By: Josh Hart Racing
OCALA, FL (March 5, 2025) —- Top Fuel team owner and driver Josh Hart has always kept a positive attitude even when times were tough. The fifth-year pro will be campaigning the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster at this weekend’s historic NHRA Gatornationals and for the businessman from Ocala, Florida, the pursuit of his first Top Fuel world championship is another goal in a long list of successes. Nearly two decades ago, with only $300 he started a mobile car detailing business with his wife Brittanie, and they built that business into multiple successful business ventures. He won his first professional Top Fuel NHRA national event at the 2021 NHRA Gatornationals and he won the first big money Top Fuel specialty race he ever competed in, the 2023 Pep Boys All-Star Top Fuel Callout. He is once again focusing his “Anything’s Possible” mantra on the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and the run for the world championship.
“I am very focused and excited to get this season started,” said Hart, a multi-time national event winner. “We made some changes over the offseason that have already started to pay off. We added Jason McCulloch to the team to work with crew chief Ron Douglas and we have some new crew guys. I think we will be ready to go for the Gatornationals and I would love to start the season with another win. We came close a few weeks ago in Bradenton.”
Hart along with a host of top NHRA teams participated in the 2nd annual SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout at Bradenton Motorsports Park the first weekend of February. The specialty race pitted the top full-time Top Fuel and Funny Cars in an eight-car qualified field shootout following two days of qualifying. Hart raced to the final round losing a close race to Shawn Reed. His R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster was flawless on race day and that performance has Hart and the entire team very motivated for more success at Gainesville Raceway.
“The PRO Superstar Shootout was a lot of fun,” said Hart. “We went some rounds and that was a close race in the final with Shawn. I think it showed that this R+L Carriers team will be a threat every race and we are going to work to get even better. Our performance numbers were very quick in the warmer conditions and now we are working on getting quicker and faster when it cools off. We are planning to try and get some runs in testing before the Gatornationals but either way we will be ready when qualifying starts on Friday.”
Hart has had success at Gainesville Raceway winning his first Top Fuel national event in 2021 and then winning the big money specialty race, the Pep Boys Allstar Top Fuel Callout in 2023. Last year as the No. 12 qualifier he upset Tony Schumacher in the first round and bowed out in the quarterfinals to 2024 NHRA world champion Antron Brown.
Before the on-track action starts the Harts and their team members at Burnyzz Speed Shop in Ocala will host the 3rd annual Burnyzz Speed Shop Fanfest and Car Show on Wednesday night. The free event has become the must-attend fan event leading up to the Gatornationals with over three dozen NHRA professional drivers as well as a host of former Gatornationals winners including Big Daddy Don Garlits, Frank Hawley and driver turned crew chief David Grubnic in attendance signing autographs for fans. A complete list of drivers scheduled to attend can be found here. There will also be hundreds of classic cars on display along with a live band, food trucks and all sorts of activities for kids.
“The Fanfest has become a fun event for everyone at Burnyzz Speed Shop to host,” said Brittanie Hart, co-owner of Burnyzz Speed Shop. “We do multiple car shows throughout the year to raise money for local charities. This is our first year that we’ve had a sponsor for the event. Citizens First Bank reached out, and they just thought that it was such a great event, so they wanted to be a part of it. We have a different charity this year.”
“We try to choose a different one each year that we put on this event. So, all funds we raise will be donated to EARS, a local endangered animal sanctuary. We’ll have a live band, about eight food trucks, balloon animals, face painting, and tons of cool cars. There will be handmade trophies for the car show. It should be a lot of fun.”
Hart will turn his attention to the race on Friday with two qualifying runs. On Saturday the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team will get two more qualifying sessions to grab as high a spot in the 16-car qualified field. Final eliminations will begin on Sunday at 11 a.m. ET with the race being televised nationally on FS1. For more information about the race or to purchase tickets visit www.nhra.com.
