Courtesy NHRA Communications
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 28, 2024) – Top Fuel standout Josh Hart will have the opportunity to defend his victory in the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout, which takes place on Saturday, March 9 as part of the 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at legendary Gainesville Raceway.
Hart, the defending event winner in the big-money specialty race, moved into the final spot after Leah Pruett opted not to compete in the Callout. A year ago, Hart won out of the No. 8 spot in the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout, and he’ll try to repeat that effort at his home track to kick off the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
“I have always believed ‘Anything’s Possible’ and this turn of events proves that you have to stay ready because anything can happen,” Hart said. “I am excited to get to mix it up with these other seven drivers. We won from the No. 8 spot last year and we will try and do it again. This R+L Carriers Top Fuel team learned a lot at the end of the season and over the off-season. We will be ready.”
Both Antron Brown and Shawn Langdon will move up one spot to sixth and seventh, respectively, with Hart jumping into the final position in the marquee specialty event. Four-time Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence is the top seed in the big-money specialty race and has the first pick to call out his opening-round opponent.
Doug Kalitta, Mike Salinas, Brittany Force and Justin Ashley make up the next four positions. If Kalitta isn’t called out, the veteran picks next, going down the line until all four first-round matchups are set. Then, the driver who makes the quickest winning run that round selects their semifinal opponent, locking in the other matchup.
The selections take place at 10 a.m. in the Top Eliminator Club. The first round of the Pep Boys Top Fuel All-Star Callout takes place on Saturday at 1:20 p.m. ET and the semifinals at 2:45 p.m. The finals are slated for 4:25 p.m. A special Callout broadcast will air at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1.
With Pruett not racing in Gainesville, her husband and team owner Tony Stewart, who is making his NHRA Top Fuel debut at the Gatornationals, is expected to compete in both qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday leading into Sunday eliminations.
The Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout, which started in 2022 and pits eight standouts against each other in a unique specialty shootout, includes a total purse of $130,000, a special Callout trophy and belt, and plenty of bragging rights. It’s also a field that includes five world champions, with Torrence, Kalitta, the 2023 world champion, Force, Brown and Langdon owning 11 combined world titles.
Last year, Hart, who won the Gatornationals in 2021 in his first career Top Fuel start, beat Austin Prock, Brittany Force and Mike Salinas from the No. 8 position to win the Callout.
Salinas (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won the Gatornationals in 2023. Fans will also see action in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+ and Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown.
To purchase tickets to the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Children 12 and under are free in general admission areas with the purchase of an adult ticket. Get your tickets now for the Top Eliminator Club before they sell out. For more info on NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.
2024 Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout Final Standings
1. Steve Torrence
2. Doug Kalitta
3. Mike Salinas
4. Brittany Force
5. Justin Ashley
6. Antron Brown
7. Shawn Langdon
8. Josh Hart
(Note: Torrence will get the first selection for the opening round, followed by the next-highest seeded driver until matchups are set.)
PEP BOYS NHRA TOP FUEL ALL-STAR CALLOUT SCHEDULE (ET):
Friday, March 8:
12:30 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout autograph session at Pep Boys display
Saturday, March 9
10:00 AM – Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout first-round selections in Top Eliminator Club (Get your TEC Tickets Today!)
12:45 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout opening ceremonies
1:00 PM – First round for Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout
2:45 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout for round two. This will be conducted at the top end. The winning driver who makes the quickest run in the first round earns the right to select their semifinal opponent.
4:25 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout final round
7:00 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout show airs on FS1
