INDIANAPOLIS — Matt Hagan and Leah Pruett did something Oct. 15 at the Texas Motorplex that has only happened 77 times in the history of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.
They swept both ends of nitro competition during a national event for a single team, with Hagan winning his sixth Funny Car race of the season and Pruett grabbing her second Top Fuel triumph of the season, both with Tony Stewart Racing.
It was the first time that TSR swept a national event, however, it marked the third time that Hagan and Pruett swept the nitro classes together, having turned the trick twice for Don Schumacher Racing.
Of the 77 sweeps, DSR owns 68 of them, while John Force Racing has eight Funny Car and Top Fuel sweeps.
Hagan and Pruett are the only drivers to accomplish the sweep with two different teams. The two TSR drivers each lead the standings in their respective categories with two races remaining.
“This Dallas (Texas Motorplex) race has become my favorite race in memory,” Pruett told the media on Wednesday. “That’s how monumental it was for me and with Matt winning and for our position in the Countdown. One of my favorite moments ever was winning against Brittany Force in my first Top Fuel win, and there have been 11 more Top Fuel wins since then and two championships.
“This particular Dallas race knowing what we had to do, and we executed 100 percent means more than those do, and that just has to do with maturity and where you are at,” she added. “Hopefully, in two races at Pomona when we win a championship that will be at the top.”
Hagan also called the double victory in Texas “special,” but maintains there is a lot of work yet to be done.
“What a special weekend that was to do that last weekend. It was one for the history books,” Hagan said. “One of my favorite wins and it put us in position. We are 35 (points) ahead. You can pat yourself on the back, but there is still a lot of work to be done. I’d rather be leading than chasing. We have eight rounds of racing left and points and a half in Pomona.
“It’s still anybody’s ballgame out here,” Hagan continued. “We have seen these things flip back and forth a lot. We led the points the majority of the year and at the end of the regular season Capps came in and scooped them up and here we are leading again.
“I feel like we’ve been that car all year long. We’ve won six races so far. We just need to keep doing what we do and I have to show up and keep it in the groove, turn the win light on and believe in my guys.”
Pruett, meanwhile, leads the Top Fuel standings by only four points over Doug Kalitta.
“We are four points ahead. That means literally nothing,” Pruett said. “It means that you get to be in the back of Q1 in Vegas and be in a slightly better qualifying position. That is the value in being No. 1 at this point in the season.”
The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series visits The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 26-29 and wraps up Nov. 9-12 at In-N-Out Burger Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif.