fuel standings. “To come on this strong, with this many wins with our Flav-R-Pac team, I am so excited. We’ve never won here in Virginia, so it was very cool to get this win. This Wally (trophy) is for (crew chief) David Grubnic because he makes the impossible happen. Any win is special, but to qualify No. 1, set the track record and then get the win, it’s great. Robert and I seem to have a lot of luck together, and it was great to see him win. Our whole team has come a long way and we’re already ahead of ourselves from last year.”

Austin Prock, who posted a season-high No. 2 spot in qualifications in the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, advanced to the semifinals against Torrence.

John Force, who registered the 155th win of his Funny Car career on May 1, also advanced to the semifinals before falling to Hagan. Force, driving the PEAK BlueDEF Platinum Chevrolet Camaro SS, was the No. 12 qualifier.

Daniel Condon of Wilmington, Illinois, drove his Chevrolet COPO Camaro to a runner-up finish in the third round of the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown.

Chevrolet teams return to competition June 3-5 at the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire. Pro Stock rejoins the schedule after a long break. Four-time class champion Erica Enders, who has won three of the five races in the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS, is first in the standings. FS1 will telecast eliminations at 7 p.m. ET Sunday, June 5.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.