Hart tapped to replace Brittany Force in JFR’s Top Fuel dragster in 2026
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio
John Force Racing has signed two-time NHRA Top Fuel national event-winner Josh Hart to drive the car two-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force will vacate at the end of the 2025 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Photo courtesy of John Force Racing.
Hart’s multi-year contract with JFR’s 23-time world championship organization will begin with the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., March 5-8, 2026. The Gator Nats will kick-off the National Hot Rod Association’s 75th anniversary season celebration.
Force announced Sept. 12 she will be stepping away from competition at the conclusion of this season to focus on starting a family. A 39-year-old native of Yorba Linda, Calif., Force has recorded 18 Top Fuel victories in 39 final-round appearances. Brit won her 18th national event at the 2025 New England Nationals in Epping, N.H., tying NHRA legend Shirley Muldowney for most victories by a woman in Top Fuel.
Brittany Force. Photo courtesy of the NHRA.
The daughter of team-owner and 16-time NHRA Funny Car world champion John Force, Brittany won her Top Fuel titles in 2017 and 2022.
The team based in Brownsburg, Ind., will continue to be led by crew chiefs Dave Grubnic and John Collins, with primary sponsorship from Hart’s Ocala, Florida-based Burnyzz Speed Shop.
“I have always said ‘anything’s possible’ and this opportunity proves that statement,” said Hart, a 42-year-old native of Huntington, Ind. “I want to thank John Force and the entire John Force Racing team for being open to this endeavor. No one can replace Brittany Force and what she has done for the sport and this organization.
Josh Hart. Photo courtesy of the NHRA.
“I have been building my program on my own for five seasons and I learned a tremendous amount. I want to continue to learn from the best and John Force Racing is the best drag racing team in the history of the sport. My goal is to continue learning, winning races and Top Fuel championships as a driver and teammate.”
A two-time NHRA U.S. Nationals winner in Top Alcohol Dragster, Hart will become just the third driver to race in the premier Top Fuel class under the John Force Racing banner. Hart will join Brit Force and current JFR Funny Car driver/world champion Austin Prock on a short list of Top Fuel competitors.
Hart was selected to continue a tradition of exceptional driving skills, family values and sponsor-first mindset. “I’ve been talking to Josh for a while and every time we talked it just made sense for our team to add someone like him,” said John Force, 76, team founder/CEO. “He’s a family guy, and he is a businessman. John Force Racing is evolving and we have to ‘feed the monster.’ Josh runs a huge operation in Florida, and I was impressed when I saw it a few years ago.
Josh Hart will drive the Top Fuel dragster that is currently driven by Brittany Force during the 2026 season. NHRA photo
“Our team is going to keep growing and winning championships with Austin and (Funny Car driver) Jack Beckman and Josh. Our focus now is on winning this season’s Top Fuel and Funny Car championships and then we will start working on 2026.”
Hart started his race team for the 2021 season, ironically, earning the first of his two NHRA Top Fuel victories in his series debut at the Gatornationals. Hart won again later that year at the Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C., and won the 2023 NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout in Gainesville. Hart currently is 10th in the Top Fuel point standings with two races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Josh Hart. NHRA photo
Hart’s NHRA career began in 2011, racing in multiple Sportsman categories before earning his Top Alcohol Dragster license in 2015. Hart won three Top Alcohol Dragster NHRA national events, including consecutive U.S. Nationals titles (2018-19), and eight NHRA regional races from 2017-2019 before earning his Top Fuel license in 2020.
Hart is a consistent Countdown qualifier who is on his way to another top-10 finish this season. “There have been a lot of rumors about my future since my announcement to sell my racing operation (on Sept. 10), but I had a plan the whole time,” Hart said. “I hope making this announcement, the first of many, will answer some questions. I’ve been blown away by the support and interest in my driving future and I hope this announcement answers a lot of questions. I want to stay focused on winning races for the rest of the season.”
NHRA Top Fuel driver Brittany Force made the fastest run in NHRA history on Friday night at Sonoma Raceway after record a run at 3.645 seconds at 343.16 mph. Force set the previous the speed record of 341.85 mph last in Seattle. NHRA photo
Further announcements about the program will be made at the conclusion of the season.
Next event on the schedule is the NHRA Nevada Nationals Oct. 30-Nov. 2 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It will be the fifth event in the Countdown and penultimate race of the season, which will conclude with the NHRA Finals from Nov. 13-16 at In-and-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California.
Brittany Force has earned the title “Queen of Speed” via a series of 340-plus mph runs. Here is a chronological list of those laps, including the event, date (where specified), elapsed time (ET), terminal speed and session details. All runs were measured over the NHRA’s 1,000-foot course distance:
April 25 _ NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, zMax Dragway, Concord, N.C.; 3667-seconds/341.59 mph. Qualifying Round 2, first Top-Fuel run over 340 mph, national record at the time.
July 20 _ NHRA Northwest Nationals, Pacific Raceways, Kent, Wash.; 3.659-seconds/341.85 mph. Eliminations semifinals, national record reset in a win over Doug Kalitta.
July 25 _ Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway; 3.645-seconds/343.16 mph. Qualifying Round 1, national record reset, track record, seventh 340-plus mph pass of the season.
August 16 _ Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway; ET (N/A)/340-plus mph. Qualifying, first 340-plus mph pass at the track.
August 17 _ Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway; 3.692-seconds/338.77 mph. Eliminations Round 1, below 340 but part of the weekend’s high-speed runs (not counted in total).
August 17 _ Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway; 3.679-seconds/341.25 mph. Eliminations Round 2, ninth 340-plus mph pass overall.
August 30 _ Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals, Lucas Oil Raceway, Clermont, Ind.; 3.666-seconds/339.79 mph. Qualifying Round 1, provisional No. 1 qualifier, track record reset (just under 340 but included in high-speed context).
September 1 _ Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals, Lucas Oil Raceway, Clermont, Ind.; 3.69-seconds/343.51 mph. Eliminations Round 1, national record reset for third time in 2025, 10th 340-plus mph pass.
September 27 _ Midwest Nationals, World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill.; 3.709-seconds/340.47 mph. Qualifying Round 1, track record reset.
October 11 _ Texas NHRA Fall Nationals, Texas Motorplex, Ennis; ET (N/A)/340-plus mph. Qualifying, track speed record reset.
October 11 _ Texas NHRA Fall Nationals, Texas Motorplex, Ennis; 3.703-seconds/340.57 mph. Qualifying, additional track record reset during session.
Top Fuel point standings (top-10) following the 40th annual Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, 18th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season _ 1. Doug Kalitta, 2,525; 2. Justin Ashley, 2,384; 3. Shawn Langdon, 2,366; 4. Steve Torrence, 2,297; 5. Brittany Force, 2,291; 6. Tony Stewart, 2,289; 7. Clay Millican, 2,279; 8. Shawn Reed, 2,255; 9. Antron Brown, 2,242; 10. Josh Hart, 2,152.
