Tony Stewart Racing Competes in Great Lakes Nationals

Tony Stewart Racing heads to U.S. 131 Motorsports Park for the inaugural Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals presented by Mopar with Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan both firmly in the championship conversation, two new Dodge-backed race-car looks, and plenty of home-state attention surrounding the event.

The race marks the 15th stop on the 20-race NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule and the first of six Countdown events. It also brings NHRA national-event drag racing back to Michigan for the first time in 66 years.

Tony Stewart Racing kicked off race week at the Stellantis campus in Auburn Hills, Michigan, where team owner Tony Stewart joined Pruett and Hagan to unveil special liveries for both nitro cars. Pruett’s 12,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragster will carry a high-gloss Purple Haze look, while Hagan’s Funny Car will feature Dodge Charger Super Bee graphics.

The schemes celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Dodge Charger and tie into the newly announced 600-horsepower 2027 Dodge Charger Super Bee Launch Edition.The new Super Bee will also be displayed at U.S. 131 during the race weekend.

Dodge extended the celebration beyond the race cars with employee events and customer Conquest ride-and-drive experiences in new Charger Super Bees and Durangos. The week also includes the Tour de Michigan cruise on September 17, which will lead fans from Dodge headquarters through several Michigan stops, including Hell, before arriving at the track.

Pruett enters the postseason third in the Top Fuel standings and is chasing the first world championship of her career, a familiar starting position. She also entered the 2023 Countdown third, then put together a strong six-race playoff run that included a victory at Dallas and three final-round appearances before finishing 57 points short of the championship. This year, Pruett enters the playoffs with 13 career Top Fuel victories, along with four Pro Mod wins and three Factory Stock Showdown victories.

Even though U.S. 131 is new to the NHRA national-event schedule, Pruett has plenty of history at the facility.

“Martin, Michigan, here we come! For many, it’s a place that they haven’t been to,” Pruett said. “For me personally, I have tested a lot in the Factory Stock Showdown in my Dodge DragPak car. Made a lot of development in those days at that track, ran Nitro Funny Car, started getting my license in Nitro at Martin, Michigan. So, for me, it holds a lot of positive memories.

“And also, fun fact, the US Nationals were hosted in Detroit for a couple of years, then later got moved to Indianapolis. So, for us to continue on the heels of our momentum from this year’s US Nationals, we’re looking to finish the job at the previous US Nationals home of Detroit for Dodge.

“We’ve had a fantastic week at the headquarters—Hagan and I doing customer drives, the Conquest events where people can rip the new Super Bees and the Durangos and feel that Dodge power. You know, interestingly for me, I always find I feel more comfortable in my Top Fuel dragster after I’ve been driving the hot rod Dodges around all day. Dodge feels like home, and I would love nothing more than to bring a diamond Wally home to Detroit.

“I’m celebrating my 10th year officially with Dodge and Mopar, and this is—I guess it’s homecoming season, as some might say. I’m looking forward to the new fans up there and getting us a new race surface that we all get to manage at the same time.”

On the Funny Car side, Matt Hagan enters Michigan as the driver everyone else is chasing. The four-time world champion won the 2026 regular-season championship and begins the Countdown from the No. 1 position. Hagan brings 58 career Funny Car victories and 102 final-round appearances into the playoffs. Hagan is the second-winningest driver in NHRA Countdown history with 18 postseason victories, and he has won at least one playoff race in each of his last six Countdown appearances.

“We have a full week and weekend here in Michigan. Coming out here for a Dodge-sponsored race, showing off this new paint job. It’s only right that we revealed it at headquarters, took a tour and got behind the scenes, then we head to US 131 for ride and drives and media, all to kick off the Countdown to the Championship,” Hagan said. “Feels good. It’s a big weekend. We had a long week in Indy, turned around and have a long week here in Michigan, hopefully we can cap it off the same way, a trip to the finals.

“No one has had a go at this racetrack in 66 years, we’re really excited about that, but also, kind of nervous, the unknown. I’ve heard the track is supposed to be great, so I’m ready to go run. Ready for an even, quality racetrack. The weather right now looks nice and cool, so things could be really interesting. Kind of wild to kick off the Countdown like this, but it’s the same for everyone, and I know we’re looking forward to it.

“I’ll tell you what, I’m glad I’m not a crew chief. I’m glad I’m a driver. I get to stab and steer, hang on and hope for the best. So, I just can’t say enough about Mike Knudsen, Phil Shuler, and Alex Conaway. Those guys have really done a great job of racing the tracks and qualifying well. I have to always remind myself that Mike’s always got a plan. We may not make the best run right of the box we have data to work off of. He’s playing chess while others are playing checkers. Methodically moving forward and, man, it seems to be working out.”

Hagan’s comments about the weather are worth noting. If cool conditions hold, U.S. 131 could provide the type of air nitro crew chiefs love. That could mean serious horsepower, quick elapsed times, and potentially aggressive tuning decisions right out of the gate. For a track new to the current national-event schedule, that creates an interesting balance. Teams will want to take advantage of the conditions, but they’ll also have to learn how much the track will take.

Pruett and Hagan enter the Great Lakes Nationals from very different positions. Pruett starts third in Top Fuel and is chasing her first world championship while Hagan starts first in Funny Car and is trying to add a fifth title. Both drivers are in a prime spot to score a win and championship for Tony Stewart Racing.