Leah Pruett And Matt Hagan Head To Brainerd With NHRA Countdown Spots Secured

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series regular season is down to its final two races, and Tony Stewart Racing is exactly where it wants to be: both of its drivers are officially locked into the Countdown to the Championship.

That doesn’t mean Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan can coast into the playoffs. Quite the opposite, they are charging hard into the final two races.

The NHRA Brainerd Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway gives both TSR teams another critical opportunity to improve their points positions before the regular season finale at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, where points-and-a-half can dramatically reshape the standings.

Pruett enters Brainerd third in Top Fuel points after a strong return to full-time competition, while Hagan sits fifth in Funny Car after another season filled with wins and deep Sunday runs.

Leah Pruett Is Focused On Position, Not Just Qualification

Pruett has already checked one major box for 2026 by securing a place in the Countdown. Now the goal is to start the playoffs from the strongest position possible.

Her comeback season has been impressive. After stepping away to start a family, Pruett returned to the Rush Truck Centers Top Fuel dragster and immediately established herself as a championship contender. Her 2026 résumé includes a victory at the rain-delayed New England Nationals completed in Bristol, a runner-up finish at the Arizona Nationals, two No. 1 qualifying awards, and only one first-round loss through the first 12 events.

“Honestly, ‘securing a spot in the Countdown’ just reinforces our focus on the next two races,” Pruett said. “They are all we have left to be able to get into the best points position available come the start of the Countdown to the Championship at the Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals presented by MOPAR in Martin, Michigan.”

That mindset is exactly what you’d expect from a driver who has already been through a championship battle and understands how valuable every point can become once the reset hits.

Pruett Has Been Busy Even Without A Race Weekend

Three weeks away from national event competition didn’t mean Pruett was sitting still.

Since Seattle, she has stayed immersed in motorsports with appearances, testing, and time supporting other racing programs.

“We may have had three weeks away from racing, but there hasn’t been any downtime,” Pruett said. “Since Seattle, we’ve been to Dodge’s Roadkill Nights in Pontiac, Michigan, where we took part in the Top Fuel and Funny Car burnouts on Woodward Avenue. I also tested a pavement midget, spent last week in Knoxville, Iowa, supporting TSR’s Sprint Car team at the Knoxville Nationals, and then headed to help Erica Enders and Aaron Stanfield kick off Top Fuel testing.”

That kind of schedule keeps the competitive rhythm going, but Brainerd brings the focus back to the Top Fuel championship chase.

Brainerd Has Been Good To Leah Pruett

Pruett already knows what it feels like to win at Brainerd International Raceway.

She claimed a Top Fuel victory there in 2019 and earned the No. 1 qualifying position in 2017. The Minnesota track can be a performance playground when conditions cooperate, especially with the cooler air that sometimes rolls into the facility.

“Brainerd International Raceway is ultimately one of the most fun places to race. With clear, cool weather, cars can really turn up the heat and lay down killer passes, which makes for great racing,” Pruett said. “There are drivers and teams who partake in the Zoo Campground and celebrate great racing with the fans throughout the weekend. As for me, I’ve been on the go so much, I can’t fathom ‘Zoo-ing it’. I truly only care about getting this Rush Truck Centers dragster in the winner’s circle and celebrating with the awesome fans after we accomplish that.

“It would be a special victory,” Pruett added. “We’ve never won with a Rush Truck Centers primary livery on the car. When I say never, I’m including all of TSR and Stewart Haas Racing (SHR). Rusty Rush (CEO) will be at the event this weekend, so I’m looking forward to performing our best with Rusty there to cheer us on.”

A Brainerd win would give Pruett another major result in a comeback season that has already exceeded plenty of expectations.

Matt Hagan Is Already Thinking Like A Championship Racer

On the Funny Car side, Hagan is taking a similar view of securing his Countdown spot.

The four-time world champion understands that simply qualifying for the playoffs isn’t the objective. Winning the championship is.

“Securing your spot in the Countdown is always great, however and whenever it comes. That’s what we do this for, to run for a championship. At the end of the day, no one remembers how many races you won, they remember who the champion is,” Hagan said. “Getting into the Countdown is step one of being able to put yourself in a situation to fight for a championship. It’s time to hone in, especially with points and a half at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. The Funny Car points are tight, especially at the top. A lot can change in one race. We’ve got some work ahead of us, but it’s within our reach.”

Hagan’s 2026 season already includes two national event wins: a double-up victory with team owner Tony Stewart at the season-opening Winternationals and another win at Bristol, Tennessee, the home event for Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage.

Hagan Is Ready To Get Back In The Car

Like Pruett, Hagan has been away from national event competition for three weeks, and he’s more than ready to hear a nitro engine come to life again.

“Three weeks felt like three years almost. It seems like forever since we’ve been in a race car and competing, and there’s absolutely nothing like competition, so I’m super excited to get back,” Hagan said. “We’ve done well at Brainerd in the past, and we’re going to stay over and test on Monday. It’ll be a long weekend, but I can’t wait to get back to see all the people at Brainerd and see what’s going on in the Zoo. What a great race weekend to come into after a long break.”

The Monday test session could be just as important as race day itself. With the Countdown approaching, teams are running out of opportunities to validate combinations before every run starts carrying playoff consequences.

Brainerd Has Been One Of Hagan’s Better Tracks

Hagan brings plenty of positive history to Brainerd International Raceway.

The 57-time Funny Car winner has reached the winner’s circle there multiple times and has also earned several No. 1 qualifying positions. That track record gives TSR a strong baseline heading into another key race.

“There’s a lot of history at Brainerd, and I’ve made a lot of memories there over the years,” Hagan said. “The fans are what make it such a special event. They camp out all weekend, have a great time, enjoy some American Rebel Light Beer, and really embrace the whole experience. It’s a little wild, a little crazy, but that’s what makes Brainerd so memorable.

“The racetrack itself is excellent, and that’s one of the reasons we stay over on Monday to test. The facility is first-class, with plenty of shutdown area, and when the conditions are right—especially if we get some cooler northern air—you can really put a lot of power down. It’ll probably be hot and greasy during the day, but that’s part of racing. Everybody is dealing with the same conditions, so you just go out there and do your job.”

That’s about as straightforward as it gets. Conditions may change, the track may get tricky, and the championship pressure is increasing, but the job remains the same.

The bigger picture for Tony Stewart Racing is encouraging.

Pruett has returned to the Top Fuel ranks and immediately established herself as a top-three points contender. Hagan remains firmly in the Funny Car championship conversation with two wins already on the board and a proven history of performing when the stakes get higher.

Both drivers have secured Countdown berths. Now, they need to maximize the final two regular-season opportunities.