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Josh Hart Stays Focused Despite Virginia’s Scorching Weekend Heat
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Highlights
- Josh Hart qualified 13th at Virginia NHRA Nationals.
- Hart lost first round to Steve Torrence, who qualified third.
- R+L Carriers team improved times despite tough track conditions.
- Hart remains top ten in Mission Foods Drag Racing Series points.
- Next race: Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, June 27-29.
- Hart will compete in two series at upcoming Summit event.
By the end of Saturday’s sessions, Hart landed in the 13th qualifying spot, setting up a first-round matchup with four-time Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence, who qualified third.
Hart admitted, “We were behind the eight ball all day like a lot of teams. Every run after the first qualifying session we got quicker. I knew we could step it up in the first round. It was just a matter of how much quicker we could get and what Torrence rolled out against us.”
Hart reacted first at the start against Torrence and delivered his quickest pass of the weekend.
With the pressure on, Hart used the early rounds on race day to watch how teams handled both lanes. When it was finally Hart versus Torrence — the sixth pair out — Hart reacted first at the start and delivered his quickest pass of the weekend.
Still, Torrence crossed the finish line ahead, running 3.920 seconds, beating Hart’s best run of 4.041 seconds.
“We stepped up considerably, but it wasn’t enough for the win,” Hart reflected after the race.
If we could have made that run yesterday our first round could have looked a lot different, but there are a lot of other teams saying the same thing. Drag racing will humble you for sure.
“The good news is I can put this race behind me quickly and focus on a busy race in Norwalk in a couple days. We are doing a display with DHDR on Tuesday and then we will be right into race mode.”
With nine races completed in the regular season, Hart remains solidly in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series top ten in points.
Five events remain before the six-race Countdown, and Hart is in position to push higher in the standings.
The R+L Carriers team now readies for the next event at Summit Motorsports Park. The Summit Racing Equipment Nationals run from June 27-29 and will see Hart competing in both the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series.
Drag racing’s summer schedule continues with new challenges each week, but Hart’s resilience and steady performance keep his team in contention.
Consistency on a hot weekend in Virginia showed the strength of the R+L Carriers and Burnyzz Speed Shop crews. Fans will watch closely as points battles tighten with each consecutive round.
John Martinez delivers real-time NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series news, from live race updates to pit-lane strategy analysis. A graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio’s Motorsports Technology program, he breaks down rule changes, driver tactics, and championship points with crystal-clear reporting.
* The featured image is not a real photograph — it was created using AI.
