P H O T O G R A P H B Y D A V I D H I L N E R

Josh Hart ’ s preseason testing ahead of the PRO Superstar Shootout gets off to a fiery start as a fuel pump malfunction leads to a big ball of fire out of his R + L Carriers Top Fuel dragster on just his first pass of the season . The explosion sprayed nitromethane and flames forward into the cockpit . The overall damage wasn ’ t as bad as the photos look , and the Ocala , Florida-based driver and team owner went on to make a dozen runs across testing , qualifying , and the Top Fuel vs . Funny Car Shootout for non-qualifiers .

B R A D E N T O N M O T O R S P O R T S P A R K • B R A D E N T O N , F L O R I D A • T U E S D AY , F E B R U A R Y 6 T H , 2 0 2 4

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