Josh Hart will be in perpetual motion at this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park. The multi-time Top Fuel winner and rookie Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series competitor will be racing both classes at America’s racetrack, wheeling his R+L Carriers dragster in Top Fuel and his Burnyzz Speed Shop Dodge Challenger Drag Pak in Factory Stock.
“When I have both cars on the track, it makes for a busy and fun weekend,” said Hart. “I am blessed to be able to have this opportunity, and I want to thank everyone at R+L Carriers and Burnyzz Speed Shop for the support they provide both my teams. David Davies and his DHDR team keep us on track in Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown so that is a big plus.”
Prior to the race, Hart displayed both race cars outside of the Cleveland Airport at a Flexjet employee appreciation event. During the race Hart is expecting a huge crowd of R+L Carriers employees from their distribution center that can be seen from the Summit Motorsports Park pit area.
Hart is sitting solidly in the Top Fuel Top Ten, and coming off a tough weekend in Richmond, the team will be looking to get back to the momentum that saw them race to the quarterfinals in five of the previous seven national events. They have also qualified in the top half of the field in three of the past five races, giving them lane choice in the first round.
“We’ve been coming off the trailer and making good runs on Friday, which is critical,” said Hart. “If you can get ahead of the track on Friday, it sets you up for success. This past weekend, the track chewed us up and spit us out on Saturday and Sunday, [but] we’re not going to hang our heads. We’re getting back to work.”
In the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series, Hart is continuing his evolution as a rookie driver in this highly competitive door-slammer full bodied class. His Burnyzz Speed Shop Drag Pak has been making more consistent runs in qualifying and, thanks to the support from DHDR, he is seeing progress at every race.
“Driving in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown class has been a lot of fun,” said Hart. “It is completely different than the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, but it keeps me sharp during the race weekend. When we are qualifying on Friday and Saturday and then racing on Sunday getting seat time and keeping your head in racing is critical.”
During a busy race weekend Hart will also be carving out time for guests from R+L Carriers throughout the weekend. The transportation and logistics company has remained family-owned and operated since 1965. They offer one of the most comprehensive networks of nationwide service centers for LTL, truckload, expedited and cross-border shipping. They have been supporters of Hart since he made the move to Top Fuel after a very successful career in Top Alcohol Dragster.
Hart has had success at Summit Motorsports Park. His two best performances at the track located just over an hour outside Cleveland are a runner-up finish in 2022 from the No. 4 qualifier position and in 2023 from the No. 6 qualifier position the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team raced to the quarterfinals.
“I would like to get back to the feeling we had in 2022 when we were on a roll and then a storm came through and flipped the track conditions,” said Hart. “That was a strong weekend for this team, and I think we can get back to that kind of performance. This sport is humbling but I also think it rewards hard work. This R+L Carriers team has been really working hard, and I am looking forward to seeing positive results in Norwalk.”
On Friday, Hart and the R+L Carriers team will get two qualifying runs and he’ll get two runs in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series. Saturday will feature the final two Top Fuel qualifying runs and more Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown qualifying followed by elimination rounds for the Burnyzz Speed Shop Dodge Challenger. On Sunday the Top Fuel eliminations will kick off with the quickest 16 Top Fuelers hitting the track at 11 a.m. Fans can get more information on the race at http://www.nhra.com and the race will be broadcast on FS1 and FOX.
