The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continues to evolve in 2026, and Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) is heading into one of the season’s most anticipated stops, the return of the NHRA Southern Nationals at a brand-new venue.
After years at Atlanta Dragway, the historic event now moves to South Georgia Motorsports Park (SGMP) in Valdosta, Georgia, giving teams and drivers a fresh challenge with no established data. For TSR, the timing couldn’t be better.
Leah Pruett enters the weekend with confidence and momentum, sitting third in the Top Fuel points standings after a strong start to her return season. The 12-time national event winner is coming off a semifinal finish at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals and will debut the American Rebel Beer livery on her dragster for the first time in 2026.
“I would say sitting third in points is a decent representation of our competitive status, especially with me coming off a two-year hiatus,” Pruett said. “We’ve captured two No. 2 qualifiers, a No. 3 qualifying position, and earned the No. 1 spot in Pomona, California. I give the team a solid A in performance and effort, with me a solid B. We’ve accomplished this strong momentum together; however, I know there’s been opportunity left on my side of the table. I am trending overall in the right direction and look forward to improvement each race. Our first win of the season is coming soon.”
While SGMP is new to the NHRA national event schedule, it’s far from unfamiliar territory for Pruett.
“South Georgia Motorsports Park was the first place I ever went over 300 mph. The year was 2008, and I completed my Nitro Funny Car license in Jerry Toliver’s Rockstar car. I remember it like it was yesterday,” Pruett said. “In the left lane ripping though there, the car rattling at past half-track — it was the 5-disc clutch locking up — then steering hard right to stay off the wall.
“I wasn’t sure what all had happened, because my brain was still at the starting line when I turned off the track. That’s how ‘new’ my processing speed was relative to going 308 mph for the first time,” Pruett continued. “A right-side cylinder went out and tried to push me to the wall, but I was able to react and square it back up. Wild memorable ride for sure.
“Since then, I have tested there many times. Including a couple test sessions when the Dodge // SRT Demon was being developed, as well dialing in different Dodge Factory Stock Showdown cars in the last decade.”
On the Funny Car side, Matt Hagan is also entering the Southern Nationals in a strong position. The four-time NHRA Funny Car champion currently sits second in the standings, just 48 points out of the lead, and is coming off a final quad appearance in Charlotte.
Hagan will debut the Shelor Motor Mile livery this weekend and brings both confidence and experience to SGMP.
“I’m excited to head into South Georgia Motorsport Park here in Valdosta. Georgia, the peach state, it’s going to be good. Excited to see some new fans, excited to be back on this racetrack. I ran Pro Mod here and one of my first test sessions with Don Schumacher Racing. Gary Scelzi crawled out of his car and retired, and I crawled in his and was just lucky to even fit. We made some laps back there in the day with Tommy Delago, and I kind of cut my teeth there for NHRA, so it’s got some history for me. I’m excited to be there. I’m excited to see what’s new.”
Hagan’s 2026 campaign already includes a major milestone win at the NHRA Winternationals—the 1,000th Funny Car event, and he’s continued to show strong performance early in the season.
“You know, we have had a great start to the season. Confidence level is huge. Any time that you can start the season this good — get a win under your belt, go some rounds every weekend — it always builds confidence, but I think the biggest thing is the consistency,” Hagan said. “Mike Knudson is not going to be the guy who is only going to do well at a certain race or a certain time of the year… Across the board, his knowledge and tuning ability is so diverse, he can adapt to whatever is thrown at him.”
For Tony Stewart Racing, the combination of momentum, experience, and consistency could prove to be a major advantage. With both Pruett and Hagan positioned near the top of their respective standings, the opportunity is there to generate even more early-season momentum at the first NHRA Southern Nationals held at South Georgia Motorsports Park.
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