Leah Pruett To Drive Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster;

Matt Hagan To Drive Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Jan. 14, 2022) – Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) begins its inaugural season in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series with Dodge//SRT and Mopar powering its two-car lineup for Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett and Funny Car pilot Matt Hagan.

In addition to being the manufacturer for TSR, Dodge//SRT and Mopar will be the anchor partners for Pruett and Hagan. Their nitro-fueled machines will have primary branding from Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection.

The Dodge Power Brokers dealership program is the exclusive source for all new Direct Connection performance parts, including tuner, stage and performance kits for the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and race-ready kits for the Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak. Dodge Power Brokers dealership staff will be trained to deliver a performance-focused customer service experience.

“The Dodge brand has a long history of competing in and supporting motorsports,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge Brand Chief Executive Officer – Stellantis. “For nearly a decade, NHRA drag racing has been our primary motorsports focus, helping deliver products like the Dodge Demon, 1320 and Super Stock; cars that resonate with the Brotherhood of Muscle. These vehicles will hold a place in muscle-car history for years to come. The Dodge brand embodies the philosophy of the ‘last tenth,’ and we are not done pushing the performance envelope. So, we are extremely excited to partner with Tony Stewart and his drag racing team to help take Dodge to the next level. Tony is a racing legend with an attitude, personality and competitive drive that aligns perfectly with our goals.”

TSR’s roots are in sprint car racing, with Mopar powering its multiple entries in USAC and the World of Outlaws from 2001 through 2007. Seven of TSR’s 27 open-wheel championships were won with Mopar.

“I’m really pleased to have Dodge//SRT and Mopar as partners with our new NHRA venture as manufacturer and sponsor for our two entries in Top Fuel and Funny Car with Leah and Matt,” said Tony Stewart, TSR team owner and multi-time racing champion. “It shows confidence in your program when an OEM wants to be on your team and for you to help support their program as well. They have obviously had a great relationship with both drivers for the last few years and to be able to continue that association is key to this team’s success and a huge benefit to the continuity for everyone involved. Having that kind of history definitely helps flatten the learning curve while raising expectations for our inaugural NHRA season. It’ll be nice to work with Dodge and Mopar again after sharing success together in USAC and the World of Outlaws nearly two decades ago. We are certainly setting the bar high and look forward to being competitive from the start.”

Dodge//SRT and Mopar have supported Hagan since his rookie season in 2009. Pruett first joined forces with Dodge//SRT and Mopar in 2016.

“I’m so grateful to have represented and shared so many successes with Dodge//SRT and Mopar for most of my career and to say I’m excited to continue our relationship in this next chapter with Tony Stewart Racing is an understatement,” Hagan said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead and introducing our passionate fans to a new-look livery featuring Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection.

“My family has been a Dodge dealer since 1979 and we’re really proud of that. We’re ready to celebrate Mopar’s 85th anniversary this year as we battle for a championship with a few wins along the way.”

Hagan is a three-time Funny Car champion (2011, 2014 and 2020) who finished runner-up in the 2021 title chase. The 38-year-old from Christiansburg, Virginia, has 39 Funny Car event wins. His career-best elapsed time run is 3.799 seconds (Sept. 1, 2017 in Q1 at Indianapolis) and his best speed is 338.85 mph (May 20, 2017 in Q2 at Topeka, Kansas).

Pruett is a nine-time Top Fuel event winner whose career-best elapsed time run is 3.631 seconds (Nov. 10, 2018 in Q4 at Pomona, California) and her best speed is 334.15 mph (Feb. 24, 2018 in Q3 at Phoenix). The 2022 season will mark her 26th consecutive year of NHRA competition, which began in the series’ Jr. Drag Racing League as an 8-year-old. She won the 2010 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series championship in the Nostalgia Funny Car class and has spent the last eight years advancing her way through Top Fuel. However, the native of Redlands, California, has not confined herself to the NHRA’s top class. Pruett has pulled double duty for a number of years by also competing fulltime in the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown, winning the 2018 title in her Dodge Challenger Drag Pak.

