Matt Hagan Smokes the Tires in Michigan Final but Keeps NHRA Funny Car Lead
A rookie who qualified last beat Hagan's Purple Haze Dodge in the final, but the four-time champion heads to Rockingham still leading the Funny Car standings.
Matt Hagan came one run short of winning Dodge's own race in Michigan. His Purple Haze-liveried Tony Stewart Racing Funny Car smoked the tires in Monday's final of the rain-delayed Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals, and rookie Jordan Vandergriff drove away with the trophy.
The loss cost Hagan a fourth win of 2026, but not his hold on the title fight. The four-time world champion, who entered the playoffs as the regular-season champion, leaves the Countdown opener with a 23-point lead over Vandergriff, according to Dodge, with five races left in the 20-event season.
A final nobody saw coming
Vandergriff had no business being there on paper. The John Force Racing driver qualified last in the 16-car field and smoked the tires in the first round against No. 1 qualifier Austin Prock, only to advance when Prock left before the green. From there, he strung together three 3.8-second passes and closed with a 3.858 at 329.43 mph while Hagan coasted to an 8.357, according to NHRA's official results.
It's Vandergriff's third win of his rookie Funny Car season, after South Georgia and Sonoma. His team says it's the first win from the No. 16 qualifying spot in 23 years.
Hagan's own route went through Joey Haas, Alexis DeJoria, and Jack Beckman. The semifinal against his former teammate was about as close as drag racing gets: both cars ran 3.864 seconds at 333.09 mph, and Hagan won on the starting line.
"How do you draw that up? It came down to reaction time off the line," Hagan said.
Tough Monday for Pruett, record day for Langdon
Hagan's teammate Leah Pruett had a much shorter day. Seeded 12th in Top Fuel, she lost in the opening round in 58-degree morning conditions, running 3.766 seconds to Will Smith's 3.699. Pruett, who returned this season after two years away to start a family, dropped from third to fifth in points. She said it was only her second first-round exit of the year.
Team owner Tony Stewart went further in his Elite Motorsports dragster. His 343.51-mph quarterfinal win over Antron Brown matched the speed that stood as NHRA's all-time record until this spring, and Dodge calls it the fifth-fastest pass in the sport's history. Stewart then lost to Spencer Massey in the semifinals.
The day belonged to Shawn Langdon, though. The Kalitta Motorsports driver ran 346.95 mph in the semifinals, the fastest pass in NHRA history, then beat Massey in the final to retake the Top Fuel points lead.
Next stop: Rockingham
The Countdown moves to the first NHRA Nationals at the Rock in Rockingham, North Carolina, on Sept. 25–27, a race Hagan says is a big one for his friends and family. Final eliminations start Sunday at 11 a.m. ET, with Fox Sports 1 coverage at 3 p.m. ET.
The 600-hp 2027 Charger Super Bee Launch Edition that the Purple Haze liveries promote sat on display in Martin all weekend. Dodge still hasn't announced pricing for the limited-run model.
