NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS RACE RECAP

PACIFIC RACEWAYS

LEAH PRUETT

American Rebel Light Beer Top Fuel dragster

Unofficial Points Standing: 3rd

• 13-time NHRA National Event Winner
• Finished 2023 runner-up in championship points
• Finished runner-up up at the 2026 NHRA Arizona Nationals
• Second No. 1 of the 2026 season
• No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Winternationals and Thunder Valley Nationals
• Won NHRA New England Nationals Friday night at Bristol Dragway
• Has only one first-round loss so far this season

Qualifying: No. 5
3.710 seconds at 332.18 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: 1
Q1: 3.841 at 319.75
Q2: 3.819 at 323.12
Q3: 3.76 at 304.87
Q4: 3.710 at 332.18

Race Results:
E1: 4.403 seconds at 261.07 mph def. Will Smith, 4.444 at 307.51
E2: 3.692 seconds at 330.80 mph def. Justin Ashley 3.806 at 307.58
Semis: 3.717 seconds at 332.51 mph def. Josh Hart, 3.777 seconds at 331.61 mph
Finals: 3.689 seconds at 333.49 mph lost to Doug Kalitta, 3.677 at 338.43

I think if there’s one race to portray absolute teamwork, this was it. We improved our qualifying position after Sonoma, back to being in the top half at No. 5. We were racing on Saturday in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and we almost would have had that first round win but we dropped a hole, burnt a head because we’re having to live on the edge. That’s what this weekend has shown us and now we have to develop a new architecture of tuning to be on the front side of the next window. We can put everything we’ve got into it, we can run these high 60s, but it’s going to take a whole lot more.

First round, we were tasked with who I consider the best leaver, Will Smith. We were close with him at the starting line and then win on a pedal job. Controversial or not, having this pedal feature in our car is actually more prohibiting on getting a win light. Will Smith was coming like a freight train, fully hooked, coming to the finish line at 300 mph. I have a limited pedal we’ve designed, and I was able to capture that win. At the end of the day, the feature is approved and if you’re mad that we won a round with it because we opened our throttle less than you, anybody can have it. It is a sport of engineering.

Second round, racing Justin Ashley , we know what we’re up against, we don’t have lane choice but we had a smooth solid run to set us up with a semi-final against Josh Hart. Which, up until that final round, the biggest disappointment of the day was yet again, not being able to run my husband (Tony Stewart) in the semis. Might have had a little extra motivation against Josh since he ruined my date with Tony and what a heck of a race we both had.

One thing is for sure, when you look at a ladder like we had throughout the day, there was no taking anyone lightly from burnout to turnout. That’s how our American Rebel Light Beer team operates. We don’t take anyone lightly. That final round, we pushed Doug Kalitta’s team to run well. They knew we were coming for them. We knew they were either going to run really well or smoke the tires. We were right there with them. Once Matt (Hagan) went out in the semis of Funny Car, we were ready to defend his title in Top Fuel and really, a runner-up finish. It was a strong way to end the Western Swing, it’s the momentum we wanted. It’s exciting to know we’re in the hunt, it’s within reach. This weekend was not good enough for any of us. Our heads aren’t low but it’s not the results we want. However, we know the results we do want are not far behind.

MATT HAGAN

Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat
Funny Car

Unofficial Points Standing: 5th

• Four-time world champion (2023, 2020, 2014, 2011)
• Finished 2025 season runner-up
• Won the NHRA Winternationals, NHRA’s 1000th Funny Car race and the Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway
• 14 season streak with at least two wins
• Has raced to 100 final rounds
• Won at Pacific Raceways in 2013 and 2025
• No. 1 qualifier in 2018

Qualifying: No. 4
3.903 seconds at 327.35 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: 1
Q1: 4.026 at 322.04
Q2: 3.988 at 318.69
Q3: 4.281 at 214.28
Q4: 3.903 at 327.35

Race Results:
E1: 3.936 seconds at 326.00 mph def. Blake Alexander, 3.946 at 326.00
E2: 3.930 seconds at 322.19 mph def. Paul Lee, 4.002 at 323.58
Semis: 3.929 seconds at 324.98 mph lost to J.R. Todd, 3.919 at 335.32

“It was a great two weeks. We have taken some Saturdays to test and work on some things as we head into the Countdown in just a few races. I feel very confident that Mike Knudsen (Hagan’s crew chief) is really getting a handle on what we are trying right now and the car is responding well. So, that shows a lot of promise as we head forward. I know we are all stacked up in the (Funny Car) points. We are going to sit fifth right now, but it’s just five or ten points difference in the standings. It’s very close from fifth to second. We are rolling into Brainerd next, and we are going to do some testing the Monday after that race. Our team’s brain trust is definitely moving in the right direction and getting a handle on some of the changes we’ve made and that’s very positive moving forward. We had JHG on board during this western swing, already have two wins for them this season but would have liked to have gotten them another win. We’re making progress though, and we’ll keep throwing different things at the car and see what we can come up with before the points reset after Indy. Then we can really battle it out for a championship.”