“It was very important to me to continue the close relationship I’ve had with Dodge//SRT and Mopar in this new journey with Tony Stewart Racing,” Pruett said. “I’m appreciative of the support that Dodge and Mopar, and all their fans, have shown me these past few years, and I’m proud to fly their colors as we move forward together and work to bring home wins and a championship in 2022.

“Having Direct Connection branding on my dragster this season is really exciting because it has such a rich history of success at the drag strip with racers like Don Garlits. It’s amazing to help continue to build on that legacy and introduce it to a new generation of Dodge enthusiasts.”

In addition to carrying on the legacy of drag racing innovator and multi-time champion Garlits, representing Direct Connection has personal meaning to Pruett.

“While Dodge//SRT was developing the new Drag Pak, we were also testing and developing some of the stage kits,” Pruett said. “It seemed almost unbelievable that an OEM would make available various stage kits capable of adding so much additional power, all while maintaining the car’s warranty. To be on the presenting side of a massive program that I contributed to while watching it progress in pure secrecy makes me incredibly proud to run Direct Connection and Power Brokers on my Top Fuel dragster.”

TSR will make its NHRA debut during the 2022 season opener Feb. 17-20 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Those interested in partnering with TSR for its inaugural NHRA season can contact the team at TSRnitro@TonyStewart.com.

-TSR-

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.

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 Mopar and company news and video on:

Company blog: http://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: http://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Mopar brand: https://www.mopar.com/

Mopar blog: https://blog.mopar.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mopar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialmopar

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OfficialMOPAR

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.

Follow Dodge and company news and video on:

Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Dodge brand: www.dodge.com

DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge

Instagram: www.instagram.com/dodgeofficial

Twitter: @Dodge and @StellantisNA

YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

Dallas Glenn makes most of opportunity in Chevrolet Camaro SS
KB Racing driver earns NHRA Pro Stock rookie of the year award

DETROIT (Nov. 18, 2021) – Living one exit from Pacific Raceways, Dallas Glenn could hear the thundering sound of National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Top Fuel and Funny Cars piercing the quiet summer evening.

Little did the youth from Covington, Washington, know that he would one day be on the main stage. From racing quarter midgets on circle tracks when he was 6 years old to driving his grandmother’s ’68 Chevrolet El Camino at local dragstrips, Glenn found success in a hobby shared by his family.

“My dad won the local track championship in ’05 with our ’55 Chevy station wagon. It’s an all-steel car other than the nose. I started in ’07 when I got in the car. I liked everything about it; I had a knack for it and understood how it all worked,” Glenn said. “I started racing the ’68 El Camino that I still have and race from time to time. I’ve had a lot of success with that.”

More than a decade later and 2,700 miles removed from Washington state, success has followed Glenn on a different platform. Glenn, 30, a longtime crew member for Mooresville, North Carolina-based KB Racing and three-time Pro Stock world champion Jason Line, on Nov. 14 was named the recipient of the NHRA Rookie of the Year.

The award recognizes the top first-year competitor in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series via voting by auto racing journalists based on criteria on and off the track.

When Line stepped out of the Chevrolet Camaro SS at the end of the 2020 season to focus on shop-based race preparation, Glenn was presented the opportunity to get behind the wheel if only on a part-time basis. Primary sponsorship from RAD Torque Systems allowed the program to expand to the full season and into 2022. He’s been a quick study in the car while continuing to turn wrenches on the Camaro.

“He’s a rare bird nowadays,” said Line, who was the 2004 NHRA Rookie of the Year award winner. “He has a passion for the sport that is not often seen anymore. A lot of people want to be race car drivers; that’s the easy part. Dallas can do a lot of things — he’s very talented — and he wants to learn all aspects of it. He’s a hard worker. He’s making the most of his opportunities. It’s fun to watch.”

Glenn earned his initial Pro Stock victory in his fourth start, added two wins and a pair of runner-up finishes. He maintained the quickest reaction time, which included being only the sixth Pro Stock racer to record a .000 time in a final, of all competitors throughout the 17-race season. The rising star finished third in the Pro Stock championship standings.

