READING, Pa. — Heading into this weekend’s 40th annual NHRA Reading Nationals presented by Nitro Fish at Maple Grove Raceway, racing legend Tony Stewart has already enjoyed several firsts this year.
There was the first career Top Fuel win in Las Vegas (followed by a second win in Chicago), a first No. 1 qualifier, leading the points for the first time and winning the first NHRA regular-season championship.
But there’s still two big firsts Stewart could still accomplish this year – a win in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs and, ultimately, a Top Fuel world title. The first – a playoff victory – could happen this weekend at the historic track, which would put Stewart in a strong position to continue to contend for a championship in his 12,000-horsepower Dodge//Direct Connection dragster.
As the playoffs start this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway, Stewart already knows how important every moment is from this point on.
“Literally, every time you tow that car to the line, it matters,” Stewart said. “We have to treat it like it’s a round of eliminations. Whatever points are available, we just have to go out and get them. The attention to detail matters even more than it normally does. Crew guys double-checking each other’s work, crew chiefs reminding us about spots on the racetrack, all those little fine details absolutely matter the most in these last six weeks. These last six weeks, we’re all just going to fight our guts out trying to get everything we can get, because we know how much it matters.”
Last season, Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all claimed wins in their respective categories, with Brown and Prock finishing the season as world champions.
It is the 15th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the first of six events in the Countdown to the Championship.
The intensity and excitement at the legendary facility will be noticeable, too, and Stewart is confident he and his team will be ready. Of course, he’ll also have to contend with the likes of past champs Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta, Brittany Force and Steve Torrence, and reigning world champion Antron Brown.
But the moment and the opportunity have Stewart excited and he’s prepared to battle with the elite in Top Fuel as the championship race starts in Reading and plays out over the next six races.
“We’ve got guys that are turning the wrenches and twisting the knobs on the cars, and ultimately in more control of the cars than we are at this point,” Stewart said. “So, we’re all doing our jobs, and it’s just a matter of trying to put together six really good weekends in a row and knowing that if you stub your toe, you just have to rebound from it and get the guys focused on the next opportunity.
“Hopefully, by the time we get to Pomona at the end of the season, we’re in a position to be fighting for this thing. You don’t care how you get there, you just care that at the end of the day they’re giving you the big check and the big trophy.”
