OCALA, FL – Second year Top Fuel driver, team owner and Ocala, Florida resident Josh Hart made the trip to St. Louis earlier than expected to avoid any complications from Hurricane Ian. The business owner made sure his employees and facilities were taken care of and the driver of the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster that also has major support from TechNet turned his attention to the third race of the NHRA Countdown. After the first two playoff races Hart is looking to capitalize on a strong qualifying performance to make a move up the Top Fuel standings this weekend at the NHRA Midwest Nationals.

“We have not gotten off the start I wanted in the playoffs. We met as a team after Charlotte to pull together for these final four Countdown races,” said Hart, who raced to a final round earlier this season in Norwalk, Ohio. “I have an amazing team that is working incredibly hard to win this championship. The competition is strong, but we have to make sure we don’t beat ourselves and we take advantage of every opportunity.”

Last year at World Wide Technology Raceway as a non-Countdown contender Hart raced to the semifinals as the No. 10 qualifier beating the Countdown qualified teams of Justin Ashley and Brittany Force before losing to eventual series champion Steve Torrence in the third round. The success in his rookie year with two wins and multiple semifinals racing on a partial schedule motivated the entrepreneur to make a major investment over the off-season to run the whole NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series in 2022 and battle for the world title. In his first run through the playoffs Hart has seen the level of competition step up.

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CHARLOTTE, NC – Racing in his first Countdown following a breakout rookie campaign in 2021 Josh Hart is building momentum with four races remaining in the playoffs. With one final round to his credit this year, the defending Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals Top Fuel champion was looking to race to back-to-back wins at zMax Dragway. The R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster was one of the quickest dragsters on the property through two days of qualifying entering race day as the No. 6 qualifier. They rolled off the trailer and posted the second quickest pass of the first day of qualifying and Hart wrapped up the final session with a 3.696 second pass.

Hart and his R+L Carriers team lined up beside eight-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher with lane choice and the confidence of a team ready to secure their first win over the winningest Top Fuel driver of all time. Before the NHRA officials gave the signal to start Hart’s team was furiously working to adjust the blower tension. Schumacher’s team waited, returning the sportsmanship Hart showed him in Brainerd when they held up in the second round to allow Schumacher to reach the starting line. Today Hart jumped off the starting line and never trailed in the race advancing to the quarterfinals. His winning time of 3.708 seconds was just slightly off his quickest qualifying time.

In the quarterfinals Hart drew veteran Clay Millican, who recently became part of NASCAR team owner Rick Ware’s stable of motorsports teams. A resurgent Millican, who qualified No. 3, was also looking to make a statement in the Countdown. Hart was not taking him lightly grabbing a solid starting line advantage with a .043 second reaction time against Millican’s .062. As his R+L Carriers dragster began to launch it smoked the tires while Hart watched Millican was on a smooth run. It was a tough way to wrap up his Betway Carolina Nationals title defense.

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OCALA, FL – Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team will head to zMax Dragway on a mission to defend their 2021 title and battle their way to the top of the Top Fuel Countdown field. The second race of the NHRA Countdown, the Betway Carolina NHRA Nationals, is one that Hart is all too familiar with thanks to his rookie season victory just over a year ago. Hart qualified No. 7 and raced his way through Alex Laughlin in the first round and then three Countdown contenders Mike Salinas, Justin Ashley and Brittany Force to earn the second Top Fuel victory of his young career. The win was significant because Hart was wrapping up his rookie season racing only half of the national events and taking on teams fighting for the championship.

“We have learned a lot this season and we are still a young team,” said Hart. “The success we had in my rookie year was not a fluke and we have a championship caliber group. Thanks to R+L Carriers, TechNet and all our sponsors I am living my dream of racing against the best Top Fuel teams in the world. We are going to keep proving that we belong. Charlotte is a great facility and I can’t wait to get back there and start turning on win lights.”