“I knew pretty early on that Pro Stock was where I wanted to go,” Glenn said. “I had told people for years, even before I got to drive, that I wanted to work on a Pro Stock team and everybody was like ‘OK, that’s great, but what are you really going to do?’ I understand there are not many people who get to do this and the chances of me making it are pretty slim. But if you keep your head down and focus on one thing you can make anything happen.

“KB Racing has a lot of brain power and experience that I’ve been trying to siphon as much as I can; I think I’ve learned a lot over the last few years. I bet we have over 10,000 runs at KB Racing. Pretty much if it’s happened in a race car it’s happened to Jason at least once. If I have a question about anything, he says do this and that. Working on Jason’s car for eight years and watching him drive, I’m sure some of my driving style is like his.

“I have been having a lot of fun in the car. I feel I can get in, not nervous, I know what to expect, I can run through the motions and focus on the finer details. When you get a lot of runs in a car you no longer think about the things you have to do, you can focus on the little stuff and the things you have to do just come naturally. There is a rhythm and routine.”

After some down time for the holidays, preparation for the 2022 season that begins Feb. 18-20 at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California, will be at the forefront of Glenn’s activities at the shop in North Carolina. With the taste of success, new, loftier goals have emerged.

“I’ve been successful and I’m thankful for that,” he said. “I’m really hungry and I won’t stop until I see the No. 1 on the side of the car.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. 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.

Anderson relishes magical season in Chevrolet Camaro SS
Veteran becomes fourth Pro Stock racer with five championships

DETROIT (Nov. 17, 2021) – Greg Anderson, who prefers to look down the dragstrip instead of behind, recalls April 29, 2001, like it was the most recent event on the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) tour.

When Anderson won his initial Wally in NHRA Pro Stock competition that spring Sunday in Bristol, Tennessee, it sent a shock wave through Thunder Valley that reverberates to this day.

“I was just thankful to be on the racetrack and have the chance to drive a Pro Stock car. I never even realized I could win an event. It was the beginning of a lot of great days to come,” he said.

Anderson, who shared in the on-track success of Warren Johnson as his crew chief before getting behind the wheel of a Pro Stock machine in 1998, went on to roll to Pro Stock world championships in 2003, ’04 and ’05 among a basketful of accolades in his KB Racing-prepared cars. He claimed the fourth title of his career in 2010 – the same season that Johnson won for the 97th and final time in his career.

“At the time, winning that first race was the coolest thing that ever happened to me,” he said. “It was the start of something really special. It just shows you what hard work can do.”

His work ethic didn’t diminish over the next decade and wins continued to pile up, though a fifth title eluded Anderson — until Nov. 14 at Auto Club Raceway. Anderson drove the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS to victory in the 2021 season finale to cap a dominant year reminiscent of 2004 when he garnered 15 wins in 19 final rounds.

Anderson joins Bob Glidden (10), Johnson (6) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (5) as the only five-time world champions in the 51-year history of NHRA Pro Stock competition. Chevrolet, which won the first Pro Stock race in 1970 at Auto Club Raceway, earned its 17th Pro Stock driver championship to go along with 346 victories, including 228 with the Camaro nameplate.

Since winning the opener at Gainesville, Florida, in March, Anderson didn’t relinquish the points lead.

“It’s been a magical season in so many ways and for so many reasons,” said Anderson, who in October passed Johnson to become the winningest driver in Pro Stock and also moved to second in all pro classes with 881 round wins. “This one really means a lot to me.”

Anderson, who registered 12 No. 1 qualifiers in the 17 races, advanced to the final round nine times. His fifth victory of the season – over KB Racing teammate Kyle Koretsky – boosted the win total to 99 in 167 final rounds over 496 races. Only 16-time Funny Car champion and fellow Chevrolet driver John Force (154) has more victories in the pro classes.

“My HendrickCars.com Chevy is just bad to the bone. Every race I went to I had a great chance to win that race,” Anderson said. “I’m very proud of everybody on the KB Racing team and so grateful to our team owners, Ken and Judy Black. We definitely came prepared to race, and it paid off in the best possible way.

“It’s pretty incredible. It’s been a special year and to get to that number and one away from 100 – that’s the milestone we’re looking for. We passed by Warren Johnson, my mentor and a guy who taught me so much, a couple of races ago, and now 100 is the goal. And I don’t want to stop there.”

