Five races into the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team have made significant strides. The championship-contending team has set performance records and posted consistently quick times in qualifying and on race day. Heading into the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals, the team is looking to start extending their round win streak on Sundays.
“We have all the pieces in place to have a lot of success. We just need to put them all together on the same weekend,” said Hart, a multi-time Top Fuel national event winner. “We have run in the 3.60s again and we are making full pulls under power. We have been working on several things on the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster to just get quicker at every increment down the track and we are seeing positive results. I am excited to get to Chicago.”
This will be Hart’s third time trying to win the Wally at the super-track located just outside of Chicago at Route 66 Raceway. In Hart’s first appearance at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 Nationals he raced to a runner-up finish as the No. 12 qualifier. He outran Antron Brown, Jacon McNeal and TJ Zizzo before falling to Clay Millican in the final. Last year Hart also qualified No. 12 and was upended in the opening round by Shawn Reed.
This season Hart is sitting in the Top Ten and has raced to at least the quarterfinals in the past three races. The fifth-year pro is focused on being consistent behind the wheel to continue to give his team the best chance for win lights on Sunday.
“Reaction times are so important in this class and that has been a major focus for me,” said Hart. “Everyone contributes to winning and my biggest contributions has to be being dependable and quick off the starting line. The past couple of seasons that has worked in our favor, and I want to keep my focus.”
Hart is looking forward to getting back to the traditional side-by-side format after back-to-back four-wide nationals. He has had success in the unique format but the driver and team owner from Ocala, Florida, enjoys the challenge of the head-to-head racing action.
“The four-wides are a lot of fun for the fans and I don’t mind the format, but I am looking forward to getting back to the heads up, first to the finish line format,” said Hart. “Chicago is a great facility and I have run well there before. Everyone on the team is ready to get back into action after a two-week layoff.”
Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team will have two qualifying runs on Friday, May 16 and then two more qualifying runs on May 17 at Route 66 Raceway. The 16 quickest Top Fuel dragsters after four rounds of qualifying will advance in competition for a chance at a Wally on Sunday, May 18 at 10:30 a.m. CT with the finals live on FS1. For tickets or more information on the Route 66 NHRA Nationals visit nhra.com.
This story was originally published on May 14, 2025. 
