Josh Hart Wins in NHRA Debut with John Force Racing
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Hart Wins in NHRA Debut with John Force RacingMARC GEWERTZJosh Hart is well known for his entrepreneurship but after five years and $22 million of fielding his own NHRA Top Fuel team, when 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force came calling about replacing his daughter Brittany Force in that team’s Top Fuel entry, he knew he couldn’t turn it down.
They began talking last year at Brainerd, Minnesota, in mid-August and then when they arrived at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis Labor Day weekend, Force told Hart, “Your contract will be on your desk when you get home.”
Hart and his wife, who operate several businesses including Burnyzz American Classic Horsepower in Ocala, Florida, knew selling their Top Fuel team and joining John Force’s operation was the right thing to do. However, they could have never imagined the way the NHRA’s 75th anniversary season would begin at their home track in the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. In his inaugural outing with John Force Racing, Hart set the track speed record 340.3 mph, commandeered his first career No. 1 qualifying position and then claimed his third career victory, his second at Gainesville Raceway. In gaining his first event win since 2021, Hart defeated reigning NHRA Top Fuel champion Doug Kalitta 3.733 to 3.877, 337.83 mph.
Josh Hart.JERRY FOSS NHRA/NATIONAL DRAGSTER“It’s a storybook ending,” Hart said while holding his diamond Wally trophy in his post-event media interview. “We crushed all of our first quarter priority goals, all in one weekend. It’s been absolutely epic. When you think about driving for John Force, that by itself is just monumental.
“(The) semifinals (Sunday) was me proving that I can still drive… pedaling it without banging the blower and making sure I got it down the track without really hurting the car. That’s the confidence.”
Hart and his wife opened Burnyzz in 2010 with $300. Then Hart started his drag racing. Of the businesses they own, the speed shop and drag racing team were their two most successful. However, neither business was getting his full attention, and he knew he had to make a change, especially since Burnyzz paid the bills.
“I would say that I tried all the wrong roads,” Hart said. “In my business life, everything I’ve ever been scared of has already happened to me. You just realize how quickly the road can be yanked out from underneath you, and when you live you life that way, you appreciate everything.
“Owning a team was awesome. It’s one of those things where you’re super proud that you did it. I’m very proud of what we accomplished, but I also realized that I wasn’t doing it at number one capacity. To 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.”
When the Hart family decided last year to sell the team to Elite Motorsports owner Richard Freeman it meant a busy winter for Hart.
“Finances had to be rearranged,” Hart said. “I started paying attention to closing my team down with dignity, making sure everybody landed where they wanted to land. Then I had the off-season to think about it, really clear my head to prepare. I lost 15 pounds. I’ll get more comfortable, and we’ll win more races.”
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