Wed, 22 Jul 2026, 16:22 PM Dodge Mopar Motorsports Wrap Up

Courtesy of Tom Blattler, TB Communications

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• Leah Pruett returns to Top Fuel action at Sonoma Raceway this weekend for the first time since 2023 and drove her Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Mobil 1/Dodge dragster to the semifinals
• Pruett, who sat out two years to start a family with Stewart, put in a very consistent weekend including runs of 3.74, 3.76 and 3.75 in DENSO Sonoma Nationals final eliminations
• Pruett defeated Norwalk winner Maddi Gordon in round one and Billy Torrence in the quarterfinals before losing in the semifinals to Jasmine Salinas with a close 3.75 to 3.77
• Despite the semifinals loss, the California native remained third in the NHRA Mission Top Fuel points standings as the NHRA national tour heads to Seattle next weekend (July 24-26)
• Pruett's TSR teammate, Matt Hagan, the four-time NHRA Funny Car world champion, was seeking his third 2026 NHRA win with his Johnson Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat
• Hagan, with 57 NHRA national event wins, defeated former world champion J.R. Todd in round one in a "holeshot" victory with a 3.944 over Todd's 3.933 to move to the quarterfinals
• In round two action against Jordan Vandergriff, Hagan held the starting margin but couldn't hold off his rival's 3.93 to the Dodge driver's 3.95 as Vandergriff went on to the Sonoma win
• After 11 events of the 20-race NHRA Mission national campaign, Hagan ranks fourth in the current Funny Car points as the tour moves this week to Seattle, a track he won at last year
• Stewart, the TSR team owner who won Top Fuel at Pomona in April, continued his season with a quarterfinal finish in the Elite Motorsports dragster after a win over Justin Ashley

Pruett Drives TSR Dodge Top Fuel Dragster to Semis at NHRA Sonoma Nationals

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - California native Leah Pruett returned to her home state this weekend in the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Mobil 1/Dodge Top Fuel dragster for the popular NHRA DENSO Sonoma Nationals and advanced to the semifinals Sunday, while TSR Dodge teammate Matt Hagan piloted his TSR Johnson Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car to the quarterfinals at Sonoma Raceway.

Pruett, who had made her last Sonoma Raceway Top Fuel appearance in 2023 after sitting out two years to start a family with Stewart, looked to be on her way to another final-round appearance at Sonoma with sensational consistency in her 12,000-horsepower, nitro-burning dragster. Sunday runs of 3.74, 3.76 and 3.75 put Pruett in position for her second 2026 NHRA Diamond "Wally" trophy.

But that path was halted in the semifinals by local racer Jasmine Salinas when the young Northern California competitor beat Pruett with a "holeshot" win at 3.772 to the Dodge driver's quicker 3.751. Salinas advanced to the final round at the Sonoma Nationals Sunday.

Pruett, who qualified ninth, came out strong in his TSR Dodge dragster with a victory in the opening round of eliminations over recent Norwalk winner Maddi Gordon with a 3.744 to advance to the quarterfinals against Billy Torrence. In that matchup, Pruett pulled off the "holeshot" win with a 3.766 to Torrence's 3.751. Taking on the young Salinas in the semifinals, Pruett ran another strong 3.751 but she lost when her opponent had a quick reaction time off the starting line.

Even with the loss, Pruett remains third in the current NHRA Mission Top Fuel points standings after 11 races with the NHRA tour now headed to the Northwest Nationals this weekend (July 24-26) at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Wash.

"I don't know how far the Six Flags theme park is from here, but I feel like I'm on a roller coaster," said Pruett, a Sonoma runner-up in 2021. "We were fighting what we call free horsepower because of the air conditions, elevation and all that. Everyone just gets extra horsepower. We qualified number nine, first time of the season that we didn't qualify in the top half of the field, but we didn't let that kick us down.

"Going into first round, against Maddi two races in a row. But we did our job all the way around. Then in the second round, against Billy T., he has one of those cars that really shined throughout the weekend. I've been working really hard on my lights. I won in the second round on a 'holeshot.' I didn't quite have that great of a light in the semifinals against Jasmine and, again, I got beat on a 'holeshot.' That's drag racing. That's the roller coaster. The highs and the lows going throughout a weekend. Everyone's heads are high because progress is being made on all the fronts. And we do look forward to going to Seattle now."

Hagan Records Quarterfinals Finish in TSR Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car

Hagan, a 57-time NHRA national event winner who was looking for his first Sonoma Nationals Funny Car victory, was on his game at the starting line Sunday with his potent TSR JHG Dodge//SRT Hellcat machine as he took on a tough rival in the opening round of action against former world champion J.R. Todd.

The Virginia racer was ready for battle with a strong reaction time to defeat Todd's quicker elapsed time of 3.933 to Hagan's 3.944. That win moved Hagan up against the No. 1 qualifier, Funny Car rookie Jordan Vandergriff. And again, Hagan's quick reaction time gave him the lead at the starting line.

However, Hagan's 3.956 could not hold off Vandergriff's 3.932 at the finish line for the round win. Vandergriff went on to win his second NHRA national event of the year Sunday. Despite the loss, Hagan sits fourth in the current NHRA Mission Funny Car points as he and his TSR Dodge crew head to the Northwest Nationals this weekend (July 24-26), an event he captured last year.

"We haven't had much luck here at Sonoma over the years, but we have been good at Seattle and that's next up on the schedule," said Hagan, the four-time NHRA Funny Car world champion. "I think we learned a lot here this weekend, and we'll be ready for Seattle now. We took Saturday here and tested with some different parts and pieces. And you could just see the lightbulbs go off on the crew now.

"It makes me excited about this race weekend in Seattle. And we have won a bunch at Seattle, including last year. We still come out of here with a lot of positives. Overall, we are in the points hunt and I believe we can continue to win races this year."

TSR Dodge team owner Stewart piloted the R+L Carriers/Elite Motorsports Top Fueler to the quarterfinals with a win in the opening round over Justin Ashley with an impressive 3.712. But his mount smoked the tires early in the quarterfinals against Antron Brown, who advanced to the semifinals. Stewart now sits sixth in the NHRA Mission Top Fuel points standings as the series moves to the Seattle area this weekend (July 24-26).

The Northwest Nationals, one of the Seattle area's most popular racing events annually, will have Pruett, Hagan and Stewart back in nitro action when qualifying opens on Friday (July 24) at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. PDT. Saturday's qualifying sessions are scheduled for 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. PDT. Final eliminations will begin at 10 a.m. PDT on Sunday (July 26). The FOX national network telecast will be shown Sunday at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT.

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