Anderson, 60, will have the opportunity to hit that mark in the 2022 season opener Feb. 20 back at Auto Club Raceway.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. 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.

• Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat driver Ron Capps and his Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) team earned the 2021 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Funny Car World Championship, the second of his 27-year career, at the Auto Club Finals
• Three Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Cars entered the final race day of the season with a chance to win the world championship title
• DSR driver Matt Hagan drove his Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to the semifinals at Auto Club Raceway and closed out the 2021 NHRA season as runner-up in the Funny Car championship to teammate Capps
• Cruz Pedregon Racing and the Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat remained in the hunt for the Funny Car Crown throughout the “Countdown to the Championship,” finishing fourth in the standings, driver Cruz Pedregon’s best season performance since 2013
• DSR Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett closed out the season by qualifying the Direct Connection Mopar Dodge//SRT dragster No. 3 for eliminations and finishing in the Top 10 for a sixth consecutive season

November 14, 2021, Pomona, California – Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat driver Ron Capps and Don Schumacher Racing earned the 2021 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Funny Car World Championship in an exciting season finale at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, California. It is the veteran driver’s second Funny Car title of his 27-year career, following his first championship win in 2016, and the seventh of the 19-year partnership between DSR and the Mopar and Dodge//SRT brands.

“On behalf of Dodge//SRT, congratulations to Ron Capps for his HEMI®-powered world championship performance,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge Brand Chief Executive Officer – Stellantis. “We’re thrilled to have Ron and the Don Schumacher Racing team demonstrate what Dodge//SRT performance looks like by earning their second NHRA Funny Car World Championship.”

“Congratulations to Ron Capps from all of us at Mopar on this hard-earned second career Funny Car world championship,” said Mark Bosanac, Head of Mopar Service, Parts and Customer Care for FCA – North America. ”We appreciate the outstanding efforts during this championship season and thank them for proudly showcasing Mopar performance on the track.”

“What a crazy day and crazy season,” said Capps. “The fact that the Countdown came down to the Pomona Finals and was a real fight between the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcats of Cruz Pedregon, Matt Hagan and I was really neat. And to see that as a manufacturer Dodge had the competition covered, all three of us were pretty proud of that.”

Capps claimed his second NHRA World Championship after powering his NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to two event wins, three runner-up finishes and advancing to the semifinals or better on 11 occasions. Capps and his crew collected a category-best 36 round wins and four No. 1 qualifier awards while taking the points lead five different times over the course of the 20-event season.

“The Dodge Charger SRT body has been crazy fun to drive this year,” added Capps. “We came out with a new chassis and new body and this year this body has made me a whole new driver. It’s been fun to have more vision and to be able to see better and when you are going 330 mph that’s what you need.”

Three Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Cars entered the final race day of the season with a chance to take home the championship Wally but once both No. 2 qualifier Capps and DSR teammate Hagan in the No. 7 position turned on win lights in the first round of eliminations, Pedregon was no longer in contention for the crown.

With a pending head-to-head showdown between Capps and Hagan in the quarterfinals, the 67-point difference, or the equivalent of a three rounds, between the two contenders added to drama. If Capps beat Hagan, he would immediately be crowned Funny Car Champion.

Instead, the two Dodge Charger SRT Hellcats put on a show with a side-by-side battle that saw Hagan emerge the winner following a 0.074-second reaction time and 3.948-second elapsed time run at 322.34 mph to edge Capps at the stripe despite a solid 0.043-second reaction time and 3.995-second drive at 319.45 mph.

“I knew it was going to come down to the wire but we really had to worry about Matt (Hagan),” said Capps, who watched from the sidelines as the possibility that Hagan could successfully defend his Funny Car crown hinged on him taking the Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to the winner’s circle. “We qualified well but still ended up racing him in the second round. It was a close race but then I had to stand behind his car and wait to see how it played out. Really proud of the job (Crew Chiefs) ‘Guido’ (Dean Antonelli) and John Medlen and the whole team has done this year.”

