Josh Hart will be the first one to tell you that he’d prefer to forget his 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. The team struggled with getting a handle on his Top Fuel dragster, and that led to a lot of heartache on race day. 2025 has started out much better, and Hart is ready to carry that momentum into the American Rebel Light Virginia Nationals.

During the off-season, Hart made wholesale changes to his Top Fuel team. Jason McCulloch joined the team as co-crew chief with Ron Douglas. The move has paid off and led to better qualifying efforts. Hart has also reached the quarterfinals in five of the last six races this season.

“We came off the trailer in Bristol with a really strong run, and I am hoping we can duplicate that in Richmond. When you get those quick qualifying runs early, that really sets the team up for success. All these R+L Carrier guys have been doing a great job all season, and we are right on the edge of a breakthrough race. We will be on the road for a couple of weeks, and I would like to see as many win lights as possible,” Hart says.

Virginia Motorsports Park is one of Hart’s favorite facilities. The surface is top-notch, and the fans who attend the national event are hardcore. Another thing that makes the American Rebel Light Virginia Nationals unique is the two-day race format. With just three qualifying shots on Saturday, it really amplifies the excitement of the event.

“The two-day race is something new for the NHRA and our fans. The Saturday schedule is packed with racing, autograph sessions, and all the midway events. It is a great bang for the buck in my opinion. On the team side, we like it because we can kind of get into race mode with three runs on Saturday at about the same time as our runs on Sunday. Hopefully, we can get some good data on Saturday and go some rounds on Sunday,” Hart explains.

We will have a full race recap and highlights from the American Rebel Light Virginia Nationals.