Tony Stewart Racing’s Pruett sits disappointing 12th in NHRA Top Fuel Standings; teammate Matt Hagan is second in Funny Car points.
- So far, Tony Stewart Racing is 0-for-2 in both NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car.
- Defending Funny Car champion Hagan’s plan is to “put your pom-poms on” and cheer crew on.
- Pensive Leah Pruett says, “You probably won’t hear from me for the next two weeks as I focus”
Top Fuel’s Leah Pruett and Funny Car’s Matt Hagan are passionate racers, and they’re throwing all they have into getting newly established Tony Stewart Racing its first victory in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.
That’s could be part of the reason they’re stymied after the first two races of the season.
Pruett, 33, owns that she has “mini two-stepped it” on the launches for a “sequence of negative events that are happening for me on my side of the office.” Pruett has a pair of first-round losses to show for her efforts in 2022 and is 12th in the Top Fuel standings.
Meawhile, Hagan’s problem is he keeps running into Robert Hight. The John Force Racing driver eliminated him in the semifinal at Pomona, Calif., then waited until the final round this past Sunday at Phoenix to deny him his 40th victory. It was a disappointment for Hagan after he was the No. 1 qualifier with a track-record elapsed time at Phoenix’s Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.
Matt Hagan is second in the NHRA Funny Car points.
JERRY FOSS NHRA/NATIONAL DRAGSTER
In his final-round run, Hagan said the car put out a cylinder, “trying to run really hard. We wanted to get back to that record run again and put everything back up the same way. But when you do that, you put a lot of fuel and volume in there, and sometimes it’s just too much.”
Hagan, 39, is second in the points to Hagan through two race weekends.
Both Pruett and Hagan are handling their frustrations in their own ways, one more internally, the other in a more social vein.
Pruett, who just happens to be married to team boss Tony Stewart, said of a Top Fuel title, “I think I’m wanting it more than I ever have. Personally, I’m in such a different head space and enjoying it.”
And she’s vowing to block out any distractions as she digs for the blueprint for a better result.
Hagan said, “I have learned over the years to become a really good cheerleader. You put your pom-poms on and get everybody back up.”
Both have legitimate reasons to be hopeful.
Pruett said, “The impressive part is that this team has been able to provide us with a car that is consistent, healthy and running 3.60s. I’m most impressed with the crew members having my back, knowing that we are going to work as a team to correct what I’ve got going on up there.”
Hagan simply has counted his blessings in this short stint and is leading with positivity for his team. He called his Arizona weekend “wonderful” and said, “What I’m most proud of this weekend is my guys. They made quick turnarounds. Nothing was falling off the race car. They’re gelling really well, and things are starting to flow. I know what (crew chief) Dickie Venables is capable of.
“I know we’re going to win a lot of races and get a lot of trophies, and the big picture on our mind is that championship. There is still a learning curve, but one thing about Dickie, he learns fast and he’s very methodical about what we do. I feel good with our lights and the way the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat is running and driving. They give us all the parts and pieces that we need. We’re just piecing it together little by little.”
And Hagan said he knows this outstanding performance will pay off.
“I know Robert Hight has pulled off two wins now, but it’s just a matter of time before we start pulling in wins for TSR over here,” Hagan said.
Pruett, meanwhile, is internalizing her issues.
“We’ve all put so much effort into making this operation happen, and I just want to go out there and kill it. As a result, I’m just a little early (two-stepping it), which results in being too late on the tree,” she said.
Leah Pruett is off to a slow start racing for Tony Stewart Racing this season.
MARC GEWERTZ
Pruett has the No. 6 spot for the inaugural Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout bonus race that will play out during qualifying for the Gatornationals in two weeks at Gainesville, Fla. It breaks from the customary procedure of pairing racers based on qualifying performance. Instead, the higher-ranked drivers choose their opponents, which opens the door for some curious strategies.
But Pruett said, “I’m now looking forward to (the specialty race) and really do not give one tiny atom of an iota of whoever calls me out or if I get to call somebody out. I’m focused on going out and getting to race somebody and fixing my problems. That’s what’s exciting to me. I’m focusing on getting my game.
“You probably won’t hear from me for the next two weeks as I focus on getting ready for the Gatornationals (and) work on a couple of different items to get back into a performance advantage in the cockpit.”
So listen for Hagan’s pep talk. And don’t call Pruett, she’ll call you . . . or call you out.
Keyword: Why Slow-Starting Leah Pruett Is Stepping Out of Spotlight to Focus on NHRA Gatornationals