Tony Stewart added another major win to his racing career on Sunday night at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona. The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion claimed the Top Fuel title with a strong final-round performance. Driving the R+L Carriers dragster for Elite Motorsports, Stewart ran 3.683 seconds at 332.51 mph to defeat Justin Ashley.
The victory marked his third NHRA national event win and his first at Pomona. It also gave Elite Motorsports its first Top Fuel win. The race took place during NHRA’s 75th anniversary season and stretched late into the night after weather delays earlier in the weekend.
Tony Stewart Wins Top Fuel at Pomona
Stewart moved through a competitive field to reach the final round. He recorded wins over Will Smith, Josh Hart, and Shawn Langdon earlier in the eliminations. Each round required clean execution as conditions changed following earlier rain delays.
The @Lucas_Oil #Winternats Top Fuel Wally belongs to @TonyStewart! pic.twitter.com/JgI1XiqfST
— NHRA (@NHRA) April 13, 2026
In the final, Ashley entered with momentum and consistent reaction times. However, Stewart gained an early advantage at the starting line. His dragster stayed stable down the strip, and he maintained the lead through the finish line. The 3.683-second run at 332.51 mph proved enough to secure the win.
“I’ve been in NHRA for five years now… but it doesn’t take long to realize how special Pomona is in drag racing. To be able to come here, especially on an anniversary for NHRA, you couldn’t ask for a better scenario for me. I literally told Richard Freeman… ‘I promise you that all the ingredients are here.’ I had no idea in 48 hours that it was going to come together,” Tony Stewart said.
The result marked Stewart’s first career victory at Pomona, one of the most recognized tracks in drag racing. It also represented a milestone for Elite Motorsports in the Top Fuel category.
Matt Hagan Wins Milestone Funny Car Race
Matt Hagan added another result for Tony Stewart Racing during the same event. Hagan defeated Ron Capps in the final round of the 1,000th Funny Car national event race in NHRA history.
Hagan posted a 3.876-second run at 330.39 mph. Capps followed with a 3.893-second pass at 334.32 mph in a close side-by-side finish. The win marked Hagan’s 56th career victory and his first of the 2026 season.
“I was telling Tony that sometimes you just wake up and you know today’s going to be good, and it was great. To win with the boss man to double up… 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. It just felt right.”
The milestone race added historical significance to the event as NHRA continued its anniversary season.
Greg Anderson adds another Pomona victory
In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson secured another win at Pomona. He drove his Chevrolet Camaro to a 6.505-second pass at 209.88 mph to defeat teammate Dallas Glenn in the final round.
The victory marked Anderson’s 113th career win and his eighth Winternationals title. It also tied the record for most wins at Pomona with 17.
The event produced key results across multiple classes as the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continued its 2026 season. The series will move next to the 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.
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