OCALA, FL (September 24, 2025) — Heading into the NAPA Midwest NHRA Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway Top Fuel Countdown contender Josh Hart will be looking to make positive strides towards his first Top Fuel world championship. With four playoff races remaining Hart, who currently sits tenth, will need to go rounds on Sunday, a feat the driver and team owner from Ocala, Florida, accomplished in 2022 when he raced to a runner-up finish. He will be piloting the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster into competition with support from Burnyzz Speed Shop and David H Davies Racing (DHDR).
“We have had some success in St. Louis, but we need to get back on track this Countdown,” said Hart, a multi-time Top Fuel national event winner. “The first two Countdown races haven’t gone our way. We have seen some other teams make big jumps in the points with race wins and we are looking to take advantage of that opportunity this weekend.”
Josh Hart and R+L Carriers Top Fuel team looking to launch championship run in St. Louis, photo credit KZ Photography
Josh Hart Looks to St Louis to Launch Championship Momentum
OCALA, FL (September 24, 2025) — Heading into the NAPA Midwest NHRA Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway Top Fuel Countdown contender Josh Hart will be looking to make positive strides towards his first Top Fuel world championship. With four playoff races remaining Hart, who currently sits tenth, will need to go rounds on Sunday, a feat the driver and team owner from Ocala, Florida, accomplished in 2022 when he raced to a runner-up finish. He will be piloting the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster into competition with support from Burnyzz Speed Shop and David H Davies Racing (DHDR).
“We have had some success in St. Louis, but we need to get back on track this Countdown,” said Hart, a multi-time Top Fuel national event winner. “The first two Countdown races haven’t gone our way. We have seen some other teams make big jumps in the points with race wins and we are looking to take advantage of that opportunity this weekend.”
Josh Hart and R+L Carriers Top Fuel team looking to launch championship run in St. Louis, photo credit KZ Photography
This season Hart has continued to dominate behind the steering wheel holding one of the quickest and most consistent reaction times in the Top Fuel category. Last weekend at the Carolina 4-Wide NHRA Nationals he was first off the line in the opening round versus world champion drivers Doug Kalitta and Antron Brown, recording a stellar .038 second reaction time, second quickest of the first session.
“I am working to give this team every advantage on race day and the best thing I can do is get off the starting line first,” said Hart. “We have an amazing group of crew guys working on this R+L Carriers dragster. This is the end of a three race in three weeks stretch so we are all digging deep to give it our best.”
Last week in Charlotte Hart raced the beautiful Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster raising awareness for breast cancer research. For the home stretch of the Countdown, he will be racing the familiar green and yellow land rocket repping long-time sponsor R+L Carriers. The shift in liveries does not mean his focus has moved on from Brakes for Breasts. For the fifth consecutive season Hart raced in pink in support of the Brakes for Breasts charity campaign aligned with his sponsor TechNet Professional, an elite network of automotive repair shops across North America. Fans can still support the program by making donations here.
“I am very proud to be associated with TechNet and the Brakes for Breasts program,” said Hart. “This program does an amazing job of raising donations for breast cancer research and engaging the thousands of TechNet shops and their customers. I was thrilled to get this pink TechNet Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster on the track last weekend.”
In addition to his success in 2022 Hart and the R+L Carriers team raced to the semifinals his rookie season at the Midwest Nationals. His best qualifying effort at the third race of the countdown was a start from the No. 2 spot in 2022. The past two seasons Hart had had an early exit in St. Louis in two close races.
“We are working every race to build on consistency with the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team,” said Hart. “It is the playoffs and everyone has raised their game. We have all the parts, pieces and personnel to win races, we just need some things to fall our way on race day.”
The multi-talented driver will also be closing out his rookie season racing in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series this weekend. This will be Hart’s eighth race driving the Burnyzz Speed Shop Dodge Challenger Drag Pak. Competing in two classes keeps Hart’s racing focus sharp and also lets him highlight his Mopar passion in a door-slamming class racing against Chevrolet COPO Camaros and Ford Mustang Cobra Jets.
“I have always been a huge fan of Mopar and getting to race this Dodge Challenger Drag Pak has been a nice challenge this season,” said Hart. “When you are racing in two classes all you are thinking about is racing which I enjoy. It makes for a busy weekend but it also gives all our hospitality guests two opportunities to root the team on.”
Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team will have four qualifying runs to grab one of the 16 qualifier spots for Sunday’s Mission Foods Drag Racing Series eliminations. He’ll have three separate qualifiers for the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown class with eliminations getting underway on Saturday afternoon. Fans can tune into the national race broadcast on FS1 and for additional info on tickets they can visit www.nhra.com.