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READING, PA – In his first full season as a Top Fuel driver and team owner Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team are in the thick of one of the toughest battles for the Camping World Drag Racing Series world championship. Hart, who last year won twice and raced to a handful of semifinal finishes in just thirteen races, competing on a partial schedule tackled all sixteen regular season national events of 2022. Today he competed in his first playoff national event with the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals.

The driver from Ocala, Florida, qualified No. 9 after two days that included three runs which highlighted steady improvement from the former Top Alcohol Dragster national event winner. Hart’s final two passes of qualifying were strong 3.742 second and 3.733 second passes. His final qualifying pass was the third quickest of the session and earned him a valuable qualifying bonus point.

“We made some good runs to close out qualifying,” said Hart. “We knew we would have a tough first round. This is what the playoffs are all about. There are no easy opponents.”

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OCALA, FL – For the first time Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster team will be in contention for the Camping World Top Fuel championship when the Countdown starts this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway. Entering the six-race playoff sitting in fifth place the second-year driver and team owner is only 50 points away from the top spot thanks to the revised playoff point structure. Hart has three semifinals and a runner-up at the Norwalk National event to his credit this season and the 2021 breakout Top Fuel star is ready to take on a tough Top Fuel field for his first Top Fuel championship.

“We have been building momentum all season for this moment,” said Hart, who had a very successful Top Alcohol Dragster career before making the jump to Top Fuel. “Last year we surprised some people but now we are right in the thick of this championship race. We have held our position in fifth place most of the season but now is our chance to make a move with this R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster.”

In his rookie season Hart won two national events including the historic Gatornationals in his debut race. In the Countdown he won the Carolina Nationals and was a tough competitor. Racing on a part-time schedule Hart narrowly missed the top ten cutoff to qualify for the playoffs and his performance in 2021 should bode well for a strong run in the 2022 Countdown.

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – The 68th installment of the NHRA U. S.  Nationals featured the quickest Top Fuel field in history and closed out the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series regular season. Over two dozen race cars were vying for one of the sixteen spots in the Top Fuel field. Josh Hart and the TechNet Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster worked their way through three days of qualifying to enter race day as the 8th quickest Top Fuel dragster. Hart defeated Doug Foley in the opening round, locking his TechNet and R+L Carriers Top Fuel team into fifth place for the NHRA’s Countdown six-race play-off. In the quarterfinals Hart’s run for his third U.S. Nationals title, a Top Fuel Wally, to join his two Top Alcohol Dragster trophies ended in a close race.

“That was a tough loss,” said Hart. “In the first round I got out of my routine so in the second round I think I was a little hesitant. I rolled in and we had about the same light, but I want to do better than second round finishes. We just need to break through this second round rut and I think the Countdown will be a great place to do that.”

Hart’s consistency has been a key to his success this season as the highest positioned Top Fuel driver without a win yet this season. Two weeks ago he reset his career best elapsed time and speed records and this weekend in Indianapolis Hart’s TechNet Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster was in the mix with the best race cars in drag racing.  In three of the four qualifying sessions Hart was in the top four quickest race cars in the class. Racing at Lucas Oil Raceway holds a special place for Hart who is returning to the site of his first national event win.

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OCALA, FL – Josh Hart will have a number of goals lined up for this weekend’s NHRA U. S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway when professional qualifying gets underway on Friday night. First and foremost, Hart, a second year Top Fuel team owner and driver, will be looking to take advantage of all five qualifying runs with his new look Brakes for Breasts TechNet Top Fuel dragster.  For the second year in a row Hart will be racing pink to support breast cancer research and working with primary sponsor TechNet and their over 15,000 repair shops to drive donations for this worthy cause.

“I am very proud to be associated with TechNet and the Brakes for Breasts program,” said Hart, a two-time U.S. Nationals winner in Top Alcohol Dragster category. “This program does an amazing job of raising donations for breast cancer research and engaging the thousands of TechNet retailers and their customers. I can’t wait to get this pink TechNet Brakes for Breast Top Fuel dragster on the track and into the winner’s circle.”

