Josh Hart arrived at Gainesville Raceway two weeks ago with something to prove, and by Friday night at the NHRA Gatornationals he had delivered a statement that echoed across the drag racing world.
Driving a John Force Racing Top Fuel dragster for the first time in national event competition, Hart powered to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position with a track-record 3.658-second run at 340.30 mph, setting the fastest speed ever recorded at Gainesville Raceway.
The pass came during the second qualifying session of the season-opening race of NHRA’s 75th anniversary campaign and marked a milestone moment for the Ocala, Fla., native at his home track.
If the number holds through Saturday’s final qualifying sessions, it would give Hart his first career No. 1 qualifier in the Top Fuel category.
The performance was the continuation of a surge that began during a Professional Racers Organization test session at Gainesville two weeks earlier.
Hart made the first run of any car down the Gainesville Raceway 1,000-foot course during that test, reaching the 340-mph barrier for the first time in his career and following it up with another run in the same range.
Friday’s qualifying run not only backed up the testing numbers but also reset the benchmark for one of drag racing’s most historic tracks.
The run eclipsed the previous Gainesville Raceway speed record that had briefly belonged to Tony Stewart, who posted a 339.96-mph pass earlier in the same qualifying session.
In a twist of circumstance, Stewart was driving the R+L Carriers-backed dragster Hart piloted during the 2025 season.
Stewart’s mark held for only a short time before Hart thundered down the strip moments later and pushed the record into new territory.
The performance underscored the immediate impact Hart has made since joining the legendary John Force Racing organization.
Hart’s move to the powerhouse team ended his run as a team owner-driver, allowing him to focus solely on driving duties.
The change was evident in the smooth and aggressive performance of the Burnyzz/Speedmaster-backed Top Fuel dragster under the Gainesville lights.
“I’m really not used to this gig, so you’ll have to bear with me,” Hart said walking into his first provisional No. 1 qualifier press conference. “I don’t remember the last time I’ve done this at all. Yeah, super blessed.”
“John Force and the entire team has been welcoming me like a member of the family,” Hart added. “Obviously, David Grubnic and John Collins are awesome. They are the Speedmasters, so we’re very proud to have Speedmaster present with us. And no better way to do something like this than right here at your home track with everybody here.”
The performance represented a career-best elapsed time and speed for Hart, who has steadily climbed the ranks since debuting in Top Fuel.
For Hart, the biggest difference in 2026 has been the ability to focus solely on the task of driving rather than running a race team.
During his previous seasons as an owner-driver, he balanced sponsorship obligations, financial responsibilities and operational decisions along with the demands of driving a 12,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragster.
Now, those responsibilities belong to the John Force Racing organization, freeing Hart to concentrate on the starting line and the finish line.
“I can’t really put it into words,” Hart said. “I would say that I tried all the wrong roads. So owning a team was awesome.”
“It’s one of those things where you’re super proud that you did it,” he added. “I am very proud of what we accomplished, but I also realized that I wasn’t doing it at number one type capacity.”
Hart said the shift has allowed him to focus on reaction times, race strategy and driving execution instead of business logistics.
“So to be able to be brought into John Force Racing and be able to focus on just win lights, reaction times, not worry about invoices and payroll and all the things that come along with owning your own team is just something that’s priceless,” Hart said. “So very blessed to be in that seat.”
The transition also required Hart to adapt to a different style of Top Fuel dragster.
The John Force Racing machine features a canopy cockpit configuration, a design Hart had never experienced during his years as a team owner.
Despite the unfamiliar setup, Hart said the car delivered one of the smoothest rides of his career.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Hart said. “I’d never been in a canopy car, so I wasn’t very experienced with that.”
“In my ownership days, when I would hit the gas and we’d get to about 300 feet, the clutch would feel like it was a sledgehammer in the back of your body,” he explained.
“So when I got in this car and we went 340 and testing right off the trailer, all I can say is it was so smooth,” Hart said. “Those guys have it figured out. It’s a well-oiled machine. Absolutely epic ride.”
Communication with crew chief David Grubnic has also played a major role in Hart’s early success with the team.
Grubnic, a former Top Fuel driver himself, has served as both crew chief and sounding board as Hart settles into the program.
The veteran tuner has focused on helping Hart grow within the system rather than attempting to overhaul his driving style.
“Absolutely not,” Hart said when asked if Grubnic had tried to change how he drives. “David Grubnic is a former driver.”
“So just talking to him, he’s like a sounding board,” Hart said. “I can ask him questions; he’ll give me a straight answer, which I love.”
“The communication has been second to none,” Hart added. “And I know he’s only doing everything for the better of my development.”
Hart said the level of communication inside the team has exceeded anything he experienced previously in his career.
“So I would say that this level of communication in this program is something that I’ve never experienced before,” he said.
Hart’s breakthrough performance also served as a response to critics who questioned whether he belonged among the sport’s elite Top Fuel drivers.
During his years as a team owner, inconsistent results and the challenges of running his own operation sometimes left him battling just to qualify for race day.
That period also generated criticism from observers who questioned his presence in the class.
Hart addressed that criticism directly Friday night.
“It was pretty special,” Hart said. “And I would say that anybody that was the hater should come out here and do it themselves, and stop being a keyboard warrior.”
“Because when you’re paying the bills, regardless of what it says on the side of the car, it’s not all what it seems,” Hart continued.
“Until you see behind the curtain, and you’re living the life, you don’t deserve to talk about it,” he added.
Hart said the new opportunity with John Force Racing allows him to prove his capabilities on equal footing with the sport’s top competitors.
“Coming out here with this program, putting my company on the side of it,” Hart said, pausing before delivering a final reflection.
“That pretty much speaks for itself in my brain.”
