NHRA Gatornationals: New Faces Lead John Force Racing into New Era
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New Faces Lead John Force Racing into New EraMARC GEWERTZFor the first time since 1976, John Force Racing will compete in the 2026 Mission Foods NHRA drag racing season without a person possessing the last name Force in at least one of the organization’s cars.
Patriarch and 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force never raced again after suffering a traumatic brain injury in a 300-mph crash at Richmond, Virginia, in June 2024. He officially retired on November 13, 2025.
Ashley Force Hood stepped out of her car at the end of the 2010 season, two years after becoming the first female to win a Funny Car race.
Courtney Force announced in January 2019 that she was stepping away from her Funny Car driving duties to pursue other opportunities and start a family with her husband, NTT IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal.
Two-time NHRA Top-Fuel champion Brittany Force said the 2025 season would be her last. Marriage was in her future and she, too, wanted to start a family.
Josh Hart.JERRY FOSS NHRA/NATIONAL DRAGSTERThis year, John Force Racing’s lineup consists of Josh Hart in Top Fuel and Jack Beckman, Alexis DeJoria, and Jordan Vandergriff in Funny Car. In the season opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Hart and DeJoria reached the finals in their respective classes. Vandergriff eliminated Beckman in the first round. He then reached the semifinals before being eliminated by Chad Green, who posted a 3.980-second ET to Vandergriff’s 4.068-second ET.
Hart ended his inaugural run for John Force Racing with a victory over reigning Top Fuel champion Doug Kalitta, 3.733 to 3.877. However, DeJoria fell to Chad Green in Funny Car, 3.959 to 5.003.
Gordon’s Full of Suprises in Inaugural Top Fuel Performance
Third-generation racer Maddi Gordon blasted onto the NHRA Top Fuel scene at Gainesville Raceway and for those who attended the season opener they will retell her unbelievable day for years to come.
The 23rd woman in NHRA history to qualify a Top Fuel dragster, Ron Capps believed in Gordon’s talent so much that he was willing to turn over his NHRA Funny Car to her if Carlyle Tools hadn’t returned as a sponsor. During the season opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals weekend, Monster Energy announced it was joining the energetic rookie as a sponsor.
The petite Gordon stunned everyone in the opening round when she upset 2013 NHRA Top Fuel champion Shawn Langdon with a 3.762-second ET, 334.48 mph run. Langdon smoked his dragster’s tires.
“I heard him pull the tires loose, and I seriously said, ‘Holy … something’ inside the car, and we were going good,” an excited Gordon said. “Man, this is what dreams are made of! This is amazing!”
Next on Gordon’s agenda in the quarterfinals was eight-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher, the winningest driver in that class who’s returning to full-time competition this year with Rick Ware Racing. Gordon defeated Schumacher 3.783 to 3.863. Schumacher’s dragster dropped a cylinder and had a top-end blower backfire during his run. He also was docked points for an oil-down. Gordon was the 114th driver Schumacher has faced in his 30-year career.
Gordon’s fairytale day ended in the semifinals when she faced reigning Top Fuel champion Doug Kalitta. Her dragster lost traction and Kalitta defeated her 3.754 to 4.630.
Anderson vs. Anderson
Six-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson found himself pitted against a foe he probably hadn’t anticipated in the quarterfinals of Sunday’s Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway—his 27-year-old son Cody.
With Cody’s entrance into Pro Stock, he and Greg became the 28th father-son duo to compete in the NHRA class.
Cody and Greg Anderson.MARC GEWERTZCody qualified 12th and met fifth fastest qualifier Greg Stanfield in the opening round. Greg posted the 13th fastest time and was matched against No. 4 qualifier Deric Kramer. The younger Anderson advanced with a 6.585 ET Greg narrowly edged Kramer 6.564 to 6.568.
When the father-son duo met in the quarterfinals, Cody turned on his red light and Anderson went on to record a 6.542 E.T. Greg eventually reached the final round where he lost to Matt Hartford. The elder Anderson had a quicker reaction time than Hartford,.041 to.053, but Hartford eclipsed Anderson 6.530, 210.41 mph to 6.562, 209.72 mph.
Hartford’s ninth career victory was his first since 2023.
Identical ETs for Stewart, Pruett
Even though Tony Stewart and his wife Leah Pruett are driving for two different teams, they opened the 2026 NHRA Top Fuel season with identical ETs.
In the opening round of Sunday’s eliminations in the Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, Stewart kicked off the 2026 season by defeating Clay Millican with a 3.713-second ET Pruett followed him immediately and posted an identical E.T—3.713—to send Jasmine Salinas home.
Both lost in the quarterfinals. Four-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Antron Brown defeated Stewart on a holeshot, while two-time champion Doug Kalitta ended Pruett’s comeback with a 3.764-second E.T. Ironically, it was Kalitta who defeated Pruett in the 2023 season finale to claim that year’s championship.
“I didn’t know that in two years off, no matter how much I practiced, I have developed an unideal pedal down movement,” Pruett said. “Moving forward, I’ve got a lot of work to do in the next two weeks, getting ready for Phoenix, which I’m excited about. Excited about the work because I know something objectively that I need to do different.”