Josh harts New 2026 ride

[stitcherbob]

Have you ever talked to him?

About what...the weather?

 

[stitcherbob]

oh i LOVED Bazemore 2001 on. Him and Lee Beard gave a HUGE middle finger to JFR, and his interviews were always riveting. Miss the guy. Thought he was GREAT.

And that's fine. I have no problem with that. Their competition was interesting to watch.
But when I read that Hart was joining JFR, it felt like if Bazemore had dumped Lee and joined JFR.... if he had started kissing John's posterior knowing he was gonna win some races.
I'm sure that when Angelle joined the V&H Harley team there were plenty of fans who were aghast. Not me, but it was shocking.
Imagine Bob Glidden teaming up with Lee Shepard and Reher-Morrison .... and running a Chevy Camaro....gasp!

 

[65 Goatboy]

And that's fine. I have no problem with that. Their competition was interesting to watch.
But when I read that Hart was joining JFR, it felt like if Bazemore had dumped Lee and joined JFR.... if he had started kissing John's posterior knowing he was gonna win some races.
I'm sure that when Angelle joined the V&H Harley team there were plenty of fans who were aghast. Not me, but it was shocking.
Imagine Bob Glidden teaming up with Lee Shepard and Reher-Morrison .... and running a Chevy Camaro....gasp!

Time to put the "big boy pants on"! LOL

 

[twostep]

Hart was hard to pass up when he brings $$$$

Eggs-zactly. Not that I hold it against him; that's what it takes to get a premier ride with a premier team, which explains why Hart got the slot and not Jordan Vandergriff whom I would have preferred myself. As mentioned, the important thing is that Force Racing's fuel dragster will still be racing in 2026. Doug Kalitta, likely the 2025 world champion, is reserved to a fault and doesn't have anything even close to an outgoing personality either but look what he and the Kalitta operation have done for the sport.

Best of luck to the new kid on the Force block.

 

[twostep]

oh i LOVED Bazemore 2001 on. Him and Lee Beard gave a HUGE middle finger to JFR, and his interviews were always riveting. Miss the guy. Thought he was GREAT.

Bazemore - the kind of guy you'd like to slap one minute and buy him a beer the next. I recall a very brief visit with him once in the pits and what I remember the most was the troop of little hotties all vying for his attention, swarming around him like a cloud of horny gnats.

I haven't seen him on here in years. The last I heard he was a professional auto-racing photographer and more recently a road racing cycle rider - at age 62. (!)

 

[ironpony]

Eggs-zactly. Not that I hold it against him; that's what it takes to get a premier ride with a premier team, which explains why Hart got the slot and not Jordan Vandergriff whom I would have preferred myself. As mentioned, the important thing is that Force Racing's fuel dragster will still be racing in 2026. Doug Kalitta, likely the 2025 world champion, is reserved to a fault and doesn't have anything even close to an outgoing personality either but look what he and the Kalitta operation have done for the sport.

Best of luck to the new kid on the Force block.

I have to agree if Doug was anywhere else he probably wouldn't be around anymore. I am dry but he makes me look like the life of the party.

 

[jgrigz]

I have to agree if Doug was anywhere else he probably wouldn't be around anymore. I am dry but he makes me look like the life of the party.

It probably goes with his being a pilot. Calm, cool, and collected in any situation

 

[Butch]

What would you do, your sitting in the seat about to take off. A voice comes over the cabin speaker imagine it's a John Force type just getting his helmet off at the top end.
Or same situation and it's a Doug Kalletta type.
Which pilot would you prefer.

 

[twostep]

What would you do, your sitting in the seat about to take off. A voice comes over the cabin speaker imagine it's a John Force type just getting his helmet off at the top end.
Or same situation and it's a Doug Kalletta type.
Which pilot would you prefer.

Point taken but that's not why I mentioned Doug Kalitta in the first place. The point was, just because someone is totally reserved and a boring track-end interview doesn't mean they're not qualified for the job. Goes without saying that Kalitta is eminently qualified, both as a TF and a jet jockey.

And I might like John Force to announce the details of my next flight over the PA.

 

[Litefoot]

What would you do, your sitting in the seat about to take off. A voice comes over the cabin speaker imagine it's a John Force type just getting his helmet off at the top end.
Or same situation and it's a Doug Kalletta type.
Which pilot would you prefer.

No question JOHN

 

[Butch]

Pilot Force after a little turbulence.
Well this old stove pipe it started shaking,but I just stayed on the gas and drove out of it.
Yeah this Ole heap ain't ready for the desert graveyard yet.

 

[65 Goatboy]

No question JOHN

I don't know, John has crashed more times then we can count without getting very far off the ground. How many planes has Doug crashed?

 

[JRW]

It probably goes with his being a pilot. Calm, cool, and collected in any situation

I noticed he always starts his interviews with yea,no lol. Prob 1 of the best driver in top fuel tho!

 

[Litefoot]

I don't know, John has crashed more times then we can count without getting very far off the ground. How many planes has Doug crashed?

Doug is one of my all time favorites, just having a little fun with the question

 

[stitcherbob]

What would you do, your sitting in the seat about to take off. A voice comes over the cabin speaker imagine it's a John Force type just getting his helmet off at the top end.
Or same situation and it's a Doug Kalletta type.
Which pilot would you prefer.

I don't know....let's see....
Doug - "Uh, ummm this is your um pilot here, we will be landing uh, soon and I ask, uh that you keep your seat belt on until we uh stop"
John - "Hey! This is your pilot here and we just slid this baby in on three wheels sideways and had a slight fire on the right engine but I didn't see Elvis so we'll see if Coil can throw some rods or whatever these old heaps use in 'er for the final flight outta here!"

 

[Butch]

I don't know, John has crashed more times then we can count without getting very far off the ground. How many planes has Doug crashed?

Planes aren't designed to crash and walk away.

 

[stitcherbob]

Planes aren't designed to crash and walk away.

Ahhh, it kinda depends…. Connie must have had his planes built like his fuelers… heck with FAA standards, build it to NHRA standards

 

[Butch]

If I remember correctly that plane didn't even get in the air. That was Connie's days of hell.
He lost Scott and two different planes in a very short time span.

 

[Steve Wayne]

Looks like R+L is staying with the Elite car from Bobby’s newest story on Comp Plus

 

[Nunz]

Looks like R+L is staying with the Elite car from Bobby’s newest story on Comp Plus

Good article. Also mentioned JFR's "expanding TF operations". Think they're trying to add another car?