Wed, 20 Aug 2025, 19:57 PM Josh Hart Stopped Early in Brainerd

Courtesy of Elon Werner, Werner Communications Photo credit Krista Zivcic Photography

BRAINERD, Minn. --- Exiting the Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster team will be looking for a fresh start at the famed U.S. Nationals Labor Day weekend. Through two days of qualifying Hart and his Ron Douglas and Jason McCulloch-tuned R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster made four qualifying runs eventually posting a 3.784 second pass at 330.47 mph on Saturday to head into race day as the No. 10 qualifier. For the third race in a row Hart would square off with fellow championship contender Tony Stewart in the opening round.

Two weeks ago, Hart outran Stewart before falling in the second round at Sonoma Raceway. The weekend before that Hart lost a close race in Seattle when Stewart grabbed a starting line advantage and raced to the finish line stripe first. Today Hart was confident he would be able to once again outrun Stewart.

Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster will leave Brainerd solidly in Top Ten headed to US Nationals

"We made a solid run in the third qualifying session, and we learned some things in the final session," said Hart, a multi-time Top Fuel national event winner. "The conditions this morning stayed cool, and I felt really good getting into the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster."

Hart's confidence was evident as he jumped off the starting line well in front of Stewart with a .040 reaction time. As each Top Fuel dragster powered down the racetrack at Brainerd International Raceway they were welded together as the finish line closed in. Stewart was able to get a nose out in front and held off a charging Hart who ran almost exactly on his qualifying time, crossing the stripe with a 3.788 second elapsed time at 328.78 mph.

"We were hoping to step up in that first round and we just missed it. He ran what he did in qualifying and so did we," said Hart. "That was a close race, and we are going to take the positives from this weekend and head to the biggest race of the season. There is one more regular season race and then it's the playoffs."

Josh Hart hangs loose before getting into R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster at Lucas Oil Nationals.

Hart and the R+L Carriers team are currently sitting in the eighth spot in the Mission Foods Top Fuel point standings. With points and a half Hart could move up one or two positions before the points reset. Following the U.S. Nationals Hart will most likely be less than 100 points out of the lead for his first Top Fuel championship. As a two-time U.S. Nationals winner in Top Alcohol Dragster Hart is focusing his attention on his first Top Fuel U.S. Nationals win and building momentum headed into the six-race playoff.

The U.S. Nationals will open with one qualifying session on Friday, August 29 and then two more qualifying runs on Saturday and Sunday. The five qualifying rounds will give Hart and the R+L Carriers team amply opportunity to grab one of the 16 spots in the toughest Top Fuel field of the season. Final eliminations will be held on Monday, September 1 and the race will be broadcast on FS1 and FOX throughout the weekend.

Qualifying Results
Q1: 6.509 sec, 97.69 mph; Qual. 10
Q2: 5.408 sec; 127.49 mph; Qual. 12
Q3: 3.784 sec; 330.47 mph; Qual. 9
Q4: 4.887 sec; 149.91 mph; Qual. 10
Bonus points: 0

Race Results First Round Tony Stewart, Columbus, Ind., America Rebel Light dragster, (.074, 3.733 sec, 328.54 mph def. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, (.040), 3.788 sec, 328.78 mph

 
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Point Standings - Top Fuel
1.  Shawn Langdon    1044
2.  Tony Stewart      999
3.  Doug Kalitta      993
4.  Justin Ashley     911
5.  Brittany Force    817
6.  Antron Brown      815
7.  Clay Millican     704
8.  Josh Hart         571
9.  Steve Torrence    569
10. Shawn Reed        475