Former NASCAR Cup Series team owner and driver Tony Stewart added another win to his long list of victories on Sunday, capturing his first career NHRA Top Fuel victory at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals. Stewart managed to finish the 1,000-foot drag strip in 3.870 seconds at 317.42 mph in the final round, edging out reigning NHRA Top Fuel champion Antron Brown by just .0182 seconds, along with Jasmine Salinas and Justin Ashley.
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Fans celebrated the win as yet another milestone in a résumé that already boasts three NASCAR Cup Series championships, an IndyCar title, and numerous others across multiple disciplines.
As one of the most versatile drivers in motorsports, the 53-year-old had narrowly missed out on a win just two weeks earlier at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, finishing runner-up to Clay Millican.
This time, however, the stars aligned. Stewart, who has long held a special connection to the Las Vegas track, was elated to finally seal the deal on a stage that means so much to him.
Las Vegas holds a special place in Tony Stewart’s heart because not only was it the site of his very first drag race in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, but it’s also where he first got behind the wheel of a 12,000-horsepower, nitro-fueled machine under the guidance of now-wife Leah Pruett.
Following his win this weekend, Stewart shared a video of the winning run on social media, capturing the moment his team erupted in celebration behind him. The comment section quickly turned into a flood of admiration, as fans from all corners of motorsports tipped their hats to the veteran racer.
One fan remarked, “Dude, congratulations! I cannot imagine the concentration it must take to have that many fuel cars idling next to you when it’s time to cut a light.” Another chimed in with high praise, declaring, “All around greatest Race Car Driver since AJ Foyt (Kenny Wallace).” A supporter added, “I new you get W, you conquer everything, true champion.”
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One comment read, “Way to go.. Tony is awesome …. Congrats to the whole team . Was just a matter of time.” And echoing the sentiment of many, an astonished fan summed it up simply: “Smoke wins in everything. WTFG.”
Tony Stewart first dipped his toes into drag racing in 2022 and made the leap to the Top Fuel ranks in 2024, stepping in for his wife, Leah Pruett, behind the wheel of the Tony Stewart Racing Top Fuel dragster.
His rookie journey quickly gathered steam — he won at Las Vegas in 2023 in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Dragster division and made it to the finals of that year’s 4-Wide Nationals. In 2024, he wrapped up the season ranked P9 in Top Fuel points and earned NHRA Rookie of the Year honors for his efforts.
Stewart’s next shot at Top Fuel win comes April 25–27 at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina, directly across from Charlotte Motor Speedway.
