The emotional highlight of the 2026 AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals wasn't Matt Hartford's long-awaited Pro Stock victory or Chad Green's back-to-back Funny Car heroics — it was Florida's own Josh Hart rolling out in John Force Racing colours and clocking 3.733 seconds at 337.83mph to win on debut for his new team.
The Top Fuel final saw Hart pre-stage against Kleta Hart B, and by the time the Christmas tree flicked green the Gainesville crowd was already rising in anticipation of a hometown win. Hart delivered, blasting his dragster down the quarter to claim his first victory after four punishing seasons in the category.
Still processing the moment trackside, Hart struggled to put his breakthrough into words.
"I just so grateful for everybody, you know. Anything's possible. And I got the crap kicked out of me for like four years in a row. So, kind of having a hard time believing this right now," Hart said.
The emotion spilled over as Hart reeled off thanks to his wife, his sponsors Bernie's and Speed Master, and the local Florida fans who filled the Gainesville stands.
"Thank you, thank you to my wife. Thank you to Speed Master. Thank you to Bernie's. Anybody that I consider family that I talk to every day. Thank you. All the fans, local fans, you guys were awesome. Your energy was priceless," Hart said. "David Grubnick, John Collins, thank you. John Force, you're amazing. Thank you for picking me. Brittany Force, you're awesome. Thank you for picking me. Just thank you."
The win is a statement opener for the John Force Racing Top Fuel programme in 2026. After the tragic 2024 crash that effectively ended John Force's own driving career, the team's return to the winners' circle in Top Fuel — via a hometown Florida ace — is a symbolic as much as a competitive milestone.
Elsewhere at Gainesville, Chad Green underscored the BOOM Racing Funny Car's emergence with a second consecutive Gatornationals win in his Chevy Camaro SS, running 3.959 at 329mph to see off Alexis DeJoria's tyre-smoking final.
"Let me tell you, these are the best fans out here. And they pack the stands no matter what," Green said. "Thank you to my good friend Scott. Hey, Scott. We got it done, buddy. We got it done again."
In Pro Stock, Matt Hartford ended a drought stretching back to Reading 2023, beating Greg Anderson in the Pomona kingpin's 194th career final.
"Jack Beckman told me before I got in the car, he says, Matt, 4-0 is better than three in one," Hartford said. "Just never give up. Our team doesn't give up. We're a small team. There's four of us. Everybody back at Total Seal, they do a fantastic job every day. 2023 has been a long time."
The Pro Stock Motorcycle final, meanwhile, delivered one of the feel-good storylines of the weekend as reigning PSM champion Richard Gadson celebrated his 40th birthday in the best possible way — with a Wally. Gadson also used the podium to pay tribute to his late cousin and a friend who had hoped to see him clinch a title.
"I want to dedicate this win to my 18-year-old little cousin, Laya. We lost her the day after Christmas. And also a good friend of mine, Bernard, that flew to Pomona to watch me win a championship, and I never got to," Gadson said.
Away from the marquee Pro classes, Jamie Nunan took Top Alcohol Dragster, Sean Bellemeur opened his title defence with a Top Alcohol Funny Car win, and Pete D'Agnolo added another Wally in Comp Eliminator. Dan Fletcher continued writing NHRA history in Super Stock, while Kelly Kondratowicz notched a first career win in Super Comp.
