Following Thursday morning’s announcement, Tony Stewart will become an NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car owner starting in 2022.
The writing was on the wall and soon became reality for the 3-time Nascar Cup Series champion. Stewart had an opportunity by Don Schumacher to look into the ownership side of things. With Stewart’s recent engagement to Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett, the move made sense for many reasons.
“Beginning with Don Schumacher, I’ve probably annoyed everyone in the paddock with all the questions I’ve asked, but the more I learned about drag racing, the less I wanted to just be a spectator,” Stewart said. “I want to be an integral part of it. And I don’t do things halfway. I go all in. But I’m smart enough to know that I don’t need to be a rookie owner and a rookie driver, so I made sure to get two of the best NHRA drivers in Leah and Matt. I’m going to lean on their experience so we can hit the ground running in 2022.”
A well-recognized name is stepping into the NHRA Drag Racing scene and will field two cars with some of the biggest names in the sport. Pruett will drive her future husband’s Top Fuel entry in 2022. She will leave Don Schumacher Racing at the end of the year. This is a team she has been a part of since 2016 where she finished out that year in a DSR entry.
Pruett has won nine times in the Top Fuel category and 15 overall on the NHRA professional scene. In 2020, Pruett placed 4th in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Fuel points. She currently sits 6th with only three races remaining.
Probably the biggest surprise of the unkept secret is the hiring of Matt Hagan to Stewart’s Funny Car team. Hagan is the defending NHRA Funny Car Champion and current points leader in that category. Yet, as he chases his fourth title, Hagan also seals up his future plans driving Stewart’s new Funny Car ride.
A 39-time event winner and champion of the Funny Car series three times, in 2011, 2014 and 2020, Hagan will make the move over after running for Schumacher his entire career. Hagan stepped into the Funny Car ride in 2008 and ran his first full season in 2009. All of 39 event wins and three titles have come at the wheel of the DSR Dodge.
Tony Stewart Racing fields Donny Schatz’s World of Outlaw Sprint Car ride as well a second sprint car that has been mainly driven by Kerry Madsen in 2021. Now TSR will join the ranks of NHRA Drag Racing and waste no time being competitive. Stewart made it clear they will be a contender from the start.
There has been no announcement on partners including manufacture or sponsors for either team. Stewart hopes to announce those partners soon. He did make mention they have some partners in place but nothing is final yet. Crew Chiefs for either team will be announced later as well.
