The 2nd annual SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout will once again be the must-see drag racing event to start the 2025 season with NHRA stars from Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock shaking off the rust from a busy off-season. Ocala, Florida’s Josh Hart will be looking to capture his first NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series championship, and that pursuit begins this weekend at Bradenton Motorsports Park. The three-day exhibition race starts Thursday, February 6, with one round of qualifying at 7:30 p.m. followed by three rounds of qualifying on Friday. The fan-friendly event will feature racing, driver autographs, Q&As and a free live concert on Saturday night after the race concludes.
“The fans in Florida and around the country are always great,” said Hart, a multi-time Top Fuel national event winner. “The interaction is second to none. And for me, especially here at the SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout, we have Burnyzz Speed Shop on-site. We are really trying to do a little bit of marketing in 2025 for my company and this is a great event to start. I’m super blessed all the way around and I think it’s gonna be great event for everyone.”
Hart is focused on getting the season off to a fast start and over the off-season he bolstered his team with the addition of Jason McCulloch as co-crew chief. McCulloch will team up with Ron Douglas to work on lowering Hart’s elapsed times and turning on even more win lights in 2025. Hart has won two Top Fuel national events in his career along with the 2023 Pep Boys All-Star Callout specialty race at his home track, Gainesville Raceway. In a month Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster will be on track at the NHRA Gatornationals and the team owner and driver is eager to get back into the championship chase.
| “This year I’m trying to be extremely positive about everything, and so far, I have no reason not to be,” said Hart, who posted the third quickest ET of the first day of testing. “We had a good performance yesterday, with clean warm-ups and clean shutoffs, and we made a great pass. I think we were third fastest on the property yesterday, and that’s great. We have a new engine combination and a lot of new brain power. I’m super excited all the way around to just have an awesome PRO Superstar Shootout and really kick the season off in the right direction.” The successful format of last year’s event will carry over in 2025. After qualifying on Thursday and Friday, the elimination round matchups of the 8-car field on Saturday will be determined by a chip draw, a feature that is unique to the SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout. The higher qualified drivers will draw chips with competitor names to determine first-round match ups. Subsequent rounds will also be decided by random draws, giving fans and teams a thrill of uncertainty and excitement as the race day progresses. Additionally, Top Fuel and Funny Car will face off in a fan-favorite Top Fuel versus Funny Car Chicago Style race. Additional information on the event can be found at www.prosuperstarshootout.com. Tickets can be purchased here. |
This story was originally published on February 5, 2025. 
