Tony Stewart’s meteoric rise in NHRA Top Fuel drag racing reached new heights on Sunday at Route 66 Raceway, as the motorsports icon captured his second victory in three races and claimed the championship points lead for the first time in his drag racing career.

Stewart powered his Rinnai dragster to victory with a 3.777-second run at 329.10 mph in the final round of the 25th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK, defeating Justin Ashley to continue his remarkable run of success in what has quickly become a championship-caliber season for the former NASCAR and IndyCar champion.

“You’ve got to believe we’re real now at this point,” Stewart said following his victory. “I wouldn’t have said it before today. Even in Vegas (for his first win), I said we’re making progress but we’re not where we need to be yet. But it’s hard to be the points leader and not think you’re a contender now.”

Stewart’s transition to NHRA drag racing has accelerated dramatically in recent months. Sunday’s victory marked his fourth consecutive final-round appearance and second win, coming just over a month after he earned his first career Top Fuel victory in Las Vegas.

The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion qualified impressively with a career-best run of 3.679 seconds before defeating Terry Totten, Shawn Reed, and Steve Torrence in eliminations to reach the final round against Ashley, one of the category’s most accomplished drivers.

In the final, Ashley left first with an impressive 0.042-second reaction time, but Stewart was right there with a 0.048 launch. The racing legend quickly ran down his opponent and cruised to victory, moving three points ahead of previous leader Shawn Langdon in the championship standings.

“I’m very grateful and it’s nice we’ve got a consistent car,” Stewart reflected. “There’s a lot that can happen and a lot of racing left, but I’m extremely proud of our team for the progress we’ve made and where we were a year ago to where we are now.”

Ashley, who advanced to his second final of the season with wins over Brittany Force, reigning world champion Antron Brown, and No. 1 qualifier Doug Kalitta, settled for runner-up honors.

In Funny Car competition, Jack Beckman delivered a clutch performance on the starting line to defeat John Force Racing teammate and reigning world champion Austin Prock in the final round.

Beckman’s reaction time advantage proved decisive as he recorded a 3.935-second pass at 325.77 mph in his PEAK Chevrolet SS to hold off Prock’s quicker 3.933 at 329.02 mph. Beckman’s superior 0.049-second reaction time gave him the holeshot victory and his second win of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

“Every win is great and I have a lot of trophies from places like Indy and my home track in Pomona, but winning here in Chicago, a track that was off the tour for a while is as good as it gets,” said Beckman, who was making his first appearance at Route 66 Raceway since 2019. “It’s also the headquarters for PEAK and we’ve got 623 employees here.”

The victory was particularly meaningful for Beckman, who returned to racing late last year to take over driving duties for the legendary John Force. Since his return, Beckman has accumulated four wins in 14 races and now sits second in the championship standings.

To reach the final, Beckman defeated Dave Richards, Chad Green, and Cruz Pedregon, while Prock advanced with victories over Bobby Bode, Paul Lee, and defending event winner Matt Hagan. The all-John Force Racing final ensured the organization’s dominance continued, having now won four of the first six races of the 2025 season.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, defending world champion Gaige Herrera continued his remarkable streak at Route 66 Raceway, defeating rival Matt Smith in the final round with a run of 6.777 seconds at 198.90 mph on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki.

The victory marked Herrera’s third consecutive win at the Chicago facility and second triumph of the 2025 season. The back-to-back world champion showcased his championship mettle with a phenomenal 0.005-second reaction time in the final round that helped secure his 23rd career win.

“The final was fun. Matt whacked the throttle and then I whacked the throttle and we both played with the stage lights. He brings out the best in me, but we’ve got a fast hot rod,” Herrera said. “I had a great reaction time and we came out on top, and that’s our main goal.”

Herrera’s weekend also included winning Saturday’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, giving him a clean sweep of the Chicago event. He qualified No. 1 for the third consecutive race this season and defeated John Hall and Chris Bostick in eliminations before facing Smith in the final.

“Seems like none of this is real,” Herrera reflected on his continued success. “It’s hard to keep track and hard to take it all in. I try to be a humble guy. I don’t want to come out and say it bluntly because I prefer to just show it on the race track.”

Smith, who reached his third consecutive final round of 2025 with victories over Wesley Wells, Jianna Evaristo, and Steve Johnson, now sits second in the championship standings behind Herrera.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continues its 2025 campaign with the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire, May 30-June 1.