READING, Pa. — Heading into this weekend’s fortieth annual NHRA Studying Nationals offered by Nitro Fish at Maple Grove Raceway, racing legend Tony Stewart has already loved a number of firsts this yr.
There was the primary profession High Gasoline win in Las Vegas (adopted by a second win in Chicago), a primary No. 1 qualifier, main the factors for the primary time and profitable the primary NHRA regular-season championship.
However there’s nonetheless two massive firsts Stewart may nonetheless accomplish this yr – a win within the Countdown to the Championship playoffs and, in the end, a High Gasoline world title. The primary – a playoff victory – may occur this weekend on the historic observe, which might put Stewart in a powerful place to proceed to contend for a championship in his 12,000-horsepower Dodge//Direct Connection dragster.
Because the playoffs begin this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway, Stewart already is aware of how necessary each second is from this level on.
“Actually, each time you tow that automotive to the road, it issues,” Stewart stated. “We have now to deal with it prefer it’s a spherical of eliminations. No matter factors can be found, we simply should exit and get them. The eye to element issues much more than it usually does. Crew guys double-checking one another’s work, crew chiefs reminding us about spots on the racetrack, all these little tremendous particulars completely matter probably the most in these final six weeks. These final six weeks, we’re all simply going to combat our guts out making an attempt to get every thing we are able to get, as a result of we all know how a lot it issues.”
Final season, Antron Brown (High Gasoline), Austin Prock (Humorous Automotive), Aaron Stanfield (Professional Inventory) and Hector Arana Jr. (Professional Inventory Bike) all claimed wins of their respective classes, with Brown and Prock ending the season as world champions.
It’s the fifteenth of 20 races in the course of the 2025 NHRA Mission Meals Drag Racing Sequence season and the primary of six occasions within the Countdown to the Championship.
The depth and pleasure on the legendary facility shall be noticeable, too, and Stewart is assured he and his crew shall be prepared. In fact, he’ll additionally should cope with the likes of previous champs Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta, Brittany Drive and Steve Torrence, and reigning world champion Antron Brown.
However the second and the chance have Stewart excited and he’s ready to battle with the elite in High Gasoline because the championship race begins in Studying and performs out over the following six races.
“We’ve acquired guys which might be turning the wrenches and twisting the knobs on the automobiles, and in the end in additional management of the automobiles than we’re at this level,” Stewart stated. “So, we’re all doing our jobs, and it’s only a matter of making an attempt to place collectively six actually good weekends in a row and figuring out that should you stub your toe, you simply should rebound from it and get the blokes targeted on the following alternative.
“Hopefully, by the point we get to Pomona on the finish of the season, we’re ready to be preventing for this factor. You don’t care the way you get there, you simply care that on the finish of the day they’re supplying you with the large examine and the large trophy.”
