Tony Stewart and Matt Hagan, teammates at Tony Stewart Racing (TSR), are headed to Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois, for the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK, the sixth event on the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule. The race also marks the NHRA’s 25th anniversary at the iconic Chicago-area track.
Both Stewart and Hagan are coming off strong performances at the previous event in Charlotte, where they each advanced to the final round in their respective categories. Stewart, in his 26th career Top Fuel start, currently sits second in the Top Fuel standings, just 60 points behind leader Shawn Langdon. Hagan, a four-time Funny Car world champion with 52 career wins, enters the event third in the Funny Car standings, trailing leader Austin Prock by 70 points.
Hagan returns to Route 66 as the defending event winner and a four-time Chicago victor (2010, 2013, 2014, 2024). He will pilot the Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car backed by Direct Connection, a Stellantis performance parts brand based near Chicago in Detroit. Stewart will campaign the Rinnai-backed Top Fuel Dragster, representing the industry leader in tankless water heating technology.
For Hagan, Route 66 Raceway is familiar and fast:
“Route 66 Raceway has been very kind to me throughout my career, and I’ve had a lot of success there. That track can get fast when the weather is just right. The rain can move in and cool things off. You never know what you’re going to get. It’s a big arena and big atmosphere. Hopefully, we can get a lot of fans to come out and fill it up. Hopefully, we can have a good weekend for Dodge and get them back in the winner’s circle. Chicago is a track that we have a lot of data at, so we want to be aggressive and lay it down. There will be a handful of cars charging up front, but we need to be there too. We’ve been qualifying mid-pack lately, which is fine. We have a new crew chief going through a learning curve. That’s the biggest thing I have to remember. It’s the first call Mike (Knudsen) has made on that track we’re going to. I’m impressed with how well he’s done so far. We’re sitting third in points, so it says a lot about him and that he can step up to the plate and do well.”
Stewart is still eyeing his first Chicago Top Fuel victory and No. 1 qualifier. The former NASCAR champion is also the only driver attempting the Chicago motorsports trifecta – having raced at the Route 66 dragstrip, the Chicagoland Speedway oval, and the dirt track across the property.
“Honestly, you don’t think about the records. You just concentrate on the race you’re trying to win that weekend,” Stewart said.” I think once you accomplish milestones like that, then you think about it and reflect on it, but you’re not thinking about it in the process. You’re just going out and doing your job trying to win races each week.”
Both drivers will compete in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge during Saturday qualifying. Hagan will square off against Alexis DeJoria in a semifinal rematch, while Stewart will take on Antron Brown. Bonus points and prize money are on the line.
Fans can meet Hagan and Stewart during autograph sessions at the Mission Foods Display (Saturday, 9:00 a.m. CDT) and at the TSR merchandise trailer (Friday) — Hagan from 12:45–1:05 p.m. CDT and Stewart between Q1 and Q2 (approx. 3:45 p.m. CDT).
In honor of Military Appreciation Month, both drivers will carry special decals, and TSR will recognize its three veteran crew members: Thomas Brown (U.S. Army), Kurt Johnson (U.S. Marine Corps), and Chris Shuron (U.S. Marine Corps).
Additionally, TSR will kick off its season-long partnership with Mopar CAP (Career Automotive Program) on Friday, supporting technical education and workforce development in the automotive industry.
This story was originally published on May 12, 2025. 
