Four-time Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan gained the 1,000th Funny Car race in NHRA historical past on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, defeating three-time world champion Ron Capps within the last spherical to shut out the 66th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals.
Tony Stewart (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) additionally gained the third of 20 races throughout the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Hagan went 3.876 seconds at 330.39 mph in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat, holding off Capps’ 3.893 at 334.32 in an epic side-by-side last spherical, capturing the milestone race in what was an exciting matchup of the 2 winningest energetic drivers within the class.
Hagan, who defeated Spencer Hyde, Jason Rupert and J.R. Todd earlier within the day and in addition gained the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, drove to his first win of the season and the 56th in his standout profession to cap off what was a flawless weekend. This one will definitely imply an incredible deal for Hagan, as he captured a historic victory and in addition shared the winner’s circle with his boss, Tony Stewart.
“I was telling Tony that sometimes you just wake up and you know today’s going to good, and it was great. To win with the boss man to double up, and, you know, Leah [Pruett] was No. 1 qualifier, and winning the 1,000th Funny Car and the [Mission] #2Fast2Tasty yesterday …. the only thing we didn’t leave with was the change under the bleachers,” Hagan stated.
“This race track has shown me so much love over the years. Racing Capps, man, it was like back in the day throwing it down, because we always used to throw down, so it just kind of felt natural. It’s a magical place because champions are crowned here and tonight reminded me of the championship deals, because, you know, the lights were on and I’ve won a won a couple times under the lights here, and you know, it just felt right.”
Capps, who gained the latest race in Phoenix, reached the finals for the second straight race and the 159th time in his profession with wins towards Dylan Winefsky, Alexis DeJoria and Jordan Vandergriff. Hagan and Capps are additionally tied for the factors lead after three races.
Racing legend Tony Stewart delivered the primary Top Fuel win for Elite Motorsports, going a weekend-best 3.683 at 332.51 in his 12,000-horsepower R&L Carriers dragster to knock off Justin Ashley within the championship spherical.
It’s the primary profession win at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip for Stewart and his third profession victory in his NHRA profession, and this one will definitely be significant. He picked up wins as each a driver and staff proprietor on Sunday, as he drove to victories in eliminations towards Will Smith, Gainesville winner Josh Hart and Shawn Langdon. It arrange a marquee matchup towards Ashley, who posted three straight response instances of .025 resulting in the ultimate.
Stewart was .047 within the championship spherical and shortly tracked down Ashley on his standout run, getting the win a 12 months after ending because the Winternationals runner-up, this time throughout NHRA’s seventy fifth anniversary season.
“I’ve been [in NHRA] for five years now and following Leah around and being a part of it, but it doesn’t take long to realize how special Pomona is in drag racing, and how much it means to everybody,” Stewart stated. “To be able to come here, and especially on an anniversary or for NHRA, you couldn’t ask for a better scenario for me. The only thing that would have made it better is if we met Leah in the finals. But for Matt to win is the 1,000th Funny Car win here, and to be here on NHRA 75th anniversary, and win here at the Winternationals, that is huge.
“I literally told [team owner] Richard Freeman and Royce Freeman on Friday, and individually, ‘Listen. I know I’m relatively new to drag racing, but I’ve been racing for 47 years. I’ve been a part of a lot of different programs and worked with a lot of different people and I promise you that all the ingredients are here. You can see it. I’ve been a part of enough programs to know when it’s right and I don’t know when it’s going to click and come together, but I’m telling you all the stuff that you need to be successful is right here right now.’ I had no idea in 48 hours that it was going to come together.”
Ashley superior to the ultimate spherical for the primary time this season and the thirty third in his profession because of spherical wins towards Maddi Gordon, No. 1 qualifier Leah Pruett and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta, who leaves Pomona because the factors chief.
In Pro Stock, six-time world champion Greg Anderson continued to rule the category at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip, as he gained for a record-tying seventeenth time on the historic facility, holding off KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn within the last spherical with a run of 6.505 at 209.88 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro.
It is the 113th profession win for Anderson, who certified No. 1 and ran the quickest in each spherical of eliminations. He dipped into the 6.40s within the first three rounds en path to wins towards Kenny Delco, Matt Latino and Greg Stanfield. That arrange a 3rd straight last spherical towards Glenn at Pomona relationship again to the 2024 In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals and Anderson stayed good in that regard, chasing down Glenn on the end line.
Glenn was .003 on the beginning line, however Anderson was a strong .018 and tied John Force for essentially the most wins in NHRA historical past on the legendary monitor. He’s additionally now gained the Winternationals eight instances, which ties him with Bob Glidden for essentially the most in Pro Stock historical past, because the veteran continues to carry out at an especially excessive degree.
“I came to the racetrack today with a lot of confidence. I felt good. I knew I was going to have a great hot rod. It’s been great all weekend,” Anderson stated. “It just absolutely loves this racetrack. It’s a blast to drive this car. We had a great weekend as a team; from top to bottom, the KB Titan team was very, very impressive, but that meant it was going to be really hard for me to find a way to win on Sunday, but we did it.
“When you race Dallas, you’ve got to be perfect and I really didn’t make any big errors today, and the car was flawless. It really doesn’t matter how much you win by as long as that win light comes on, especially against Dallas because he’s riding the wave right now. He’s got confidence. I’m so damn happy he’s on my race team and I don’t have to hate the kid, I love the kid, and it’s a blast to race him, and it’s an honor.”
Glenn stayed within the factors lead in advancing to his second straight last spherical and twenty third in his profession after defeating Gainesville winner Matt Hartford, Eric Latino and teammate Dave Connolly.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to motion April 24-26 with the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.
