BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Oct. 28, 2026) – Josh Hart and the SPEEDMASTER Top Fuel team will be the first to admit their season hasn’t met their expectations but they know that strong runs over the final two races, beginning with the Oct. 30 – Nov. 1 NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, can still make big gains by season’s end.
Currently 10th in the point standings, Hart is just one point out of ninth place, 30 out of eighth, 63 out of seventh, 64 out of sixth and 84 out of fifth.
The team’s goal is to be quick, fast and consistent each and every time down the track. There’s no need to try to knock it out of the park every time they pull up to the starting line. It’s consistency that will allow them to build on their successes and pull back into the winner’s circle like they started their season doing at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway.
The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings after 18 of 20 races are: 1. Shawn Langdon, 2,546; 2. Doug Kalitta, 2,407; 3. Antron Brown, 2,322; 4. Tony Stewart, 2,294; 5. Leah Pruett, 2,281; 6. Will Smith, 2,261; 7. Maddi Gordon, 2,260; 8. Justin Ashley, 2,227; 9. Billy Torrence, 2,198; 10. Josh Hart, 2,197.
Quotes
Do you participate in games of chance or are there any special places you like to go while you’re there?
“My first time in Las Vegas is kind of a funny story. I went down to the casino where we were staying and put $100 in a slot machine. I lost it all in less than five minutes and decided I work way too damn hard to spend my money paying the Las Vegas light bill so I will never do this again. That was my one shot. Now, that could’ve gone in the opposite way had I won but I definitely did not. As for places I like to go to while I’m in town, I specifically like MRKT. It’s a fantastic little steak joint inside of the Aliante Casino Hotel. It’s definitely in my top five for a ribeye.”
What are the team’s goals in in these final two races?
“We’re working really, really hard to develop some consistency and reliability in our program. We tried a lot of things at the last race. Some worked and some didn’t. But we all realize that when the chips are down, we need to be consistent and not swing for the fences every time. I believe we’re all aligned on that, and I hope we’ll see that in the results at Las Vegas. We all realize that talk is cheap so now we need to prove it.
Is there anything you would like to share, specifically or in general, about the meeting you had with crew chiefs Dave Grubnic and John Collins on Sunday afternoon at the Texas Motorplex?
“We all feel the same tension. We all feel the same pressure and we all know that we need to be consistently good and deliver over these final two races of the season.”
Weekend Appearances
Hart will be signing autographs Sat., Oct. 31, from 9:30 – 10 a.m. at the Cornwell Tools midway display and from 11 – 11:30 a.m. at the John Force Racing merchandise trailer on the midway.
Track Schedule
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 1 and 3:30 p.m. PT on Friday, Oct. 30, followed by the final two rounds on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 12 and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. PT on Sunday, Nov. 1.
TV Schedule
Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 1, followed by eliminations at 5 p.m. ET.
Race Results
| Las Vegas | Race Result | Round by Round Results | Qualified | Event Record |
| 2021 (TF) | 1st round | Lost to Tripp Tatum | 7th | 0-1 |
| 2022 (TF) | 1st round | Lost to Steve Torrence | 10th | 0-2 |
| 2023 (TF) | Semi-finals | Beat Leah Pruett, Doug Kalitta; lost to Mike Salinas | 12th | 2-3 |
| 2024 (TF) | 1st round | Lost to Brittany Force | 16th | 2-4 |
| 2025 (TF) | 1st round | Lost to Justin Ashley | 9th | 2-5 |
Wins: 0
No. 1 Qualifiers: 0
Event Record: 2-5
2026 Results
| Event | Qualify | Round by Round | Round Record | Points Position |
| Gainesville | 1 | Beat Dan Mercier, Tripp Tatum, Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta | 4-0 | 1 |
| Phoenix | 10 | Beat Justin Ashley; lost to Leah Pruett | 5-1 | 2 |
| Pomona1 | 2 | Beat Cameron Ferre; lost to Tony Stewart | 6-2 | 4 |
| Charlotte | 4 | Lost in 1st quad | 6-3 | 5 |
| Valdosta | 9 | Lost to Leah Pruett | 6-4 | 5 |
| Chicago | 4 | Beat Justin Ashley, Tony Stewart; lost to Shawn Langdon | 8-5 | 5 |
| Maryland | 7 | Lost to Clay Millican | 8-6 | 5 |
| Epping | 3 | Beat Rit Pustari; lost to Billy Torrence | 9-7 | 4 |
| Bristol | 6 | Lost to Doug Kalitta | 9-8 | 6 |
| Norwalk | 2 | Beat Scott Farley; lost to Clay Millican | 10-9 | 7 |
| Sonoma | 8 | Lost to Jasmine Salinas | 10-10 | 7 |
| Seattle | 1 | Bye, beat Tony Stewart; lost to Leah Pruett | 12-11 | 7 |
| Brainerd | 10 | Lost to Tony Stewart | 12-12 | 7 |
| Indianapolis | 12 | Lost to Leah Pruett | 12-13 | 7 |
| Martin | 2 | Beat Shawn Reed; Lost to Spencer Massey | 13-14 | 6 |
| Rockingham | 5 | Lost to Will Smith | 13-15 | 7 |
| St. Louis | 6 | Lost to Tony Stewart | 13-16 | 9 |
| Ennis | 8 | Lost to Will Smith | 13-17 | 10 |
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