NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Returning to the site of his first victory as an NHRA competitor, racing legend and Top Fuel rookie Tony Stewart also enters this weekend’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with some newfound momentum.

The motorsports Hall of Famer picked up his first NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series round-win on Sunday in Phoenix and then added another, advancing to the semifinals for the first time in Top Fuel.

It was a strong improvement for Stewart in his 11,000-horsepower Rayce Rudeen Foundation Dodge//SRT dragster ahead of this weekend’s race in Las Vegas, which is a motorsports facility that has treated him very well over his storied championship career. That includes on the drag racing side as well, where Stewart won in Top Alcohol Dragster last year at the four-wide event. The unique spectacle of four-wide drag racing is also something Stewart has quickly embraced.

“Vegas has been pretty good to us,” Stewart said. “I really enjoy the four-wide races at Vegas and Charlotte. Having the opportunity to do it with the Top Fuel car is something I’m really looking forward to. I really looked forward to it last year. I feel like it’s an equalizer a little bit. I feel like that closes the gap a bit.”
 
The 2023 event had Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) take home the coveted NHRA Wallys, and this season’s race will again be broadcasted on FS1, including eliminations coverage at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 14, showcasing all the entertainment from Las Vegas.

This weekend’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals also marks the first four-wide event for the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. The bonus race debuted last year and takes place on Saturday, putting a bonus purse and championship points on the line. It happens in Vegas for the first time this season, as two quads will face off during the third round of qualifying on Saturday. The top four advance to the final quad to close out qualifying, with the winner getting a chance to double up in Vegas.

Stewart’s quad in the Challenge includes Billy Torrence, Doug Kalitta, and Justin Ashley, while the other foursome features Steve Torrence, Shawn Reed, defending event winner Brown, and Phoenix winner Shawn Langdon. It also puts a premium on staying locked in for the challenge that is four-wide racing.
 
“If you pay attention, it works just fine,” Stewart said.” Last year with the Top Alcohol team, they’d put a piece of tape with a number on there inside the car, so if for any reason I got distracted on which light I needed to look at, I could check that as a reference. I think if you’re doing your job and paying attention, you don’t necessarily need that help. I know the routine tends to be a little longer, since you’re trying to get four teams organized and their cadence right.” 
 
Stewart and his team made plenty of positive steps in Phoenix, advancing to the semifinals before falling just short in a great race against Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals winner Ashley. Stewart was thrilled with the turnaround, praising a team that continues to work well together.
 
“These guys really rallied [on Sunday], so by having the opportunity to make three runs, you feel like we're finally starting to get a base and then can work from there,” Stewart said. “I never thought just winning one round would take such a weight off your shoulders. It’s kind of like when we made the first run at Gainesville. I kind of relaxed and settled in. It was the same way [Sunday] getting through the first round, and after we did that, I started to get that rhythm again. It’s good for all of us as a team. We’ll just keep digging. I’m looking forward to [this] week.”

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. PT on Friday, April 12, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, April 13 at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Eliminations will begin at 12 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 14. Television coverage includes qualifying action at 11:00 p.m. ET on both Friday and Saturday on Fox Sports 1 (FS1), leading into eliminations coverage at 7:00 p.m. ET on Sunday at FS1.
 
To purchase tickets to the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets.