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in the lanes

GAINESVILLE, FL (March 12, 2023) --- Yesterday Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster took home the $80,000 top prize as the Pep Boys Top Fuel Allstar Callout specialty race winner. During his post-event press conference, the 2021 Gatornationals winner talked about how humbling the sport of drag racing can be. Through two days of qualifying Hart steadily improved entering race day as the No. 7 qualifier on the strength of his Allstar Callout winning pass which was also his final qualifying run of 3.748 seconds at 331.53 mph. In the first round Hart drew five-time Gatornationals winner Tony Schumacher.

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The R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster team and Hart were looking for their fourth consecutive winlight of the weekend in the first round of race day. Crew chief Ron Douglas continued his tradition of starting the race as the first pair of Top Fuel dragsters and on a track with the best conditions of the weekend the team was ready to keep their winning streak alive at Gainesville Raceway.

 

Hart’s team made their quickest run of the weekend flying down the right lane in 3.693 seconds at 335.40 mph, both career best marks. Unfortunately, Schumacher was off the starting line first getting his 12,000-horsepower dragster out in front and holding off a charging Hart at the finish line. For Hart, the two-time national event winner, and Pep Boys Allstar Callout champion the Arizona Nationals in two weeks will be his next chance to pick up his first win of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

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“I said it yesterday about how humbling this sport can be. I was at the top of the mountain yesterday and today I didn’t do my job,” said Hart. “Ron and the guys gave me an amazing race car and I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity. This will only motivate me and I wish the Arizona Nationals started tomorrow. We won the Pep Boys Callout and now we will start focusing on the Camping World Top Fuel world championship. There are a lot of races left in the season.”

 

After the first race of the season Hart will head to the second race in tenth place in the Top Fuel Camping World points. The NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wildhorse Park Motorsports Park will begin on March 24 affording Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster their next chance to hit the track.

 

Qualifying Results

Q1: 3.783 sec, 310.84 mph; Qual. 8

Q2: 3.765 sec, 331.77 mph; Qual. 8

Q3: 3.748 sec, 331.53 mph; Qual. 7

Bonus Points:

 

Race Results

 

First Round

Tony Schumacher, Austin Tex., SCAG dragster, (.048) 3.722, 322.02 mph def. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers dragster, (.105) 3.693, 335.40 mph

 

Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten - Top Fuel

1.         Mike Salinas               115

2.         Steve Torrence           99

3.         Doug Kalitta                79

4.         Leah Pruett                 77

5.         Brittany Force             67

6.         Antron Brown             54

7.         Austin Prock                52

7.         Tony Schumacher       52

9.         Clay Millican               34

10.       Josh Hart                    33

HARTS WRAPS UP GATORNATIONALS EARLY AFTER ALL-STAR CALLOUT WIN

2022ScheduleDragster-920x518.jpg

Feb. 18-20   Lucas Oil Winternationals    Pomona, Calif.        Auto Club Raceway at Pomona

Feb. 25-27  Arizona Nationals                Chandler, Ariz.        Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park

March 11-13. Amalie Oil Gatornationals.    Gainesville, Fla.        Gainesville Raceway

April 1-3     Four-Wide Nationals             Las Vegas                 The Strip at LVMS

April 22-24  Mopar Express Lane SpringNationals  Baytown,Texas  Houston Raceway Park

April 29-May 1  NGK Four-Wide Nationals.    Concord, N.C.             zMax DragwayM

May 13-15 Virginia Nationals                        Dinwiddie, Va.          Virginia Motorsports Park

June 3-5 New England Nationals             Epping, N.H.              New England Dragway

June 17-19  Thunder Valley Nationals.       Bristol, Tenn.              Bristol Dragway

June 24-26 Summit Racing Equip. Nationals  Norwalk, Ohio  Summit Racing Equipment Park

July 15-17   Dodge SRT Mile-High Nationals  Morrison, Colo.          Bandimere Speedway

July 22-24  Sonoma Nationals                 Sonoma, Calif.              Sonoma Raceway

July 29-31  Flav-R-Pac Northwest Nationals  Kent, Wash.           Pacific Raceways

Aug. 12-14  Menard’s Nationals                  Topeka, Kan.           Heartland Motorsports Park

Aug. 19-21  Lucas Oil Nationals                  Brainerd, Minn.            Brainerd Int’l Raceway

Sept. 2-5   Dodge SRT U.S. Nationals        Indianapolis, IN        Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis

Sept. 16-18. Mopar Express Lane Nationals  Mohnton, Pa.               Maple Grove Raceway

Sept. 23-25  Carolina Nationals               Concord, N.C.                    zMax Dragway

Sept. 30-Oct. 2 Midwest Nationals              Madison, Il       World Wide Technology Raceway

Oct. 14-16 Texas FallNationals                  Ennis, Texas                  Texas Motorplex

Oct. 28-30 Dodge SRT Nationals                  Las Vegas                  The Strip at LVMS

Nov. 11-13  Auto Club Finals                       Pomona, Ca         Auto Club Raceway at Pomona

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