Download Print Pruett, Hagan Finish NHRA Bristol/Epping Races Early After Tough Weather Conditions Leah Pruett, driving the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Rush Truck Services/Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster, recorded the No. 1 qualifying position for the first time in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series this weekend at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee, with a 3.745 Due to a rainout last week at Epping, New Hampshire, the New England Nationals eliminations were held at Bristol on Friday when Pruett advanced to the second round with an impressive victory over Doug Kalitta with a 3.745 win to Kalitta’s 3.764 Pruett lost in the second round to Mike Salinas with a 3.894 to Salinas’ 3.848, but she remains in the top five of the NHRA Top Fuel standings In the Bristol eliminations, Pruett was defeated in the first round by Spencer Massey with a 3.824 to Massey’s 3.781 Matt Hagan returned to Bristol with the TSR Operation Healing Forces Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car after qualifying eighth at Epping and advanced to the second round of eliminations with a first-round win over Terry Haddock However, Hagan’s machine lost traction in the second round, losing to J.R. Todd Hagan drove to the second round in the Bristol eliminations Sunday with a first-round victory over Mike McIntire Jr. with a 4.021, but lost to Robert Hight in a close race, 3.913 to 3.952 June 11, 2023 , Bristol, Tenn. - The TSR Nitro squad recorded the No. 1 Top Fuel qualifying position for the first time in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series at Bristol Dragway when Leah Pruett topped the 16-driver starting lineup with her TSR Rush Truck Services/Dodge//SRT dragster for Sunday’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The NHRA weekend at Bristol was unique as it served as a doubleheader event with the rained-out Epping, New Hampshire, eliminations being contested, as well as the Thunder Valley Nationals. The Bristol eliminations were also delayed Sunday due to rain. Pruett, ranked in the top four in the NHRA Top Fuel points entering the Bristol event, advanced to the second round in the Epping eliminations with the weekend’s best run of 3.745 at 322.42 mph. Leah defeated Doug Kalitta in the opening before losing to Mike Salinas in round two with a 3.894 to Salinas’s 3.848. In the Bristol elimination rounds, Pruett lost a close race in the first round to Spencer Massey with a 3.824 to Massey’s 3.781. Despite the Bristol loss, Pruett remains in the top five in the Top Fuel standings entering the next event, Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, at Norwalk, Ohio. “This No. 1 (qualifying position) is just a testament to the consistency that this team has had all season long,” said Pruett. “It’s the culmination of our performance that has led up to this spot. There is nothing like racing on Sunday and racing in Thunder Valley. We got the highs and the lows and the emotions of racing in qualifying. You get the echo of the cars here in Thunder Valley. “It’s unfortunate we weren’t able to take our Rush Truck Centers/Dodge//SRT dragster further into eliminations. Sometimes you’re the window, sometimes you’re the bug and we’ve been the bug lately. Every round is pretty much a UFC match, whether the people we race are full-time or part-time.” Matt Hagan, the three-time 2023 national event winner, advanced to the second round in the Epping eliminations with his TSR Operation Healing Forces Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car after an opening round win over Terry Haddock. Hagan lost to J.R. Todd in the second round Saturday. On Sunday, Hagan, from nearby Christiansburg, Virginia, took the victory in Bristol eliminations round one with a victory over Mike McIntire Jr., at 4.021. In the second round, Hagan lost a close battle with rival Robert Hight with a 3.952 to Hight’s 3.913. “It looks like we’re struggling a little bit right now, but we’re actually making really good progress in preparation for the summer months and once we get into the countdown,” said Hagan, who now sits second in NHRA Funny Car points. “We have gathered a lot of great data this season and continue to do so in the heat. We just have to keep working at it, but we’re moving in the right direction. I have full confidence in Dickie (Venables – crew chief), Mike (Knudsen – co-crew chief), Alex (Conaway – car chief) and all of my guys. They’re working extremely hard, and I know we will get back after it in Norwalk.” The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing tour moves to Norwalk, Ohio, on June 23-25 in the popular Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Norwalk Motorsports Park. @DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series. Dodge//SRT For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with a lineup that delivers unrivaled performance in each of the segments in which the brand competes while moving forward to a future that includes electrified muscle in the form of the next-generation, all-new Dodge Charger. The next-generation Dodge Charger electrifies a legend, with the Charger retaining its title as the world’s quickest and most powerful muscle car led by the all-new, all-electric 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack. The all-new Dodge Charger will also offer performance choices via multi-energy powertrain options, including the 550-horsepower Dodge Charger SIXPACK H.O., powered by the 3.0L Twin Turbo Hurricane High Output engine. Dodge also keeps its foot on the gas as a pure performance brand with the 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the most powerful SUV ever, and best-in-class standard performance in the compact utility vehicle segment with the Dodge Hornet. In 2022, the Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market), making it the only domestic brand ever to do so three years in a row. In 2020, Dodge was named the "#1 Brand in Initial Quality," making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news, including daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis (NYSE: STLA). Mopar Mopar is the global name for Stellantis genuine parts and authentic accessories. A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over more than 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide. Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide. Complete information on Mopar is available at www.mopar.com and the newly redesigned Mopar blog at www.blog.mopar.com. Follow Dodge, Mopar and Stellantis news and video on: Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com Dodge brand: www.dodge.com DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com Mopar brand: www.mopar.com Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge and www.facebook.com/mopar Instagram: @DodgeMoparMotorsports, @DodgeOfficial and @OfficialMopar Twitter: @Dodge, @OfficialMopar and @StellantisNA YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge, www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA NHRA Hagan Pruett Bristol