Tony Stewart Racing and Dodge delivered a weekend of milestones at the Texas NHRA FallNationals hosted at the Texas Motorplex. Highlighting the competition, veteran drag racer Mark Pawuk secured the first-ever competitive victory for the next-generation 2026 Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak by Direct Connection in the Factory Stock Showdown category. Pawuk, an Ohio native and reigning series champion, piloted his Ray Barton Racing Engines-powered race car past Lee Hartman's Dodge Challenger Drag Pak in an all-Dodge final round.
Simultaneously, four-time NHRA Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan extended his season points lead behind the wheel of the Tony Stewart Racing Johnson Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat. Hagan advanced to his eighth career final round at the Texas venue, concluding the weekend as the runner-up against J.R. Todd. The performance expands Hagan's lead in the NHRA Mission points standings to 98 markers over Jordan Vandergriff, with only two events left in the 20-race 2026 campaign.
The event also featured strong efforts across the Top Fuel category from TSR drivers Leah Pruett and team owner Tony Stewart. Pruett clocked the lowest elapsed time of the opening round of eliminations with a 3.684-second blast in her TSR Mobil 1 Dodge dragster, before exiting in the quarterfinals. Stewart set a track speed record during qualifying at 343.70 mph and advanced to the quarterfinals before dropping traction against Justin Ashley.
Exterior Styling, Platform and Proportions
The newly victorious 2026 Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak represents a purpose-built, race-ready interpretation of the next-generation Dodge Charger platform. Tailored specifically for straight-line competition in the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown, the vehicle's bodywork mirrors the proportions and design language of the modern production Charger, offering drag-race-ready alterations aimed at sanctioning compliance and aerodynamic stability.
For consumers, the road-going multi-energy Dodge Charger lineup carries this design direction across both two-door coupe and four-door sedan body configurations. The platform is engineered to support both fully electric and internal combustion systems. Exterior elements showcase wide, muscular stances across the trims, highlighted by standard all-wheel-drive hardware beneath the chassis and aerodynamic features tuned for high-speed balance.
Powertrain, Performance and Specifications
Competition power in the Factory Stock Showdown Charger Drag Pak comes courtesy of an SRT race HEMI engine assembled with Ray Barton Racing Engines support. In the final round against Hartman, Pawuk registered an elapsed time of 7.522 seconds to take the victory, which stood as the lowest elapsed time in the class during the Texas showdown. In Top Fuel, Pruett's dragster commands an estimated 12,000 horsepower, setting an opening-round benchmark of 3.684 seconds before recording a 3.735-second run in the quarterfinals. Hagan posted early elimination runs of 3.918, 3.948, and 3.931 seconds in Funny Car before a cylinder drop led to a 4.050-second finish in the final round.
Alongside its professional racing machinery, Dodge outlined powertrain outputs across its showroom lineup. The street-legal Dodge Charger features a choice between twin-turbocharged inline-six Hurricane engines and an all-electric architecture, while the Durango lineup continues to offer supercharged and naturally aspirated HEMI V-8 power.
| Vehicle Model | Engine / Powertrain | Horsepower Output |
|---|---|---|
| Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack | All-Electric Multi-Energy System | 670 hp |
| Dodge Charger Scat Pack | 3.0L Twin-Turbo SIXPACK H.O. I-6 | 550 hp |
| Dodge Charger R/T | 3.0L Twin-Turbo SIXPACK S.O. I-6 | 420 hp |
| Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat | Supercharged HEMI V-8 | 710 hp |
| Dodge Durango GT HEMI AWD | 5.7-Liter HEMI V-8 | 360 hp |
| TSR Dodge Top Fuel Dragster | Nitro-burning Race Engine | 12,000 hp |
Cabin, Infotainment and Interior Technology
Interior equipment details for the competition-focused Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak focus strictly on driver safety, weight reduction, and sanctioning requirements, omitting conventional road-car amenities. Specific cabin details, digital displays, and upholstery materials for the Drag Pak were not disclosed in the official competition release.
Regarding road-going utility, Dodge confirmed that its high-performance SUV offering, the Durango SRT Hellcat Jailbreak, provides broad interior versatility. Designed as a three-row performance SUV, the Jailbreak edition provides customers with extensive personalization options, unlocking more than 13 million potential customization combinations spanning cabin materials, finishes, and exterior touches.
Trims, Safety Suite and Availability
A limited number of race-ready 2026 Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak models are made available for purchase directly via Direct Connection. Pricing, warranty, and specific active driver-assist safety suites were not disclosed in the source material for the Drag Pak. The street lineup spans the Charger R/T, Charger Scat Pack, Charger Daytona Scat Pack, Durango GT HEMI AWD, and Durango SRT Hellcat.
Dodge confirmed that the 710-horsepower Durango SRT Hellcat is certified and available across all 50 US states. Furthermore, buyers who purchase a SIXPACK-powered Charger Scat Pack, Charger Daytona Scat Pack, or Durango SRT Hellcat receive one day of performance driving instruction at the Radford Racing School, the official high-performance driving facility of Dodge//SRT.
AkulRide Verdict
Dodge's performance at the Texas Motorplex illustrates a structured, parallel execution between factory racing efforts and consumer engineering. Mark Pawuk's victory in the Factory Stock Showdown validates the all-new 2026 Charger Drag Pak program early in its development cycle, proving that the next-generation chassis can produce winning elapsed times right out of the box.
With Matt Hagan strengthening his points lead in Funny Car, Tony Stewart setting track speed records at over 343 mph, and Leah Pruett returning successfully to Top Fuel competition, Tony Stewart Racing remains a potent operational force. The transfer of identity from the track to Dodge's production multi-energy Charger and supercharged Durango lines maintains the brand's clear commitment to straight-line motorsport performance.
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