It rained for most of the In-N-Out Burger National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Finals of November 14-16 in Pomona, California: 
but our experienced news crew of Richard Marcella and Kirk Rockwell were able to be there for all thrills and drama of 340+ MPH drag racing, with pit access, and iconic scenery. Tony Stewart: 
& Matt Hagan, who were the Dodge Direct Connection Top Fuel & Funny Car Drivers at this historic auto racing event! Above you can see Tony’s trailer, and below his race car: 
NHRA Pomona are the major NHRA drag racing events held at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip (formerly Auto Club Raceway) at the Fairplex in Pomona, California, most notably the season-opening Winternationals and the season-ending Finals, where world champions are crowned amidst fierce, high-speed competition. These events are legendary, featuring Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock classes, Pro Stock Motorcycle, and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, often with cool weather providing ideal conditions for record-breaking speeds, plus access to driver interactions and pit areas. 
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), is the world’s largest governing body and promoter of professional drag racing, founded by Wally Parks in 1951 to create safety and structure for the burgeoning sport. It organizes major events featuring top classes like Top Fuel and Funny Car, focusing on safety and technological advancements for racers and fans.
NHRA driver income varies wildly, from potentially paying to race (negative salary) for exposure to elite drivers earning six figures plus major sponsorship deals, with earnings coming from prize money (event purses up to millions total), contingency bonuses ($500 for a win in Top Fuel/Funny Car), and team/sponsor paychecks, making top stars like Schumacher potentially earning over $100k annually, while others might make little to nothing after expenses.
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Prize Money:
Drivers earn payouts for qualifying and race finishes, with a large total purse (e.g., $25 million in 2025) split among series.
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Sponsorships:
This is the biggest source for top drivers; teams need sponsors to run, and drivers get paid salaries by them.
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Contingency Bonuses:
Manufacturers pay bonuses (e.g., $500 win, $100 runner-up in Top Fuel/Funny Car) for using their products, adding to earnings.
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Team Salaries:Some teams pay drivers a set salary or percentage of winnings, but many drivers pay to race.
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Elite Drivers:
Top drivers can command significant salaries and bonuses, potentially earning well over $100,000 annually, but it’s heavily dependent on securing major sponsors.
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Mid-Level/Entry-Level:
Many drivers, especially in lower classes or new to the sport, might earn minimal income or even pay for their own racing, valuing the experience and exposure.
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Average Estimates:While general “race car driver” averages exist (around $49k/year on ZipRecruiter), this includes all forms of racing, not just NHRA pros.
On our featured video you can watch the 2025 Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals Full Broadcast where Clay Millican edged out Tony Stewart in an explosive Top Fuel final round on Sunday for Rick Ware Racing, winning for the first time at historic In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip at the 65th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals. Jack Beckman (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) also won the third of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Matt Hagan, driver of the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car: Matt Hagan has now won at least three tour events in 13 consecutive seasons, which is the longest active streak in the sport and the second longest in history (John Force won three or more events in 18 straight seasons from 1990 through 2007). Hagan’s 2025 wins came at the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Kent, Washington, the NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, and the NHRA Nevada Nationals in Las Vegas.
- Hagan entered the season finale with 18 wins in Countdown races, the most among Funny Car drivers and second most overall behind only Pro Stock veteran Greg Anderson (19).
- Hagan earned Tony Stewart Racing’s first Funny Car championship at the 2023 In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals. It marked Hagan’s fourth Funny Car championship, where he became just the fourth Funny Car driver to win as many as four championships after John Force, Kenny Bernstein and Don Prudhomme. Hagan will remain in search of his fifth World Championship.
- The In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals concludes Stewart’s second season in the Top Fuel Dragster class. Next year, Leah Pruett returns to the TSR Top Fuel Dragster after stepping aside to start a family with Stewart. Stewart will move to the Elite Motorsports Top Fuel Dragster seat.
- Pruett and Stewart’s son Dominic James Stewart celebrated his first birthday at the NHRA Finals. Dom was born one year ago on race day at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.
“As a competitor, you want to run this thing out, but I think we just wanted our shot to go for the championship. We wanted to fight for the championship that we have been working towards all year long. The end result was they (Austin Prock) were three rounds ahead of us. The NHRA came to our team owner, our marketing partners, and the crew and asked what we wanted to do today. The decision was made across the board that this was the proper decision with the weather. It was best for safety with the sand trap full of water and it definitely stings. You come here to Pomona as a competitor, and you want to have a shot at the title. We just ask for that opportunity and we had that. Mother Nature didn’t give us that chance this weekend. It would be awful to see someone go out and crash a car or get hurt. It just wasn’t meant to be. But, overall, for our new crew chief (Mike Knudsen) to have to call all of the shots and at all of the races and his note pad was all new at all of the racetracks. Mike had to make those ‘gut’ decisions and to win three races and finish second in the championship was a great season. I’m super proud of all of my crew guys as they are wrenching on the car and the car was solid all year. The whole crew is coming back for 2026 and I’m very excited about that. I know what we just did as a first-year team and I’m very excited for the future.” 
- Tony Stewart, Driver of the TSR Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Top Fuel Dragster:
Tony Stewart, driver of the TSR Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Top Fuel Dragster: championship points standings coming into the event, which had Stewart qualify in the No. 5 position. Finished fifth in the Top Fuel championship standings, 243 points behind champion Doug Kalitta
- “There is one thing that is undefeated in this world and that’s Mother Nature. It’s unfortunate, but it is the right decision. I don’t think you are going to hear anyone in the pit area get upset about this call. This is one that is out of our control, and, as racers, we always want to be in control of everything. Hey, at least Dominic had a great first birthday party. Every time that I want to be disappointed in how the Countdown went, I have to remind myself of what the goal was this year. It was literally to see the needle move in the right direction with the team. At the end, we were a contender to win races, and we let a couple slip through the cracks. But we won two races and the regular season championship. It definitely checked the right box to see the needle move in the right direction. An Indy win would have been nice, but there was a bigger prize with the regular season points title there. You look back on the season, and it could have been a little better. But you look at Matt’s (Hagan) side with the Funny Car, and to have a whole new crew chief combination with Mike (Knudsen) and Phil (Shuler), and to see those guys perform well and be in a position to win a championship. It was a long shot, but they were right there. That is literally all you can ask for. I think everyone is excited to have Leah (Pruett) back in the TSR Top Fuel car and I’m excited to get the opportunity to race against her next year. We are excited for the 2026 season.”
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