Hart's Takes wins, Green, Hartford, Gadson victories kick off the 2026 season, NHRA.

In his debut with John Force Racing, Ocala's Josh Hart triumphed by defeating reigning Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta in the final round of the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. Chad Green (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock), and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also emerged victorious in the first of 20 season races.

Josh Hart secured a win in his first appearance with John Force Racing at Gainesville Raceway, overcoming reigning Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta in the final round of the 57th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

Chad Green (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock), and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also claimed victories before a full crowd at the inaugural race of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, marking the commencement of NHRA’s 75th anniversary.

Hart set the track speed record on Friday, clocking in at 3.733 seconds at 337.83 mph in his Burnyzz/Speedmaster dragster to defeat Kalitta, who slowed to 3.877 at 319.60. This marks Hart's third career win and his first in nearly five years.

Since then, Hart has faced challenges, having won his Top Fuel debut in 2021 at Gainesville Raceway. Now with John Force Racing, Hart is making strides. He achieved his first career No. 1 qualifying position on Saturday and then defeated Dan Mercier, Tripp Tatum, and four-time champion Antron Brown to reach the final round. Hart quickly overcame Kalitta, making a strong statement as a championship contender in the competitive 2026 category.

“I’m incredibly grateful to everyone,” Hart expressed. “After enduring tough times for four years, it’s hard to believe this is happening. I owe thanks to many people, and the energy from the fans today was incredible. John Force, thank you for choosing me.

“It was fantastic, like a storybook. We shattered every record I had in my career, all in the first weekend with John Force Racing. The team is absolutely outstanding, the most professional I’ve ever been part of, with unparalleled communication. I just want to thank John Force and Brittany Force for considering me and giving me this opportunity. I’ll get more comfortable, and we’ll win more races.”

In Funny Car, Green continued his impressive run at Gainesville Raceway, securing consecutive victories at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals with a run of 3.959 at 329.91 in his Bond Coat, Inc. Ford Mustang against Alexis DeJoria in the final round. Green now boasts three career victories, with two achieved at Gainesville Raceway, winning eight consecutive rounds at one of the NHRA tour's most significant races.

On Sunday, Green defeated Terry Haddock, four-time world champion Matt Hagan, and John Force Racing’s Jordan Vandergriff, who was making his Funny Car debut. This set up a final round against another JFR driver, as DeJoria advanced to the final in her debut with her new team.

However, DeJoria encountered issues early, and Green delivered another strong performance to secure the win and take the points lead at the first race of NHRA’s 75th anniversary season.

“Winning the Gatornationals for the first time last year was incredibly special, and over the past few months, I’ve been dreaming of winning it again,” Green stated. “Winning any race is tough, especially for someone like me. Everything came together perfectly, and going back-to-back is amazing. I was also hoping to win a Diamond Wally. Achieving it at the first race is truly awesome.

“Driving becomes much easier when you’re confident in what the car will do. We qualified well, but the first round always makes me nervous. Once past that, I felt very confident in the car all day, and with each run, the car performed well, which definitely benefits a driver.”

DeJoria advanced to the final round for the first time in two years and the 17th time in her career, with victories over Cruz Pedregon, 2025 NHRA Rookie of the Year Spencer Hyde, and J.R. Todd.