Toyota confirms its NHRA strategy following 2025 season
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio
NHRA management and a handful of championship-caliber drag racing teams will be going places without Toyota following the 2025 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Toyota Motor North America announced its planned departure from the sport Wednesday from its headquarters in Plano, Texas.
Antron Brown. Photo by Marc Gewertz/NHRA
Among the teams affected will be Torrence Racing, located in Kilgore, Texas, and home to four-time Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence and his father Billy.
“Our NHRA Drag Racing involvement has brought much success and pride across our entire organization,” said Paul Doleshal, group manager, motorsports, TMNA. “Our NHRA drivers and teams have truly become part of our Toyota family.
“We look forward to competing for more wins and championships with our supported teams in the upcoming season, and we will work diligently along the way to make sure each team and driver have the tools necessary to compete at the highest level for the years to come.”
Toyota currently provides its NHRA teams with tow vehicles as well as OEM-specific engineering, technology and trackside support through Toyota Racing Development U.S.A. Those programs will continue through the 2025 season.
In addition to Torrence Racing, Toyota partners with four-time/reigning Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown at AB Motorsports; Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria at DC Motorsports; 2023 Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta, 2018 Funny Car world champ J.R. Todd and 2013 Top Fuel world champ Shawn Langdon at Kalitta Motorsports; three-time Funny Car world champion Ron Capps at Ron Capps Motorsports and SCAG Racing’s Top Fuel program featuring Justin Ashley.
Toyota Motor North America is the operating subsidiary overseeing all operations of Toyota Motor Corporation in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Its operations include research and development, manufacturing, sales, marketing, after-sales and corporate functions. Headquartered in Plano, TMNA also operates offices in Georgetown, Ken.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Washington, D.C. and New York City.
NHRA management, led by President Glen Cromwell, addressed Toyota’s decision via a press release issued without attribution: “We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Toyota for an incredible 24-year partnership that has contributed significantly to the growth and success of NHRA Drag Racing. Over the past two-plus decades, Toyota has played an integral role in bringing the excitement of the NHRA to fans worldwide.
“They have been a tremendous partner to our race teams, providing great trackside support and innovative technology and engineering that has led to fantastic success, countless milestones and a wealth of thrilling victories and championships. As this longtime partnership comes to a close at the end of the 2025 season, we take pride in what has been accomplished.
“We wish Toyota continued success and thank them again for their important role in NHRA drag racing. Looking ahead, the NHRA remains energized about what is in store for 2025 and beyond, and we are dedicated to building upon our strong foundation. The future of NHRA drag racing is bright, and we will continue to work closely with our race teams, partners and member tracks on exciting new opportunities.”
Toyota entered NHRA Drag Racing competition in 2002, winning for the first time at the prestigious Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., in March 2004. Toyota since has recorded over 200 race wins, 12 world championships _ including back-to-back titles in Top Fuel by Kalitta and Brown. The manufacturer will start the 2025 season in March with a 43-race final-round consecutive streak.
Toyota, which has served as Official Car of the NHRA since 2014, won its first Manufacturers Cup championship this year.
Mike Knudsen has been promoted to crew chief on Matt Hagan’s Dodge Funny Car fielded by Tony Stewart Racing, with Phil Shuler joining the championship-winning team heading into the 2025 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
The change in Hagan’s tuning team marks the end of Dickie Venables’ tenure at TSR. Hagan finished fourth in the final 2024 standings, a distant 298 points behind first-time world champion Austin Prock in a Chevrolet Camaro SS fielded by John Force Racing.
Knudsen has been paired with Hagan since 2013, having made the move to TSR from Don Schumacher Racing in 2022 with the formation of Stewart’s new team. Hagan and co-crew chief Knudsen earned world championships together in 2014, 2020 and 2023.
Knudsen started his career in Funny Car with Jim Head Racing and later moved to the Funny Car fielded by Jerry Toliver. In 2005 Knudsen joined DSR, where he worked with Whit Bazemore, Gary Scelzi, Cory McClenathan and Spencer Massey, before moving to Hagan’s crew.
“First, I’d like to thank Dickie Venables for all of his contributions at TSR,” team-owner Stewart said in a news release. “He and Matt were able to accomplish a lot together over the years and we’re honored they were able to earn the team’s first Funny Car championship together (in 2023). His mentorship and talents have been an asset to all the men around him.
“Many in the industry may question why the change. All I can say is as a team-owner you are presented with difficult decisions often, and the call we made to elevate Mike Knudsen to the crew chief role is what is ultimately best for the dynamic of this team.
“I’m very proud of Mike. He is a strong leader and great tuner and well-prepared to take on this new position. With this change, we are also excited to have Phil Shuler join the team alongside Mike. He has a prominent background in the NHRA and I’m looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish together.”