Hagan needed to get his Mopar machine past Alexis DeJoria in the semifinals to have a shot at retaining his crown. The three-time NHRA champ was quicker on the start but by half-track his opponent slipped past for the round win, ending Hagan’s drive and reign as Funny Car champion.

“We’ve got a great team, a great car and at the end of the day there were three Dodge Charger SRT Hellcats in the running for this championship, with (Ron) Capps, me and Cruz (Pedregon),” said Hagan. “Dodge is just doing an amazing job out there and I’m glad to be a part of it. Today didn’t go the way we wanted it to but to be in the championship hunt and be able to have a shot at it year after year is a testament to the performance equipment we have and the hard work this team has put in.”

With a category-best four wins this season, Hagan and his Mopar Dodge//SRT team’s runner-up finish in the championship was their 11th time closing out a season with a Top-10 result.

The third contender in the Funny Car title chase heading into the final race day was  Pedregon, who arrived at Auto Club Raceway fresh off his victory at the Dodge//SRT Nationals in Las Vegas and put his Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat No. 6 on the ladder with consistent qualifying runs. With a 91-point deficit prior to the opening round, any championship hopes for the Cruz Pedregon Racing team were contingent on Capps exiting in the first round.

While that didn’t happen, Pedregon lined up for the first round match against No. 11 seed Tim Wilkerson feeling positive about the consistency and progress his team made this season. Pedregon’s HEMI-powered machine had a good launch and was on the move when tire smoke early in the run brought to a close his team’s best season performance since 2013. The team finishes fourth in the points standings with two wins, a pair of runner-up finishes and a No. 1 qualifier award. Their Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat turned on win lights 30 times in eliminations this season, only the third time in 20 years that Pedregon has won 30 or more rounds.

In Top Fuel action, DSR pilot Leah Pruett’s solid qualifying performance put the Direct Connection Mopar Dodge//SRT dragster No. 3 on the eliminations ladder with a 3.706-second pass at 327.59 mph in the final session. That afforded the HEMI-powered machine lane choice over No. 14 seed Cameron Ferre for the opening round of the final national event of the season.

After a quick start, Pruett was chasing down her opponent when a loss of traction prior to half-track hampered her efforts and brought her race day to an early end. She closes out her season seventh in the Top Fuel standings, her sixth consecutive top-10 finish since joining Don Schumacher Racing in 2016, with an event title at the Pomona Winternationals and runner-up finish at Sonoma.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series will return to the dragstrip in February with a 22-event season schedule that will again include five national events with Mopar Express Lane and Dodge//SRT title sponsorship.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES

FUNNY CAR:

Matt Hagan, DSR Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye

(No. 7 Qualifier – 3.956 seconds at 319.75 mph)

Round 1: (0.081-second reaction time, 3.935 seconds at 323.04 mph) defeats No. 10 Tony Jurado (0.091/3.973/322.34)

Round 2: (0.074/3.948/322.34) defeats No. 2 Ron Capps (0.043/3.995/319.45)

Round 3: (0.054/3.975/317.79) loss to No. 3 Alexis DeJoria (0.081/3.940/321.04)

“Congratulations to Ron Capps. He’s a true legend of the sport. He’s been out here probably more than twice as long as I’ve been racing. Those guys just outworked and outperformed us this year. At the end of the day, we get to come back out here and fight them again next year. At the end of the day and a long year, I just want to say I’m proud of (Crew Chief) Dickie Venables and my entire crew. We battled back after a couple of bad race days at Bristol and (Las) Vegas. I’m happy for Ron and sad for us. The sun will rise tomorrow and it’s time for us to work hard this off season and come back out here and do it again in a few months here at Pomona. Great job to Capps and the NAPA team.”

Ron Capps, DSR NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

(No. 2 Qualifier – 3.908 seconds at 329.83 mph)

Round 1: (0.093-second reaction time, 3.908 seconds at 325.06 mph) defeats No. 15 Terry Haddock (0.159/4.708/178.07)

Round 2: (0.043/3.995/319.45) loss to No. 7 Matt Hagan (0.074/3.948/322.34)

“I can’t even believe that just happened. You don’t want to go up there and wish someone bad luck. That entire Hagan team with (crew chief) Dickie Venables is incredible. I expected them to go win the race. I don’t know what to say. I’m just shaking right now. I stood and watched from that same Pomona Raceway grandstand as a kid and watched guys like (Joe) Amato and Gary (Ormsby) line up in the final round here years ago and to be doing this myself and to now have a second championship, I can’t say enough.”

