Charlotte Advance for the American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals

Tony Stewart & Matt Hagan

Top Fuel | Funny Car
American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
April 25-27 | Charlotte, North Carolina

Event Overview

Friday, April 25 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)
• Nitro qualifying session (Q1): 5:15 p.m. EDT
• Nitro qualifying session (Q2): 7:45 p.m. EDT

Saturday, April 26 (Nitro Qualifying & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, streamed live on NHRA.TV)
• Top Fuel qualifying session (Q3) & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge – Round 1: 12:30 p.m. EDT
• Funny Car qualifying session (Q3) & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge – Round 1: 12:50 p.m. EDT
• Top Fuel qualifying session (Q4) & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge – Finals: 3 p.m. EDT
• Funny Car qualifying session (Q4) & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge – Finals: 3:20 p.m. EDT

Sunday, April 27 (Nitro Eliminations, streamed live on NHRA.TV)
• Round 1: 12 p.m. EDT
• Round 2: 2:15 p.m. EDT
• Finals: 3:50 p.m. EDT

TV coverage on FS1
• Saturday, April 26: Qualifying show, recapping all of Friday’s action (10 p.m. EDT)
• Sunday, April 27: Qualifying show, recapping all of Saturday’s action (12:30 p.m. EDT)
• Sunday, April 27: Finals show (7 p.m. EDT)

Notes of Interest

• The American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals near Charlotte, North Carolina, is the fifth event on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series’ 20-race calendar in 2025. Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) brings its two full-time entries – one in Top Fuel for Tony Stewart and one in Funny Car for 52-time Funny Car winner and four-time champion Matt Hagan. Hagan and Stewart each advanced to the Finals in their respective nitro categories at the previous event, the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas, with Stewart earning his first Top Fuel victory.

• Coming into Charlotte, Stewart is second in the Top Fuel standings, 16 points behind leader Shawn Langdon. It marks his highest standing since sliding into the seat previously occupied by his wife Leah Pruett. Hagan is currently fourth in the Funny Car standings, 44 points behind leader Paul Lee.

• Stewart enters Charlotte representing Dodge Direct Connection on his Top Fuel dragster. Hagan, meanwhile, sports black, orange and cream colors of American Rebel Beer on his Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car.

• Direct Connection is the primary partner of Stewart this weekend in Charlotte. With muscle car enthusiasts looking for “ready to run” parts, Direct Connection serves as the source for high-performance parts and technical expertise straight from the factory.

• American Rebel Beer was founded in April of 2024 by American Rebel CEO Andy Ross. American Rebel Beer is All Natural, Crisp, Clean and has a Bold Taste with a Lighter Feel. It does not use corn, rice or other sweeteners typically found in other mass-produced beers. American Rebel Beer is currently offered in 10 states (Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee), with additional states being announced soon. You can also find American Rebel in various legendary bars like Kid Rock’s, Tootsies, Honky Tony Central, and many others in the entertainment district in Nashville, as well as retail outlets, venues and music festivals throughout the United States. American Rebel Beer is America’s Patriotic, God-Fearing, Constitution-Loving, National Anthem Singing, Stand Your Ground Beer.

• The American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals will mark Stewart’s 25th career Top Fuel start. It’ll be his third overall Top Fuel start at Charlotte and his second in the Four-Wide Nationals. For Hagan, the American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals will be his 357th career Funny Car start. It’ll be his 27th overall start at Charlotte and his 14th in the Four-Wide Nationals.

• Stewart is seeking his first Top Fuel win at the American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. In 2024, he secured the No. 6 qualifying position and advanced to Round 2 on Sunday. Stewart made one Top Alcohol Dragster start at zMAX Dragway at the 2023 Four-Wide Nationals, where he was the No. 4 qualifier and finished runner-up.

• The American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals will mark the 1,000th Top Fuel race, with Stewart entering Charlotte as the most recent Top Fuel event winner. Top Fuel first appeared at the 1963 NHRA Winternationals, with the legendary Don Garlits winning the first race.

• Hagan is the defending event winner and has four career wins at Charlotte. Two of his victories came in 2011 and 2014 during the Carolina Nationals. Hagan won the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals on April 21, 2013 (4.071 ET at 315.34 mph) when he defeated Blake Alexander (4.156 ET at 294.56 mph), Tim Wilkerson (5.141 ET at 153.39 mph) and Chad Head (10.525 ET at 67.05 mph). In 2024, Hagan ran a 3.946 ET at 332.34 mph to defeat Daniel Wilkerson (3.923 ET at 327.59 mph), J.R. Todd (3.978 ET at 320.36 mph) and John Force (3.960 ET at 329.75 mph). Hagan has raced in six final quads at Charlotte (2010, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2024). He is seeking his first No. 1 qualifier at the event.

• Hagan was the first Funny Car driver to break the four-second barrier when he completed a run of 3.995 seconds in 2011 at Charlotte. His milestone run was commemorated with a sign on the retaining wall near the starting line.

