By Zoey
Tony Stewart Racing is set to unveil its 2027 Dodge racing livery Tuesday at Stellantis’ North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, bringing together some of the biggest names in the team’s NHRA program ahead of a historic return of top-level drag racing to Michigan.
Tony Stewart will be joined by longtime Dodge competitors Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan for the unveiling of the team’s 2027 NHRA Top Fuel dragster and Funny Car. The event is expected to showcase the new designs and provide fans, employees and members of the motorsports community with an early look at the cars that will represent Dodge in the upcoming NHRA season.
The event at the Stellantis facility will include a press conference attended by Stellantis employees and members of the media. The team will also conduct vehicle warm-ups, giving attendees an opportunity to hear the powerful engines of the NHRA race cars ahead of the weekend’s competition.
The unveiling is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, with the event beginning at 11:10 a.m. Eastern Time.
The timing of the presentation is significant because it comes just days before the inaugural Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan. The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is returning to the state for the first time in 66 years, making the upcoming race weekend a major event for Michigan motorsports fans.
The Great Lakes Nationals are scheduled for Sept. 18 through Sept. 20 and will also mark the beginning of the 2026 NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs. With championship points becoming increasingly important as the season enters its final stage, the Michigan event is expected to carry considerable importance for drivers competing for NHRA titles.
For Tony Stewart Racing, the Michigan race weekend provides an especially meaningful backdrop for the unveiling of its new Dodge livery. The team has built a growing presence in NHRA competition since making its debut in the series in 2022.
The organization currently fields NHRA entries for Hagan in Funny Car competition and Pruett in Top Fuel. Both drivers bring extensive experience and championship credentials to the team.
Hagan is a four-time NHRA Funny Car world champion and has accumulated 58 career victories. He enters the 2026 playoffs as the NHRA Funny Car regular-season champion, giving him significant momentum heading into the championship portion of the season.
Pruett, meanwhile, has established herself as one of the leading competitors in Top Fuel. She has recorded 13 career Top Fuel victories and enters the 2026 NHRA playoffs ranked third in the series standings.
The presence of both drivers at Tuesday’s unveiling is expected to add to the significance of the event as the team prepares for the final stages of the 2026 season while simultaneously looking ahead to its 2027 campaign.
The new Dodge livery will provide the visual identity for Tony Stewart Racing’s NHRA entries and is expected to be prominently displayed as the team competes in one of the sport’s most competitive categories. The Top Fuel dragster and Funny Car represent two of the fastest and most powerful forms of professional drag racing, with drivers competing over a short but extremely demanding distance where reaction time, acceleration and precision are critical.
For Dodge and Stellantis, the event also highlights the automaker’s continued involvement in NHRA drag racing and its connection to the performance-car community. Holding the unveiling at the company’s North American headquarters in Auburn Hills places the presentation close to the heart of Michigan’s automotive industry.
The return of NHRA competition to Michigan after a 66-year absence has generated additional attention around the weekend. U.S. 131 Motorsports Park will host the Great Lakes Nationals as drivers begin the final push toward the NHRA championships.
The three-day event in Martin is expected to draw racing fans from throughout Michigan and neighboring states. The combination of the historic return of the NHRA series, the opening of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs and the debut of Tony Stewart Racing’s new Dodge livery makes the weekend a particularly significant moment for the sport in the state.
Tuesday’s unveiling therefore serves as more than a presentation of new race-car designs. It also represents the beginning of a busy stretch for Tony Stewart Racing, Dodge and its NHRA drivers as the organization prepares for one of the most important portions of the 2026 racing calendar while looking ahead to 2027.
With Hagan entering the playoffs as the Funny Car regular-season champion and Pruett sitting third in Top Fuel, Tony Stewart Racing will have championship ambitions on the line when NHRA competition returns to Michigan this weekend.
The team’s new Dodge machines will make their public debut ahead of the Great Lakes Nationals, giving fans an early opportunity to see the cars that will carry the team’s identity into the next phase of its NHRA program.
Original article
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