Matt Hartford entered the season knowing the Pro Stock field had never been tougher. On Sunday at Gainesville Raceway, he proved he could still beat the best of them.
Hartford ended a 40-race winless streak at the NHRA Gatornationals, driving his Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro to a 6.530-second pass at 210.41 mph to defeat six-time world champion Greg Anderson in the final round. The victory marked Hartford’s first win since the 2023 season and the ninth national event triumph of his career.
“Quote of the day will be 6:53 in this air,” Hartford said. “Eddie, Amber and Adam are badass. To set that car up like that, to go out after the rain and run that against Greg, that is just a phenomenal run.”
The win delivered Hartford his first career Gatornationals title, one of the most prestigious trophies on the NHRA schedule. It also came at the opening race of the 2026 season as the series begins its 75th anniversary campaign.
Hartford’s road to the trophy required navigating one of the toughest elimination ladders in the Pro Stock field. The veteran driver defeated Kenny Delco in the opening round before advancing past Aaron Stanfield in the second round.
The semifinal round presented another major challenge when Hartford lined up against reigning Pro Stock world champion Dallas Glenn. Hartford’s Camaro delivered a clean run to advance to the championship round.
By the time Hartford reached the final, the opponent waiting in the other lane was one of the most accomplished drivers in Pro Stock history. Anderson, a six-time champion, was making the 192nd final-round appearance of his career after defeating Deric Kramer, his son Cody Anderson in his Pro Stock debut, and longtime rival Erica Enders.
Hartford said his approach rarely changes based on the opponent in the other lane. His focus remains on executing his own run and controlling what his team can control.
“With the rest of the field, most of the time I’m not even sure what lane we’re going to be in or who’s in the other lane,” Hartford said. “And I really don’t care. Control what you can control.”
But Hartford acknowledged that racing Anderson carries its own significance.
“I take that back. I care when Greg is in the other lane because he is the man,” Hartford said. “Who’s better? I mean, his record shows that.”
The final round delivered the type of matchup Pro Stock fans have come to expect when two experienced drivers meet with a trophy on the line. Hartford’s Camaro left cleanly and stayed planted down the Gainesville Raceway surface.
His 6.530-second pass proved strong enough to hold off Anderson and secure the victory.
The win came after a weekend where teams had to constantly adapt to changing weather and track conditions. Hartford said his group focused on developing a combination capable of surviving eliminations rather than chasing the quickest qualifying run.
“We worked on a combination, a Sunday combination from the moment we got here,” Hartford said. “Figuring we probably won’t be the quickest car, but we’ll have something that we know can go up and down the racetrack consistently.”
That strategy proved valuable as several teams struggled with conditions during eliminations earlier in the day.
Hartford believes the depth of the current Pro Stock field will make the 2026 season one of the toughest in recent memory.
“This is going to be the most grueling Pro Stock season that I think you guys in the media have ever seen,” Hartford said. “The caliber of the drivers who are out there right now are over the top.”
Hartford’s path to the trophy supported that claim. Delco’s independent team delivered a strong opening challenge, while Stanfield and Glenn represent two of the most consistent programs in the category.
“And you throw in Aaron Stanfield too,” Hartford said. “That’s three of the best cars in the class in any given Sunday.”
The victory also highlighted Hartford’s pride in operating as an independent team in a class often dominated by larger organizations. Hartford said that structure is something he and his family would not change.
“I won’t do it any other way,” Hartford said. “It’s myself, my wife, my brother, and my crew chief… and that’s the only way we want to race.”
That tight-knit group handles the operation as a small family team rather than a multi-car organization.
“We go have dinner together every night,” Hartford said. “We have breakfast together every morning. We ride together every day. And that’s what makes it fun.”
The victory also carried special significance because it awarded the first Pro Stock Diamond Wally trophy of NHRA’s 75th anniversary season.
“We’ve been talking about the 75th anniversary for a couple years now about how special this is going to be,” Hartford said. “To come here, the Gatornationals, which is a major win for sure, to get the first one ever in Pro Stock, it’s incredible.”
After 40 races without a win, Hartford said the moment served as both relief and motivation heading deeper into the season.
“The best way to stack those trophies up,” Hartford said, “is to start with the first one.
