Nhra Results: Josh Hart wins Gatornationals debut for John Force Racing

Josh Hart beat reigning Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta in the final round at Gainesville Raceway, headlining the opening weekend of the 2026 NHRA season. The nhra results carried extra weight Sunday at 11: 00 a. m. ET as Hart delivered a hometown-area victory in his debut with John Force Racing at the 57th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

Josh Hart beats Doug Kalitta in Top Fuel final at Gainesville Raceway

Hart clocked a 3. 733-second pass at 337. 83 mph in his Burnyzz/Speedmaster dragster to defeat Kalitta, who ran 3. 877 at 319. 60 in the final round. The win marked Hart’s third career victory and his first in nearly five years, giving John Force Racing an immediate season-opening statement at Gainesville Raceway.

Hart’s path to the final included wins over Dan Mercier, Tripp Tatum and four-time champion Antron Brown before he “quickly tracked down” Kalitta in the title round. Hart also qualified No. 1 for the first time in his career during the weekend, building momentum after setting a track speed record on Friday.

In an on-record post-race reaction, Hart thanked John Force and Brittany Force and described the weekend as “storybook, ” saying the team “crushed every record that I have had in my career” in their first weekend together. Hart added that he expects to get more comfortable in the new role and pointed to stronger results ahead.

Chad Green, Matt Hartford and Richard Gadson add wins to open 2026

Beyond Top Fuel, the Sunday nhra results included victories by Chad Green in Funny Car, Matt Hartford in Pro Stock, and Richard Gadson in Pro Stock Motorcycle. The four winners raced in front of a capacity crowd at Gainesville Raceway in Florida, launching the first of 20 races on the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series calendar.

The weekend also marked the start of NHRA’s 75th anniversary season. While detailed final-round numbers for the other categories were not included in the available coverage, the results established early winners across four of the sport’s premier professional classes in the season opener.

Green’s weekend at Gainesville continued a notable run at the venue, with the coverage describing his performance as dominant and noting he returned to the winner’s circle in Funny Car.

Greg Anderson qualifies 13th; Buddy Hull burned in fire and crash

Several Saturday developments shaped the eliminations ladder. In Pro Stock, six-time champion Greg Anderson needed the fourth and final qualifying session Saturday afternoon to make the field. After sitting 17th out of 21 cars following two sessions with a 6. 595-second E. T., Anderson improved to 6. 556 seconds in his last run to qualify 13th and set up a Sunday matchup against fourth-fastest Deric Kramer.

Anderson’s son, Cody Anderson, posted the same elapsed time as his father at 6. 556 seconds but at a higher speed, 209. 88 mph to 208. 84 mph. Drivers who did not qualify for the Pro Stock field were Shane Tucker, Mason McGaha, Brandon Miller, Rodger Brogdon, and Derrick Reese.

In Funny Car qualifying, driver Buddy Hull suffered burns on his right hand when his car caught fire during his final qualifying run. Before he could get the car stopped, Hull collided with Terry Haddock’s car after they crossed the finish line. Hull did not qualify for the event, while Haddock qualified 13th and drew fourth qualifier Chad Green in Sunday’s opening round.

The weekend also featured a Saturday Top Fuel showcase: Antron Brown narrowly defeated Clay Millican in the season’s first Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout, earning $80, 000 the day before eliminations. Brown beat Millican with a 4. 290-second run at 258 mph for his second Callout victory after defeating Josh Hart and Shawn Langdon earlier in the event.

Next up, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continues its 2026 schedule after the season-opening Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, with the remaining races making up a 20-event season; the next start time and location were not included in the available coverage as of 11: 00 a. m. ET.