Tony Stewart Racing Begins Critical Second Half Of NHRA Season At Sonoma Raceway

The road to the NHRA Countdown officially enters its second half this weekend, and Tony Stewart Racing arrives at Sonoma Raceway with both championship contenders firmly in the hunt.

As the 2026 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series resumes with the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan are looking to build on strong first halves of the season. Pruett returns behind the wheel of a new Mobil 1-liveried Top Fuel dragster, while Hagan reunites with the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car, the same combination that has already produced both of his victories this season.

For Pruett, the first half of 2026 has already been a remarkable comeback story.

After stepping away from competition to start a family, she has quickly reestablished herself as one of Top Fuel’s top contenders. The Mobil 1 team enters Sonoma third in the championship standings with a victory in the rain-delayed New England Nationals completed at Bristol, a runner-up finish at the Arizona Nationals, and a No. 1 qualifying effort.

Even after suffering her first opening-round loss of the season at Norwalk, Pruett remains focused on the process rather than the results.

“Winning will never get old, and early round losses never stop stinging, but I think I’ve learned that chasing a trophy isn’t what produces your best performance,” Pruett said. “Focusing on being completely prepared, present, and executing every run is what gives you the best chance to win. Sonoma is one of the few tracks I haven’t had some level of Sunday success at, so of course I’d love to add it to that list. But if we’re doing everything at the level we’re capable of (and we are), I trust the result will take care of itself.”

While many teams welcomed the two-week break following Norwalk, Pruett viewed the downtime as another important phase of the championship season.

“I don’t really look at a break as stepping away from racing. It’s another phase of preparing to race,” Pruett explained. “Sometimes the most productive thing you can do isn’t adding more work, it’s giving your mind and body a chance to absorb all the work you’ve already done, and working on more long-term goals. I definitely missed being in the car these last couple weeks because that’s where I love to be. I also know that showing up restored is very different than just showing up eager. My goal is always to arrive with a full tank instead of running on whatever’s left.”

Although Sonoma Raceway remains one of the few tracks where a victory has eluded her, Pruett has come painfully close. She earned the No. 1 qualifying position in 2022 and narrowly missed victory in the 2021 final round, falling to Steve Torrence by just 0.0027 seconds.

Still, it’s the atmosphere surrounding the Northern California event that continues to draw her back.

“I don’t have a specific memory, per se, but more of a true vibe, especially when being at the Heatwave [Sunglasses] booth signing for fans,” Pruett added. “The Cali culture that the fans bring, mixed with the team at Heatwave and the product always being true to their own coolness is refreshing. No one is chasing anything, everyone is just living and enjoying the weather, the track, the speeds, and the surrounding cities. Overall, it’s the vibe of racing at Sonoma that has always been my favorite.”

On the Funny Car side of the TSR garage, Matt Hagan has another milestone in mind.

Despite three No. 1 qualifying performances and three runner-up finishes at Sonoma Raceway, the four-time Funny Car world champion has never claimed the event title. It’s one of the few remaining tracks missing from his résumé, making this weekend one of the most anticipated stops of his season.

“Being in the finals that many times in Sonoma and not getting it done is heartbreaking honestly. Besides our new tracks this season, that’s the only track I haven’t won at on tour. It’s one that we really want,” Hagan said. “We’ve had two wins with Jason Johnson this season, and this weekend we’re in the JHG car again, so maybe the luck continues, and we can capitalize to get my first Sonoma Nationals win. I want that specialty wine goblet trophy.”

The numbers suggest Hagan has every reason to be optimistic.

He enters Sonoma second in the Funny Car standings after victories at the historic NHRA Winternationals and his hometown Thunder Valley Nationals. Outside of just two first-round losses, Hagan has been one of the category’s most consistent performers throughout 2026.

“I think we could get a win this year. We are already way further ahead this season than we were last season with two wins in our pocket and being second in points,” Hagan said. “Things are just going really well. We’ve had a few races that we’ve struggled at but at the end of the day, so has everybody else. We feel like we can capitalize on consistency and how well everybody’s working together. I think we have just as good a shot as anybody, probably better.”

Like Pruett, Hagan welcomed the opportunity to recharge during the break, though he’s eager to get back behind the wheel.

“The two weeks felt like two months. I’m just so ready to get back. We’re going to be out there with the JHG crew, which is like family to me. We spent Fourth of July weekend with them at their house, but I got a lot of farming done too,” said Hagan, an entrepreneur and ranch owner. “It’s been super dry at home, we’ve been in a drought, and we finally got some rain. So I can take a deep breath now… I know that I’m leaving the farm in a good place, crops are going the way they need to, and everything looks good. So I’m just anxious to get back to the race track. Get to Sonoma and spend a couple of weeks out west. Maybe get some wins and have some fun doing it.”

With the Western Swing underway and only a handful of races remaining before the Countdown to the Championship begins, Sonoma Raceway is a critical national event. Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan are ready to use this event as a springboard to strengthen their championship bids before the title chase intensifies.