• By advancing to Round 2 at the Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas, Hagan and Stewart qualified to participate in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. The challenge brings competitive racing to the qualifying schedule at 13 regular-season events during the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series campaign, pitting competitors from the previous race against each other in a pair of rematches, with the two winners then matching up in the final qualifying session. Hagan earned a rematch against Daniel Wilkerson, J.R. Todd and Paul Lee in Round 1. Stewart earned a rematch against Steve Torrence, Doug Kalitta and Justin Ashley in Round 1. There is a bonus purse and bonus points for the Countdown to the Championship on the line.

• Hagan and Stewart will participate in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty autograph session with fellow Funny Car, Top Fuel, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors on Friday at 2:15 p.m. EDT. Andy Ross will also join Hagan and Stewart at the signing. The session will take place at the Mission Foods Display.

• Hagan and Stewart will participate in autograph signings at the Tony Stewart Store merchandise trailer. Hagan will be signing on Friday from 6:15-6:45 p.m. EDT. Stewart will be signing on Saturday from 11:15-11:45 a.m. EDT.

• TSR sponsor American Rebel Light has been named the title sponsor of the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. As part of the partnership, American Rebel Beer will have a presence around zMAX Dragway, including trackside signage and brand integrations throughout the Charlotte Motor Speedway properties. Additionally, fans aged 21 and older will have the chance to enjoy American Rebel Light around the property, including Charlotte Motor Speedway, zMAX Dragway, The Dirt Track at Charlotte and The Speedway Club.

• American Rebel Light will be available at the following surrounding Charlotte locations, with more locations being added this week – zMAX Dragway, Iron Thunder Saloon, Cannon Crossroads – BP, City Food – Concord Main, Compare Foods – Concord, Danny’s, Fast and Friendly Mart 2, Speedway Xpress Mart – Satya, Concord Shops, Total Wine, D and D Express, and Carolina Ale House – Concord Mills.

• American Rebel Beer CEO Andy Ross will be performing a free concert for the fans between Q3 and Q4 on Saturday. The concert will take place by the FMX motocross jump exhibition across from the TSR pit, in the midway.

• Fans can join Matt Hagan and Andy Ross for an interview on the Nitro Alley stage in the pits on Saturday at 11:20 a.m. EDT.

• Hagan and Stewart will be available to speak with the media on Friday at 4 p.m. EDT in the zMAX Dragway Media Center.

• The NHRA announced during the 2024 PRI (Performance Racing Industry) Show that both events at zMAX Dragway in 2025 will be four-wide events.

Tony Stewart, Driver of the TSR Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Top Fuel Dragster

You earned your first NHRA Top Fuel at the last Four-Wide Nationals event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Have you had an opportunity to really soak in the win and how much confidence does that give you heading into another four-wide event?
“I think it gives the whole team confidence. It finally allows myself and this entire team to stop having to answer the questions of if and when we’re going to win our first race. To get the first one out of the way allows the team to go to Charlotte with our heads up high and know that we can do this. We just have to put three solid rounds together in Charlotte just like we did at Vegas. Getting the first one out of the way just takes a lot of pressure off of everybody and allows us to show up and race, so I think we’re all grateful for that. I’m looking forward to going to a home away from home so to speak. I spent a lot of time in Charlotte in my NASCAR days and appreciate everything that NASCAR gave me, so this is an opportunity to go back to a place that’s special to me. It’s a big deal to go there as the defending race winner, so that means a lot to us.”

American Rebel Light has been named title sponsor of the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. How special will that make the event, given how valuable TSR’s relationship is with the brand and CEO Andy Ross?
“We are so excited for American Rebel Light and for our good friend Andy Ross. This is a beer brand that’s growing. It’s a great beer that’s currently in ten states and working on getting distributed in all fifty states. They’re tackling it one state at a time and now they’re in North Carolina and going to be the title sponsor of the race, so it is big for the brand. Hopefully we can go and not only make it big for Andy and the team, but for ourselves as well. We’re excited for Andy because he’s such a great guy and he pours his heart and soul to everything he does, whether it’s his singing or his brand. Hopefully we can have a good outcome for him.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the American Rebel Beer Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car

After a strong weekend advancing to the Finals at the last Four-Wide Nationals event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, how much confidence does that give you heading into another four-wide event?
“Anytime you can go from one four-wide event to the next, if keeps you in a routine and gives you rhythm. Even though we advanced to the finals in Las Vegas, we had a parts breakage and ended up finishing last in the quad. I still feel really good about things. I felt like we had a good car all weekend in Vegas and had a good shot at winning the race. We were knocking on the door of where we needed to be, so we just have to keep the momentum moving forward.”

American Rebel Light has been named title sponsor of the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. There will be a special customer event held at the track prior to the race weekend and American Rebel CEO Andy Ross will also be performing a concert for the fans on Saturday. How unique will that be, having American Rebel Beer as the primary sponsor of your Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car in Charlotte?
“It will be a huge week for American Rebel. They’re going to come in early and film a commercial at my farm on Wednesday. We’ll have a big customer event at the track on Thursday. Andy (Ross) will be playing at the track on Saturday and American Rebel will have a suite there all weekend. There will be a lot going on and I’m really excited about it. Four-wide races aren’t my favorite, but at the end of the day, we’ll make it a good one knowing they’ll be out there with us. I’m ready to get going.”

-TSR-

Contact Ashley Wilson
Tony Stewart Racing
(303) 594-8147 or [email protected]