Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team will be back on track for the 40th Arizona NHRA Nationals this weekend at Firebird Motorsports Park outside of Phoenix, looking to build momentum for their 2025 championship run. Two weeks ago, at the season opener in Gainesville, Florida, rain plagued the event, cutting the qualifying opportunities in half and creating tough racing conditions for all the teams on race day. Hart and the R+L Carriers team are looking forward to four qualifying runs and a solid race day effort.
“I feel like Gainesville was a tough situation because we were dealt a bad hand with the weather,” said Hart. “That first round was a good luck type of deal. No one really knew what to expect, and you were just hoping to go down the track. I am happy we came home OK and had no major parts damaged.”
Hart’s history at Firebird Motorsports Park has been a mixed bag of success and frustration. In 2022, at his first start in the desert, he qualified No. 8 and raced to a semifinal finish. The next two appearances saw his team make some solid runs in qualifying but never advance to the quarterfinals. This year, Hart is focused on making the most out of the qualifying runs and turning on four win lights on Sunday.
“Phoenix should be incredible,” said Hart. “The weather will be epic, and cars will be flying down the track. I can’t wait to get there and start making quick runs.”
Since his rookie debut in 2021, when Hart won his first professional start as well as a Countdown race in the fall, the entrepreneur from Florida has expanded his racing program and added key elements to his team. The multi-time Top Alcohol Dragster driver has been in the championship mix at the highest level, but this year, with the addition of some key personnel, Hart is feeling confident about winning the Top Fuel championship. Over the off-season, Hart hired veteran chief Jason “Jake” McCulloch as well as Joe Barlam to work with long-time R+L Carriers crew chief Ron Douglas.
This story was originally published on March 19, 2025. 
