Tony Stewart Racing Inks Top Fuel, Funny Car Crew Chiefs

Tony Stewart

The details of Tony Stewart’s new, two-car NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series program are starting to come together. Stewart, the three-time NASCAR Cup Series titleholder, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing in the Cup Series and 1997 INDYCAR champion, is making his first foray into straight-line racing with an estimable team. Fiancee Leah Pruett is driving his new Top Fuel entry and three-time Funny Car champion will wheel the Funny Car when Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) encamps next February 17-20 for the season-starting Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by Protect the Harvest.

Dickie VenablesThis team will be starting from scratch. Well, nearly. The complete Funny Car team and its equipment will move from Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) to TSR’s workshops just a few blocks away in Brownsburg, IN Crew chief Dickie Venables is joining Hagan in making this career switch, as the Texan gathers his loyal crew and joins Stewart’s new enterprise. First, of course, they were attempting to earn back-to-back Funny Car titles in NHRA’s Auto Club Finals at Pomona. “We’d like nothing more than to do well this weekend and be able to take the championship,” Venables said. “We’ve got a lot to take care of, but I’m looking forward to what’s coming shortly thereafter.

“I’ve been doing this a lot of years,” he confessed,” and I honestly haven’t looked forward to a program as much as I’m looking forward to this one. Being able to bring all my guys over will help us get started on the right foot and really grow this program. That’s what intrigues me about this opportunity most of all. I enjoy being able to build things from scratch. I enjoy being able to work with people and teach them to work in certain roles.” In addition to Venables, who has worked two stints at DSR, co-crew chief Michael Knudsen and car chief Alex Conaway will continue with Venables at TSR.

This two-car team will be starting from scratch with regard to equipment. At this time they don’t have much, other than the location of their Brownsburg workshops. As the 2021season draws to a close, they have no chassis, no bodies, no haulers to accommodate the two cars, so this will be an opportunity for the team to make choices in their equipment. It is expected that both the Top Fuel and Funny Car rolling equipment will contain much from Don Schumacher Manufacturing, as both teams are familiar with DSM products and their manufacturing.

Neal StrausbaughLeah Pruett will see a familiar face in her crew chief’s quarters, as Neal Strausbaugh is taking on those duties after working with Pruett’s team for several years at DSR, as assistant crew chief with Todd Okuhara, who is remaining at DSR to lead Tony Schumacher’s return to Top Fuel competition. In fact, Strausbaugh and Venables have a combined 25 years experience with DSR and its successes. Strausbaugh will have co-crew chief Mike Domagala and car chief Ryan McGilvry by his side, but will have to build a new crew. Stewart confirmed his Top Fuel team will be “starting from scratch.”

Strausbaugh’s history in NHRA includes stints as assistant or co-crew chief in both nitro categories. He initially worked with Cory McClenathan in Top Fuel (2008), Tony Schumacher (2009-2016), Jack Beckman’s Funny Car in 2017-2018 and with Pruett from 2019 to the present time. “Being part of TSR is a dream situation,” said Hillsboro, IL native Strausbaugh. “There are a lot of great people who are a part of this team and it starts at the top with Tony. It’s built by racers, for racers and we have all the resources we need to be successful,” he said.

Tony Stewart, who started his long and successful career in open-wheel competition – and continues to race on both USAC and other open-wheel sanctions – knows the value of great personnel. “Joe Gibbs taught me, a long time ago, that you win with people, and Neal and Dickie are the right guys to help build this team and get it ready for next year. For the past year-and-a-half, I’ve gotten to know Neal and Dickie and have seen, first-hand, how they work and interact with everyone on the crew. Both have a strong work ethic and know what they’re doing,” Stewart continued, “but they also know each other and their drivers really well. That kind of familiarity and continuity is massively important, as we build this program from the ground up.”

About Anne Proffit 1232 Articles
Anne Proffit traces her love of racing - in particular drag racing - to her childhood days in Philadelphia, where Atco Dragway, Englishtown and Maple Grove Raceway were destinations just made for her. As a diversion, she was the first editor of IMSA’s Arrow newsletter, and now writes about and photographs sports cars, Indy cars, Formula 1, MotoGP, NASCAR, Formula Drift, Red Bull Global Rallycross - in addition to her first love of NHRA drag racing. A specialty is a particular admiration for the people that build and tune drag racing engines.

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