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

(No. 6 Qualifier – 3.939 seconds at 321.96 mph)

Round 1: (0.070-second reaction time, 4.808 seconds at 170.58 mph) loss to No. 11 seed Tim Wilkerson (0.053/3.922/325.30)

“I hate it for the team more than anything to end such a great year with tire smoke but Tim (Wilkerson) was a tough opponent. We had a lot at stake today but we accomplished a lot this year, we were in the championship conversation until the end with three Hellcat drivers. I respect and admire both those drivers. Really proud that we had 30 round wins. That’s a stat that shows how important consistency is. I’m excited about keeping that consistency through next year with this same group of people. We’ll look at what we can improve on but I look at this season as a huge success. I’m not a fan of the points-and-half format for the last race because that doesn’t reward what we have done over a stretch of time. Where we ended up is not indicative of the effort we put in and what our Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat accomplished this year. We were a solid third place car. It was a good season for us. We had good support and for three Mopar Dodge Hellcats to be there at the finish is indicative of how good these cars are.”

TOP FUEL:

Leah Pruett, DSR Direct Connection Mopar Dodge//SRT Dragster  

(No. 3 Qualifier – 3.706 seconds at 327.59 mph)

Round 1: (0.070-second reaction time, 5.053 seconds at 189.71 mph) loss to No. 14 Cameron Ferre (0.059/3.796/319.75)

“The level of confidence heading into the final race here at Pomona was extremely high – higher than it’s been in some time. The attitudes were positive. The takeaway from the first round loss is a straight mechanical malfunction. The clutch did not move. It wasn’t a tuning or personnel issue. Therefore, we had no power. It mixed up cylinders immediately. A couple pedal jobs and a weird sensation in the car when you’re not going anywhere, but also not smoking the tires. Sometimes it’s just necessary for a very hard reset. This entire team has a heart of gold. We represent the ‘never lift’ campaign for Dodge and we are a testament for that and sometimes when you never lift, a part does. We’re looking forward to next season. We couldn’t be more thankful to DSR, Dodge, Mopar, Pennzoil, all of our great partners at Don Schumacher Racing, and everyone at DSR for some amazing seasons.”

NHRA Championship Final Points Standings:
Following the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Pomona
  
FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

1. Ron Capps (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 2,676 (2)

2. Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 2,639 (3/1-Tommy Johnson Jr.)

3. Bob Tasca III – 2,586 (3)

4. Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 2,555 (2)

5. John Force – 2,543 (3)

6. Alexis DeJoria – 2,526 (1)

7. J.R. Todd – 2,498 (1)

8. Robert Hight – 2,478 (2)

9. Tim Wilkerson – 2,361 (1)

10. Jim Campbell – 2,238

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

1. Steve Torrance – 2,873 (11)

2. Brittany Force – 2,637 (1)

3. Mike Salinas – 2,614 (1)

4. Justin Ashley – 2,556 (2)

5. Billy Torrence – 2,498 (2)

6. Antron Brown – 2,427 (1)

7. Leah Pruett (Mopar Dodge//SRT) – 2,401 (1)

8. Clay Millican – 2,384

9. Shawn Langdon – 2,310

10. Doug Kalitta – 2,290

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.

Mopar

Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) offers exceptional service, parts and customer care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, the Mopar brand has evolved over more than 80 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, the brand expanded to include technical service and customer support. Today, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Mopar 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.

Follow Mopar and company news and video on:

Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Mopar brand: www.mopar.com

Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mopar

Instagram: www.instagram.com/officialmopar

Twitter: @OfficialMOPAR

YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

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.

Follow Dodge and company news and video on:

Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Dodge brand: www.dodge.com

DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge

Instagram: www.instagram.com/dodgeofficial

Twitter: @Dodge and @StellantisNA

YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

Drivers of the Chevrolet Camaro SS, COPO Camaro contribute to success

DETROIT (Nov. 14, 2021) – Chevrolet is the top manufacturer on the drag strip for a record-extending 26th time.

