The Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway is shaping up to be one of the most consequential race weekends of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
For Leah Pruett and the Rush Truck Centers Top Fuel team, the weekend presents an unprecedented opportunity to compete for multiple victories, bonus points, and a potential breakthrough at one of the most iconic facilities in drag racing. For Matt Hagan and the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car team, it marks a return to one of the most meaningful races on the schedule.
Between a postponed national event final, the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, and the Thunder Valley Nationals itself, both teams arrive in Tennessee with plenty on the line.
Leah Pruett Faces A Rare Doubleheader Weekend
The spotlight will be squarely on Pruett Friday evening when she lines up against NHRA Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon to complete the postponed NHRA New England Nationals final.
Rain washed out the championship round in Epping, forcing NHRA officials to reschedule it during Friday night’s second qualifying session at Bristol. The unusual scenario creates a unique challenge for both teams as they attempt to carry momentum from one event into another at an entirely different racetrack.
“As it sits right now, both Langdon and I will run our first qualifying pass in the right lane because of how we sit in the points standings,” Pruett explained. “Which means, with our final round being run in the second session, and them having lane choice, there’s a strong chance we will run our final in a lane we have not been down.”
The challenge extends beyond simply racing for a trophy.
“There’s a lot of work that goes into trying to maintain the momentum we had in Epping,” she said. “Manufacturing momentum from data and track info that are not seamless is going to be exciting. It’s going to be different, and it’s going to be one we will never forget.”
The situation isn’t entirely unfamiliar to Pruett. She experienced something similar earlier in her career while racing Nostalgia Funny Cars.
“The last time that I had to wait an extended amount of time for a final round would have been in 2010,” Pruett recalled. “I had advanced through eliminations at the Hot Rod Reunion, driving a Nostalgia Funny Car, and the final round was postponed until the NHRA World Finals at my hometown track in Southern California.”
That experience ended well.
“I did win in 2010, and I secured the Nostalgia Funny Car championship,” she said.
More Than One Trophy On The Table
Even after Friday’s postponed final is settled, Pruett’s work is far from finished.
The Rush Truck Centers team will also compete in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, where Pruett will face Billy Torrence in a rematch of their semifinal battle from New England. Additional championship points and prize money are up for grabs.
Beyond that, Pruett continues searching for her first career Thunder Valley Nationals victory.
The 12-time NHRA national event winner has enjoyed success at Bristol before, including a runner-up finish in 2017, but a Thunder Valley Wally remains absent from her trophy collection.
“Overall, this is an entirely huge week,” Pruett said. “That’s before we even think about the other accolades on the table. We’re staying true to exactly how we operate and what got us here – one round at a time.”
Matt Hagan Returns To A Home Crowd
While Pruett prepares for a marathon weekend, Hagan arrives at Bristol looking forward to one of the most personal events on the NHRA calendar.
The four-time Funny Car world champion lives just a couple of hours away in Christiansburg, Virginia, and considers Thunder Valley one of his home races. Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage, the primary sponsor on his Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car, is also based nearby in Columbia, Tennessee.
That regional connection creates an atmosphere unlike any other stop on the tour.
“It will be neat to see folks that I grew up racing with, see people that have grown up watching me and seeing all the Hagan t-shirts supporting me,” Hagan said. “There will be a lot of fans, a lot of family, a lot of friends, and I really can’t wait.”
The Bristol crowd has treated Hagan well throughout his career.
He reached the final round in both 2015 and 2016, capturing the Thunder Valley Nationals title in 2015. More recently, he has continued to perform at a high level in Tennessee and remains one of the most successful Funny Car drivers in Bristol Dragway history.
Keeping The Big Picture In Focus
Despite a second-round exit at the New England Nationals, Hagan remains firmly in the championship hunt.
The Winternationals winner has already collected one victory and three semifinal finishes this season while limiting mistakes. His lone first-round loss of the year remains an indication of just how consistent the Dodge Funny Car team has been.
“We’re doing better right now than we were at this time last year,” Hagan said. “We went out in the first round three races in a row, but at the end of the season we still had a chance to win the championship.”
That perspective helps keep the current season in context.
“There’s still a lot of racing left to do,” Hagan continued. “We’re learning from the mistakes and early exits just as much as we’re learning from the wins. Learn and move forward. Hopefully this weekend that means celebrating in the winner’s circle.”
A Special Ride For Thunder Valley
Adding to the excitement, Hagan’s Funny Car will make its trip to the starting line behind one of the most unique tow vehicles in the NHRA pits.
Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage is bringing a custom-built 1946 Crew Cab Dodge Power Wagon RestoMod, a two-and-a-half-year project featuring a custom four-door conversion and up to 500 horsepower in Performance Mode.
“Jason Johnson has some incredible one-of-a-kind vehicles in his collection,” Hagan said. “The JHG Funny Car is going to look awesome behind this badass truck.”
Pruett has the chance to leave Tennessee with a national event victory, bonus points, and potentially her first Thunder Valley title. Hagan has an opportunity to strengthen his position in the Funny Car standings while racing in front of family, friends, sponsors, and one of the sport’s most passionate fan bases.
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