POMONA, Calif. (April 12, 2026) – Tony Stewart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster team rallied to the first nitro victory for Elite Motorsports Sunday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip. It was Stewart’s third career Top Fuel victory and his first at Pomona Dragstrip.
After multiple delays due to weather and on-track incidents, Stewart faced-off with Top Fuel rising star Justin Ashley in the finals under the lights at the historic facility. Ashley, known for his stout reaction times, left the starting line first but the R+L Carriers machine chased him down by the 60-foot marker and never trailed. Stewart reached the finish line in 3.683-seconds at 332.51 mph to defeat Ashley’s 3.714 at 328.54.
“I literally told Richard Freeman (Elite Motorsports team owner) and Royce Freeman (Richard’s brother) on Friday, ‘I know I’m relatively new to drag racing, but I’ve been racing for 47 years, I’ve been a part of a lot of different programs and worked with a lot of different people. But I promise you, all the ingredients are here to win. I don’t know when it’s going to click and when it’s all going to come together, but all the stuff that you need to be successful is right here.’ I had no idea just 48-hours later that it was going to come together,” Stewart said. “We had a great day and I felt great on the racetrack. I felt great on the lights. They made big adjustments for the final to run a 3.68. [Crew chief] Mike Green’s track record speaks for itself, and so does Joe Barlam. For me to race with those guys and and to race with a different program, it’s definitely a unique and different dynamic than what I’m used to. But it’s awesome to race with Mike Green and Joe and Dustin Davis.”
“This is three Top Fuel wins now for me, and the one person I’ve never mentioned in the media and in the interviews is my wide Leah [Pruett]. And if it wasn’t for her and everything that she and Matt [Hagan] (Funny Car driver) taught me. Leah has probably been 95% of it, people don’t realize how integral of a part she’s been in my career in drag racing. I’ve had a 1000 questions and every time there’s an answer, it leads to three more questions. Everything that I’ve done in the sport has been because of her. And to be a part of NHRA’s 75th Anniversary, to win with Matt Hagan in the 1000th Funny Car race is huge. This is Leah’s home track. All of this just feels extra special to me,” continued Stewart who won alongside his Tony Stewart Racing Funny Car driven by Matt Hagan. “Leah’s story of telling me that when she was a kid, she’d sneak out of school just to come to the drag races on Friday here at Pomona. When she won here, just to be here for an event and a track that’s so special means everything. Now I’m here sitting holding a ‘Wally’ trophy, in NHRA’s 75th Anniversary, just super special. It’s awesome.”
En route to the finals, Stewart and the R+L team took down Will Smith, 2026 Gatornationals winner Josh Hart and former world champion Shawn Langdon.
Elite Motorsports continues the 2026 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series season with the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway just outside of Charlotte April 24-26.
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TONY STEWART, R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster
Qualifying: No. 7
3.783 seconds, 332.18 mph
Race Results:
E1: 3.726 at 327.11 mph def Will Smith 4.209 at 224.14
E2: 3.715 at 337.92 def Josh Hart 3.968 at 236.46
Semis: 3.701 at 334.98 def Shawn Langdon 3.817 at 339.53
Finals: 3.683 at 332.51 def Justin Ashley 3.714 at 328.54
Unofficial Points Standing: No. 4; 224
GREG STANFIELD, Janac Brother’s Racing
Qualifying: No. 4
6.541 seconds, 209.33 mph
Race Results: Beat Stephen Bell, Jeg Coughlin Jr.; Lost to Greg Anderson
Race Results:
E1: 6.523 at 210.54 def. S. Bell -.049 red
E2: 6.527 at 209.92 def. Jeg Jr. -.012 red
Semis: 6.517 at 210.31 lost to Greg Anderson 6.495 at 209.79
Unofficial Points Standing: No. 3; 196
ERICA ENDERS, Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance / R+L Carriers
Erica Enders
Qualifying: No. 11
6.554 seconds, 210.41 mph
Race Results: Beat Cody Anderson; Lost to Dave Connolly
Unofficial points standings: 5, 180
JEG COUGHLIN JR., JEGS
Qualifying: No. 12
6.565 seconds, 208.91 mph
Race Results: Beat Deric Kramer; Lost to Greg Stanfield
Unofficial Points Standing: No. 7, 159
AARON STANFIELD, Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance / Janac Brothers Racing
Qualifying: No. 8
6.553 seconds, 209.85 mph
Race Results: Lost to Matt Latino
Unofficial Points Standings: No. 9; 139
STEPHEN BELL, 1320 LLC
Qualifying No. 14
6.591 seconds, 208.33 mph
Race Results: Lost to Dallas Glenn
Unofficial Points Standings: No. 14; 93
TROY COUGHLIN JR., JEGS
Qualifying: No. 14
6.572 seconds, 209.14 mph
Race Results: Lost to Dave Connolly
Unofficial Points Standings: No. 13; 95
