Josh Hart may not have left wine country with a Wally, but the R+L Carriers Top Fuel driver showed clear signs of resurgence at the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals — both on the track and in mindset. Coming off a frustrating first-round loss in Seattle, Hart came into Sonoma with a new perspective, courtesy of some straight talk from his wife, Brittanie.
“After Seattle my wife said, ‘If it’s not fun and you’re not going to focus, you should park it and come home,’” Hart admitted. “Like usual, she was right. I can say it was a fun weekend and I was able to focus heading into the first round.”
That renewed focus paid off. Hart made steady progress through qualifying, improving in each of the first three sessions and locking into the No. 6 spot on the ladder with a stout 3.704-second pass at 331.53 mph in Q3 — earning a bonus point for third-quickest of the session.
Sunday opened with a highly anticipated Round 1 rematch against Tony Stewart. The last time out, Stewart got the best of Hart. But in Sonoma, Hart flipped the script. He left the line first with a .060 light and never trailed, handing Stewart his first Round 1 loss of the season with a 3.746 at 329.26 mph.
In the quarterfinals, Hart found himself in another marquee matchup — this time against reigning world champion Doug Kalitta. Again, Hart was sharp on the tree with a .054 reaction time, but his 12,000-horsepower R+L Carriers dragster overpowered the track and spun the tires downtrack, allowing Kalitta to cruise past with a 3.719 at 336.65 mph.
“As a driver, you only get control of your attitude and your reaction time,” Hart said. “This weekend, I did a good job with both.”
Hart’s quarterfinal finish in Sonoma helped him hold steady in the Top 10, currently sitting ninth in points with two races left in the regular season. With his R+L Carriers team showing signs of momentum and his mindset in a better place, the Burnyzz Speed Shop owner looks to keep building toward the Countdown to the Championship.
The team returns to action at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, August 14–17, at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota.
This story was originally published on July 27, 2025. 