Knudsen also acknowledged and thanked Venables as his mentor. “I feel very prepared to step into the crew chief role,” Knudsen said. “I couldn’t ask for a better situation. Tony is the best owner in the NHRA, and we have a championship-winning team that’s led by Alex Conaway (car chief), also with Matt being a four-time championship-winning driver.
“I’m also excited to bring Phil on-board. He and I have multiple years of experience working together at DSR. I feel we will really complement each other as co-crew chiefs. We’re excited to get the 2025 season underway and hunt down that fifth championship for Matt.”
Shuler will serve as Hagan’s co-crew chief. Shuler has compiled an extensive NHRA tuning background, most recently serving as assistant crew chief at Maynard Family Racing on eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher’s Top Fuel operation. From 2003 to 2006, Shuler worked with NHRA legend Don “The Snake” Prudhomme.
Shuler joined DSR in 2006, collaborating with “Fast” Jack Beckman, Gary Scelzi, Jerry Toliver, Cory McClenathan and Spencer Massey through 2016. Prior to the 2017 season, Shuler joined the U.S. Army team, where he served as assistant crew chief on the dragster driven by Schumacher, aka “The Sarge.” Shuler stepped away from NHRA nitromethane racing after the 2019 season to work on Pro Mods before returning to the nitro ranks with Maynard Family Racing in 2022.
“I’m really excited to get the opportunity to work with Tony Stewart Racing,” Shuler said. “There are a lot of people there that I’ve worked with over the years at DSR and have a good relationship with. I’ve worked with Mike Knudsen a lot. He handled clutch on a car I was one of the crew chiefs on back in the day. He has always been a very sharp individual and has moved up the ranks. This is a well-deserved opportunity for him and I’m excited to help him wherever I can. We will try to have the best Funny Car in the NHRA in 2025.”
A NASCAR Hall of Famer, Stewart capped his first season as fulltime Top Fuel driver with his selection as 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year. Stewart advanced to a pair of final rounds, four semifinals, a berth in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs and a ninth-place finish in points. Stewart took over driving duties from his wife, Top Fuel standout Leah Pruett, this year as the couple focused on starting a family.
Tony Stewart Racing has earned 16 wins since the team’s inception in 2022. Hagan scored 13 of those victories, as well as TSR’s first Funny Car world championship in 2023 _ the fourth of his career. Knudsen took on a greater role recently, making the tuning decision for Hagan’s win during the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at International Drag Racing Hall of Famer Billy Meyer’s Texas Motorplex in Ennis.
Hagan prevailed on The Plex’s signature all-concrete surface for the second consecutive year in October by trailering Bobby Bode, two-time world champion Cruz Pedregon, Daniel Wilkerson and three-time world champ/former DSR teammate Capps en route to his 52nd career victory. Hagan notched his third win of the season with a 1,000-foot run of 3.943-seconds at 327.65 mph in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat.
The 2025 NHRA season is scheduled to begin March 6-9 with the 56th annual NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in Florida.
Final 2024 professional point standings (top-10) following the season-ending 59th annual In-N-Out NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona (Calif.) Dragstrip:
Top Fuel _ 1. Antron Brown, 2,600; 2. Doug Kalitta, 2,538; 3. Justin Ashley, 2,526; 4. Shawn Langdon, 2,513; 5. Brittany Force, 2,478; 6. Clay Millican, 2,461; 7. Steve Torrence, 2,447; 8. Tony Schumacher, 2,399; 9. Tony Stewart, 2,325; 10. Shawn Reed, 2,270.
Funny Car _ 1. Austin Prock, 2,817; 2. John Force, 2,651; 3. Ron Capps, 2,529; 4. Matt Hagan, 2,519; 5. Bob Tasca III, 2,435; 6. Blake Alexander, 2,394; 7. Daniel Wilkerson, 2,369; 8. J.R. Todd, 2,336; 9. Chad Green, 2,300; 10. Cruz Pedregon, 2,262.
Pro Stock _ 1. Greg Anderson, 2,714; 2. Dallas Glenn, 2,703; 3. Aaron Stanfield, 2,702; 4. Erica Enders, 2,570; 5. Jeg Coughlin Jr., 2,425; 6. Matt Hartford, 2,355; 7. Cristian Cuadra, 2,339; 8. Jerry Tucker, 2,263; 9. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,254; 10. Eric Latino, 2,238.
Pro Stock Motorcycle _ 1. Gaige Herrera, 2,804; 2. Matt Smith, 2,715; 3. Richard Gadson, 2,511; 4. Angie Smith, 2,481; 5. Hector Arana Jr., 2,473; 6. Chase Van Sant, 2,457; 7. John Hall, 2,341; 8. Jianna Evaristo, 2,331; 9. Steve Johnson, 2,328; 10. Chris Bostick, 2,209.