Hart will also be racing to hold onto his position in fifth place in the Top Fuel point standings as the regular season ends in Indianapolis. For the first time in his young career Hart will qualify for the Countdown and its six-race playoff format. He will race for his first Top Fuel world championship beginning two weeks after the U.S. Nationals. Last year as a part-time competitor Hart won the Carolina Nationals playoff race beating three Countdown contenders in the process.

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OCALA, FL – For the second consecutive season NHRA Top Fuel championship contender Josh Hart will be racing pink in support of the Brakes for Breasts charity campaign aligned with his primary sponsor TechNet Professional, an elite network of automotive repair shops across North America. During the 68th annual U.S. Nationals this weekend Hart, who is currently fifth in the Top Fuel point standing, will not only race a pink 11,000 horsepower TechNet land rocket but will also be promoting TechNet repair shops who will be raising funds for breast cancer research.

“I am very proud to be associated with TechNet and the Brakes for Breasts program,” said Hart, a two-time U.S. Nationals winner in Top Alcohol Dragster category. “This program does an amazing job of raising donations for breast cancer research and engaging the thousands of TechNet shops and their customers. I can’t wait to get this pink TechNet Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster on the track and into the winner’s circle.”

Part of the Advance Auto Parts portfolio of brands, TechNet Professional Automotive Service features a network of more than 15,000 repair shops across the U.S. and Canada. TechNet shops are locally owned and focused on delivering exceptional customer care and service. Shops that are part of TechNet Nation employ highly skilled and trained staff while also using quality parts from Carquest, DieHard® batteries and other leading brands. Shops also participate in important charitable initiatives in the communities they serve, such as Brakes for Breasts.

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BRAINERD, MN – Over three days in the land of 10,000 lakes Josh Hart and the R+L Carrier Top Fuel dragster team rewrote their personal performance record book at both ends of the spectrum. When two days of qualifying concluded yesterday Hart had secured his best qualifying starting position, No. 2 in a tough field, with his career quickest elapsed time of 3.668 seconds. The second-year pro and contender for the Top Fuel championship earned four qualifying bonus points by posting the second quickest passes in each of the final two qualifying rounds. Heading into race day the confidence level was high for Hart and his team.

“We really made the most of the qualifying run opportunities,” said Hart. “Back-to-back runs in the 3.60s shows we have a strong dragster for the rest of the season. We have been racing in really hot conditions and this weekend mother nature cooled it down for us.”

Once again Hart and his Ron Douglas tuned Top Fuel dragster were the first pair to get the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals underway today. Hart continued his record setting weekend with a dominant first round win over Scott Farley. The driver from Ocala, Florida, was first off of the starting line and blasted down the track with a solid 3.710 second pass at a career fastest speed of 334.73 mph. The strong run continued three days of quick and fast runs by the R+L Carriers Technet Top Fuel team.

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OCALA, FL – For the last two and a half months Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster have been posting positive performance results at a championship level. They have moved up from eighth place to fifth place in the Camping World Top Fuel point standings and over the past five races they have avoided first round losses advancing to a final round, a semifinal and three quarterfinal finishes. The second-year driver and team owner is positioned to make a hard push to finish in the top four when the regular season concludes following this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals and the U.S. Nationals Labor Day weekend.

“We want to compete and win against the best of the best, which is why we are racing in the Camping World NHRA Drag Racing Series,” said Hart, a two-time Top Fuel national event winner. “Every race we feel like we have a racecar that can qualify at the top of the field and win the race on Sunday. We have come close this season and I know we can get the job done. Our next chance is this weekend in Brainerd which will be another brand-new track for me.”

This season racing on the full NHRA tour for the first time Hart has covered more miles from his homebase in Ocala, Florida, than many of the centrally located teams and drivers cover in multiple seasons. The race in Seattle took him nearly 3,000 miles from Florida and this weekend at Brainerd International Raceway it will be over 1,600 miles from his main business, Burnyzz Speed Shop. The different venues and cities have only motivated Hart to impress new fans and enhance the opportunities for his main sponsor R+L Carriers.

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