Chevrolet Racing won the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series Manufacturers Cup for the fifth consecutive year and seventh time in the past 10 seasons. Chevrolet first earned the award in 1966, and no other manufacturer has won it more times. GM brands
Oldsmobile and Pontiac combined to win 24 titles between 1971 and 2006.

The Manufacturers Cup is awarded to the automobile manufacturer whose current-year models earn the most points for qualifying and category victories at NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series national events and Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series regional and divisional events.

Points are awarded to entries in Funny Car, Pro Stock, Super Stock and Stock Eliminator classes, plus the Constant Aviation NHRA Factory Stock Showdown series.

Points accumulated by Chevrolet Camaro SS and Chevrolet COPO Camaro drivers in the professional and Sportsman classes were more than double the closest manufacturer.

“It’s an honor for Chevrolet to win the NHRA Manufacturers Cup for the 26th time. This award is a testament to the determination and perseverance of the Chevrolet owners, drivers and teams in the professional categories and the Sportsman classes who contributed valuable manufacturer points this year,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Motorsports and Performance.

Greg Anderson recorded his fifth NHRA Pro Stock world championship — and first since 2010 — by driving the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS to five victories and 12 No. 1 qualifiers in the 17 races. At Dallas in October, Anderson passed his mentor, Warren Johnson, to become Pro Stock’s career leader. With 99 wins, he is second to John Force’s 154 victories on the all-time NHRA list.

Four-time class champion Erica Enders, Aaron Stanfield, Kyle Koretsky, Matt Hartford and first-year Pro Stock driver Dallas Glenn also visited the winner’s circle as competitors driving the Chevrolet Camaro SS won every race. Chevrolet has amassed 17 Pro Stock driver championships and 346 victories, including 228 with the Camaro nameplate. Glenn, with three victories, was voted the Rookie of the Year award winner.

Stanfield, driving the Janac Brothers Racing COPO Camaro, claimed the Constant Aviation NHRA Factory Stock Showdown series title for the second consecutive year. COPO Camaro drivers won seven of the eight races, including three by Stanfield.

Points contributions by 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force and three-time champion Robert Hight were also crucial to the Team Chevy effort. Force earned three victories and three No. 1 qualifier honors in his Chevrolet Camaro SS during the 20-race season. Hight scored two wins and three top qualifiers driving his Camaro SS.

The Top Fuel class does not contribute points to the Manufacturers Cup standings, but Brittany Force produced multiple highlights during the season in her Chevrolet dragster. Force, the 2017 Top Fuel champion, placed second in the standings. She recorded 12 No. 1 qualifiers and a victory at Topeka, Kansas.

The 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season begins Feb. 18-20 with the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. 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.

POMONA, Calif. (November 14, 2021) – This morning at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Toyota unveiled its new race car for the 2022 NHRA season in Funny Car competition. For the first time, Toyota will campaign the GR Supra beginning with the season kickoff event in Pomona in February.

Toyota has competed with the Camry in Funny Car competition dating back to 2012. Prior to the Camry, the Toyota Celica and Toyota Solara were run. The 2021 season has marked the 20th anniversary of Toyota’s official involvement in NHRA with competitors in both Top Fuel and Funny Car.

Toyota’s commitment to race vehicles that closely resemble production vehicles continues with this GR Supra. With the new body on the Funny Car for 2022, it marks the most significant styling characteristics of any previous Funny Car.

“After 10 years of fielding the Camry in NHRA Funny Car competition it’s really exciting for us to be moving to the GR Supra and ultimately the next generation of Funny Cars for NHRA,” said Paul Doleshal, group manager of motorsports for Toyota Motor North America. “Our team at TRD (Toyota Racing Development) along with the design team at Calty worked hard to incorporate as many features from the production GR Supra into the Funny Car that J.R. Todd and Alexis DeJoria will drive in 2022.”

