JOSH HART READY TO STEP UP IN COUNTDOWN FOR CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE
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.
“We raced the end of the season last year as if we were in playoff contention,” said Hart. “We want to prove we belong this year and race with the best of the best. My crew chief Ron Douglas has a lot of experience and the whole team has been working well together. This will be my 31st career Top Fuel race and every race I am getting more experience and more comfortable.”
Over the off-season Hart invested in additional parts and a brand-new Top Fuel dragster. The sixteen-race regular season has seen the team work out several kinks to be prepared for a six-race dash to the championship. Top qualifying efforts have Hart and the R+L Carriers team ready for a quick and fast Maple Grove Raceway track surface. The last four national events Hart has started in the top half of the field including No. 2 and No. 3 starting spots in Topeka and Brainerd.
“This year has been our first full season on tour and every race we are getting better,” said Hart. “The investment we made over the off-season is starting to pay off and these next six races will be a lot of fun but also a great opportunity for R+L Carriers and all our marketing partners.”
At every national event Hart hosts R+L Carriers employees and guests in his pit area to talk about career opportunities and the family-owned company. Additionally, fans at the event can engage with Hart and R+L Carriers representatives about careers across the country.
“Our relationship with R+L Carriers has been a blessing for this team and also our fans across the country,” said Hart. “The career opportunities can change peoples lives and there are jobs across the country in every area of the company. R+L Carriers is a family owned and operated company that for over five decades has supported the R+L family and companies across the country.”
Friday night qualifying will begin with Top Fuel and Funny Car and Hart along with the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster will get their first opportunity to make qualifying runs on the quick and fast Maple Grove Raceway track. Saturday will feature two more qualifying runs with the 16 quickest Top Fuel dragsters racing for glory starting on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET. FOX will broadcast the race nationally on Sunday afternoon.
photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery
