POMONA, Calif. — Tony Stewart collected his third NHRA High Gas victory on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.
It was the primary for Elite Motorsports within the nitro class and got here on the identical day that Matt Hagan drove the Tony Stewart Racing Humorous Automotive to victory within the 1,000th NHRA Humorous Automotive race.
Stewart credited his spouse, Leah Pruett, who returned to the seat of the Tony Stewart Racing High Fueler this season for his success.
“That is three High Gas wins now for me, and the one particular person I’ve by no means talked about within the media and within the interviews is my spouse Leah [Pruett],” Stewart stated. “And if it wasn’t for her and every little thing that she and Matt [Hagan] (Humorous Automotive driver) taught me. Leah has most likely been 95% of it, folks don’t understand how integral of a component she’s been in my profession in drag racing. I’ve had a 1,000 questions and each time there’s a solution, it results in three extra questions.
“Every thing that I’ve completed within the sport has been due to her. And to be part of NHRA’s seventy fifth Anniversary, to win with Matt Hagan within the one thousandth Humorous Automotive race is large. That is Leah’s house monitor. All of this simply feels further particular to me,” continued Stewart. “Leah’s story of telling me that when she was a child, she’d sneak out of faculty simply to return to the drag races on Friday right here at Pomona. When she received right here, simply to be right here for an occasion and a monitor that’s so particular means every little thing.
“Now I’m right here sitting holding a ‘Wally’ trophy, in NHRA’s seventy fifth Anniversary, simply tremendous particular. It’s superior.”
• Matt Hagan claimed his 56th profession victory in what was the 1,000th NHRA Humorous Automotive occasion trophy. Hagan defeated Ron Capps in what was the eighty fifth elimination matchup between the 2 former Don Schumacher Racing teammates, who take pleasure in competing towards each other.
“I’m making an attempt to catch Capps on general wins [Ron Capps has 78 career victories]. However he has 20 years of racing on me,” Hagan stated. “One factor about Ron is he’s only a nice driver. He took me underneath his wing once I was first out right here, and we received into every kind of hassle collectively too. So, once we race one another, even again within the DSR days, we actually throw it down, particularly within the remaining spherical.
“Pomona Dragstrip has proven me a lot love through the years. It’s a magical place, as a result of champions are topped right here on the finish of the 12 months. There’s simply so many nice reminiscences made right here.”
“You actually couldn’t ask for a greater remaining in numerous other ways,” Capps stated. “It was actually mano a mano with each groups – ‘Stretch’ (Mike Knudsen, Hagan’s crew chief) and Guido after which Matt and me. I rise up for racing Matt. He was a teammate of mine for a very long time and I understand how good he’s.
“To me, that’s like a ‘Snake’ and ‘Jungle Jim’ race again within the day. You’ve received a fantastic automobile, you rise up there and also you throw down, you then add the truth that it’s Pomona on a late Sunday evening underneath the lights and the 1,000th win in Humorous Automotive is on the road. There’s so many cool issues about it. I’m bummed it didn’t go our manner, however on the identical time, now we have scorching rod, and we moved up in factors. I’m simply so happy with Guido and the blokes.”
Paradoxically, Hagan and Capps are tied atop the Humorous Automotive standings after three races.
• Greg Anderson defeated his KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn within the remaining spherical at Pomona to gather his 113th NHRA Professional Inventory victory.
“Everyone within the Professional Inventory class is aware of Dallas Glenn is using a wave proper now, and I like the child – it’s a blast to race him, and I’m so rattling glad he’s on my group,” Anderson stated. “There’s no telling what number of wins this child goes to have; he’s going to be a menace for essentially the most quantity of race-wins sometime.
“It’s unimaginable to see, and I’m simply making an attempt to carry him off so long as I can. Right now was a hard-fought win, and we will all be proud. I’m happy with all people on this race group, and I’m even a bit happy with myself proper now. That is fairly darn cool.”
• John Drive Racing Humorous Automotive driver Jordan Vandergriff misplaced to Capps within the semifinals.
“What a weekend for the John Drive Racing Cornwell High quality Instruments Chevrolet Humorous Automotive,” stated Vandergriff. “Being at my house monitor, having numerous my family and friends out right here and doing it for John at his house means loads to me, too. So, attending to the semis was nice however someone was just a bit faster in the long run. We’re getting there. I feel now we have one thing actually robust to construct on and I do know a win is coming very quickly.”
• Doug Kalitta misplaced to Justin Ashley within the High Gas semifinals, however claimed the purpose lead within the class.
“That was a detailed one. It was only a useless warmth run towards Justin,” Kalitta stated. “Apparently, the information for the pc might have been appearing up a bit bit with the clutch in order that was unlucky, however for Alan (Crew Chief Alan Johnson) to have the ability to make it run what it ran with out having numerous knowledge, that’s fairly good. This Mac Instruments group undoubtedly has automobile, and we’re trying ahead to dragging her out and going a bit extra on the schedule.”
• Two-time Humorous Automotive champion Austin Prock continued to battle in his transition to the Bob Tasca Racing group.
Prock certified fifth, however encountered a novel drawback in Sunday’s opening spherical matchup towards Jason Rupert.
A malfunction within the security system prematurely shut the automobile off. The consequence was Prock’s third first-round loss in as many races.