In addition to the augmented styling characteristics of the new GR Supra Funny Car, safety enhancements have also been made during the development of the new car. These include giving the driver more visibility while sitting behind the wheel and adding more room around their helmets along with additional safety foam in the driver’s cockpit of the GR Supra. TRD worked closely with Toyota Champion Funny Car driver, J.R. Todd, on many of the safety enhancements during the nearly two-year development process.

“It’s been a really unique experience getting to work with the engineers at TRD on the new GR Supra Funny Car,” said Kalitta Motorsports Funny Car driver J.R. Todd. “To be a part of the work to try to make these cars as safe as possible for us as drivers means a lot to me. We all worked together on some of the issues we’ve faced for some time including visibility. That said, I’ve had some big moments in my DHL Toyota Camry including my first U.S. Nationals win and championship. Toyota’s support of NHRA, Kalitta Motorsports and myself specifically means a ton, and I hope we can deliver even more success to them with this new GR Supra.”

Toyota drivers have won 137 Top Fuel and 43 Funny Car races along with six Top Fuel and three Funny Car championships during its tenure in the series.

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 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

Through its 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.

Neal Strausbaugh To Crew Chief Top Fuel’s Leah Pruett;
Dickie Venables Continues with Funny Car Driver Matt Hagan

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Nov. 12, 2021) – Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) has announced its crew chief lineup for the team’s 2022 debut in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series with Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett and Funny Car pilot Matt Hagan.

Neal Strausbaugh will be the crew chief for nine-time Top Fuel event winner Pruett and Dickie Venables will continue his longtime role as the crew chief for 39-time Funny Car event winner Hagan. Both Strausbaugh and Venables come to TSR from Don Schumacher Racing (DSR), where the duo have spent a combined 25 years.

Strausbaugh has been an assistant crew chief since 2008 working across both Top Fuel and Funny Car, first with Cory McClenathan in Top Fuel (2008), Tony Schumacher in Top Fuel (2009-2016), Jack Beckman in Funny Car (2017-2018) and Pruett (2019-present). Venables has had two stints at DSR, spending 2010-2011 with Funny Car driver Johnny Gray before returning in 2013 to lead Hagan’s Funny Car effort.

“Joe Gibbs taught me a long time ago that you win with people, and Neal and Dickie are the right guys to help build this team and get it ready for next year,” said team owner Tony Stewart. “For the past year-and-a-half, I’ve gotten to know Neal and Dickie and have seen firsthand how they work and interact with everyone on the crew. Both have a strong work ethic and know what they’re doing, but they also know each other and their drivers really well. That kind of familiarity and continuity is massively important as we build this program from the ground up.”

Strausbaugh will be joined at TSR with co-crew chief Mike Domagala and car chief Ryan McGilvry. Venables is bringing the same personnel who have helped Hagan earn two of his three Funny Car titles (2014 and 2020) and compete for a potential second straight championship in the season-ending Auto Club Finals this weekend in Pomona, California. Specifically, co-crew chief Michael Knudsen and car chief Alex Conaway will continue with Venables at TSR.

“Being a part of TSR is a dream situation,” said Strausbaugh, a native of Hillsboro, Illinois. “There are a lot of great people who are a part of this team, and it starts at the top with Tony. It’s built by racers, for racers, and we have all the resources we need to be successful.”

While Venables knows what he’s doing next year, the Texan who has spent the last 25 years in Plainfield, Indiana, is intently focused on the present this weekend at Pomona. Hagan is second in the championship standings heading into the season finale.

“We’d like nothing more than to do well this weekend and be able to take the championship,” Venables said. “We’ve got a lot to take care of, but I’m looking forward to what’s coming shortly thereafter.

“I’ve been doing this a lot of years and I honestly haven’t looked forward to a program as much as I’m looking forward to this one. Being able to bring all my guys over will help us get started on the right foot and really grow this program.

“That’s what intrigues me about this opportunity most of all. I enjoy being able to build things from scratch. I enjoy being able to work with people and teach them to work in certain roles.”

TSR will make its NHRA debut during the 2022 season opener Feb. 17-20 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Those interested in partnering with TSR for its inaugural NHRA season can contact the team at TSRnitro@TonyStewart.com.